TRAIL DETAILS

Confederation Trail - Harmony Junction to Souris

Touring Region — Points East Coastal Drive
Trail Location — Kings County

Trail Quick Facts
Difficulty Rating: 1.5 
Length: 9.0 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 —  2 hours 30 minutes
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
Branch trails are built on the original branch lines of the PEI Railway. Some of them like branches to Charlottetown (8 km), Georgetown (39 km) and Souris (9 km) were a part of the line that first opened in May 1875. Other branches came later, including Emerald to Port Borden in 1884, Charlottetown to Murray Harbour in 1905, Cardigan to Montague 1906, and Harmony Junction to Elmira in 1912. Almost all of them have been developed into first-quality trails that offer the peace of the countryside to the photographer, the painter and the nature-lover.

Km 0 - Harmony Junction was originally a turning point on the railway at the head of the Souris River for the section down to the Town of Souris.   

Km 2 - The hardwood area north of Grant Road is the edge of Grant Road Woodlot, a Forestry Division managed recreation area. The trail crosses the access path to the ski chalet, visible to the east. Look for Discovery Panel signage

Km 7 - At the first shelter stop, St. Mary's Church sits on the eastern horizon above the trail. The 1902 gothic stone structure was designed by William Critchlow Harris and rebuilt in 1930 after a disastrous fire in 1928

Km 8 - Entering Souris, the trail is high above the estuary at the mouth of the Souris River to the west. A large community park in the town was the former railway terminus. Main Street is an access to services including the restored Matthew-MacLean building which serves as a Visitor Centre.

Km 9 - Breakwater Street. The trail in Souris ends at the waterfront near the ferry terminal to the Magdalen Islands.

Shelters are located at km 6.6, 7.7, 9.1
Albums
Confederation Trail »
Friday, August 31, 2007  (44 images)