TRAIL DETAILS

Confederation Trail - Milton to Tracadie Cross

Touring Region — Anne's Land
Trail Location — Queens County

Trail Quick Facts
Difficulty Rating: 1.5 
Length: 24.5 km
Structure: Point-to-Point
Marked:
Island Trails Approved:
Environment: Suburban
Rural
Wilderness
Surface Type: Crushed Aggregate
The Confederation Trail is Prince Edward Island's portion of the Trans Canada Trail. It is a rail trail constructed on the bed of the former Prince Edward Island Railway which opened in 1875 and closed in 1989.  Islanders were quick to notice a unique opportunity and the idea of a tip-to-tip shared-use walking and cycling trail was born and the final link is now in place.  The trail covers almost all of the former rail routes, including the "Tip-to-Tip" route from Tignish to Elmira (273 km).  Branch trails extend the trail to over 350km including Borden-Carleton (18 km); the Charlottetown spur (8 km); the Georgetown branch (39 km); the Montague spur (10 km); the Souris spur (9 km); and Iona to Murray Harbour (36 km).  The entire trail is owned and managed by the province of PEI as a part of the Provincial Parks system.

Approximate Time to Complete —  6 hours
Times are estimated assuming that the average person travels 4km/hr.
Time should be added for significant elevation gain/loss.
Associated Trails or Sections
Information & History
Km 170.8 - From the trail parking area at Milton (formerly Milton Station), the trail follows hedgerows as it finds its way into the edges of the capital city.  A 70' high vista overlooks the upper North River wetlands at Coles Creek.  Below on the south side can be seen abutments of a former bridge close to stream level.  The railway wound into the woodland to get down to that level before the high crossing was built. A little further on, a former junction can be distinguished joining the south side of the trail.  It appears to be narrow, indicating abandonment by the 1920s before the entire trail bed was widened for standard-gauge track.

Km 176.7 - A fireman's training area is found on the left before reaching Winsloe, one of the major areas amalgamated into the city about 1995.  The trail crosses Route 2 and climbs steeply toward the junction at Royalty offering views back over the community from the top.  Once a very busy area with trains arriving from both ends of the Island several times daily, it is now a quiet path requiring a decision to turn right into the city, about 8 km to downtown, or left to continue toward the east end of the Island.  The large station from this site still exists, now located beside route 2 near Springvale.
Parking is available off the Brackley Point Road beside the unpaved road parallel to the trail.
East of the junction, dogbane lines trail edges in season, scenting the air with a heavy perfume.  This is upland on the edge of the city with some industry penetrating the countryside amid dairy farms.  A mix of hardwood and softwood remain in hedgerows and woodlots providing a comfortable backdrop for the trail.  Sphinx moths can be seen in blossoms along the corridor like miniature humming birds, for which they might be mistaken.  The trail crosses the Winter River and one of its tributaries in the area of the Charlottetown well field.  
Emerging from the woods, the community of York is visible in the distance.  In this area, garter snakes are seen on trail edges on warm days, especially in the early fall.

Km 182.9 - York is a farming community known for Vessey's Seed Co.  The former station area is vacant but the derelict station is located on an adjacent property, an opportunity for an entrepreneur.  The potato warehouse built of cinder block on the right is very old.
A little further on, a pair of culvert ends denote a construction date of 1928.
Wooded upland predominates in much of this district with the mix of animal species that it supports.  Included are red fox and their less common black phase, red squirrel, striped skunk, raccoon, ruffed grouse and smaller rodents although some are infrequently seen on the trail in daytime.  Grouse are more commonly spotted in spring mating season. The black scat noted here and there on the surface is certainly evidence of mammal presence.

Km 190.4 - Oak trees are common along the trail approaching Bedford (formerly Bedford Station-the stopping point for trains delivering visitors to north shore hotels a century ago-imagine being picked up here by horse-drawn coaches).  This road (rte. 6) is still a major access to Stanhope.

Km 191.2 - Two adjacent peat bogs on the north side are a surprise in this predominantly upland area.
A convenient campground is located on the left approaching Tracadie Cross.  From the former station area, near the highway crossing,  the community has developed a heritage trail leading north into the heart of Grand Tracadie, a kilometer away.  This is an area of Scottish heritage of the Glenaladale settlers and their roots remain strong.

Shelters: km.,  176.2, 182.0, 185.8, 191.2, 195.1
Albums
Confederation Trail »
Friday, August 31, 2007  (44 images)