Confederation Trail is the name for a 273 kilometre recreational

rail trail A rail trail or railway walk is a shared-use path on a Right of way#Rail right of way, railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed but may also share the rail corr ...

system in the Canadian province of

Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island is an island Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. While it is the smallest province by land area and population, it is the most densely populated. The island has several nicknames: "Garden of the Gulf", ...

. It was developed in the 1990s, following the December 31, 1989, abandonment of all railway lines in the province by

Canadian National Railway The Canadian National Railway Company () is a Canadian Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern and Southern United States. CN is Canada's largest railway, in terms of both revenue a ...

Description and history

Comprising almost the total mileage of the historic

Prince Edward Island Railway The Prince Edward Island Railway (PEIR) was a historic Canadian railway in Prince Edward Island (PEI). The railway ran tip-to-tip on the island, from Tignish in the west to Elmira in the east, with major spurs serving Borden-Carleton's train ...

, development of the Confederation Trail was encouraged by a

rails to trails A rail trail or railway walk is a shared-use path on a railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed but may also share the rail corridor with active railways, ligh ...

advocacy group founded at a meeting held on August 3, 1989, in

Charlottetown Charlottetown is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Prince Edward Island, and the county seat of Queens County, Prince Edward Island, Queens County. Named after Queen Charlotte, Charlott ...

. Rails-to-Trails P.E.I. worked with local communities and individuals across the island, culminating in the decision by the provincial government to purchase the entire railway

right-of-way A right of way (also right-of-way) is a specific route that people, animals, vehicles, watercraft, or utility lines travel, or the legal status that gives them the right to do so. Rights-of-way in the physical sense include controlled-access h ...

from CN in 1994 after the company had removed all track. The vision of a multiuse linear park from one end of the island to the other was embraced by the provincial government, which manages operations through the Parks Division of Tourism, while the Properties section of the Department of Transportation handles all matters pertaining to the use of the trail other than public use as a biking or hiking trail. In addition to provincial government employees, the development of the Confederation Trail was assisted by the

Trans Canada Trail The Trans Canada Trail is a cross-Canada system of greenways, waterways, and roadways that stretches from the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, Pacific to the Arctic Ocean, Arctic oceans. The trail extends over ; it is now the longe ...

foundation and by various community groups, volunteers, and

Canadian Forces The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; , FAC) are the unified Military, military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air commands referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force. Under the ''National Defenc ...

engineers who volunteered in reconstructing abandoned railway bridges for recreational trail use across Canada. Since its completion from

Tignish Tignish is a Canadian town located in Prince County, Prince Edward Island. It is located approximately northwest of the city of Summerside, and northwest of the city of Charlottetown. It has a population of 719. The name "Tignish" is derived ...

to Elmira in 2000, the Confederation Trail has proven a popular recreational trail for residents and tourists. Given its railway heritage, the trail has little to no

grades Grade most commonly refers to: * Grading in education, a measurement of a student's performance by educational assessment (e.g. A, pass, etc.) * A designation for students, classes and curricula indicating the number of the year a student has reach ...

and is well drained. Stone dust has been placed over the traditional railway crushed rock ballast, providing a surface suitable for walking/running and biking. Horses are not allowed on the trail. The Confederation Trail remains a non-motorized path for most of the year except during the winter, when the PEI Snowmobile Association leases it, from December 1 to March 31 each year. The entire trail system is marked with kilometre posts and directional and interpretive signage as well as benches, picnic table shelters, and scenic lookouts throughout. The trail winds through Prince Edward Island's agricultural and forested landscapes and is frequently crossed by public roads.

Completed

, the Confederation Trail had several major routes: Main trail * Tignish to O'Leary (45 km easy-to-moderate) * O'Leary to Wellington (45 km easy-to-moderate) * Wellington to Hunter River (65 km moderate-to-hard) * Hunter River to Morell (65 km moderate-to-hard) * Morell to Elmira (54 km moderate) Branch trails * Emerald to Borden-Carleton (18 km easy) * Cardigan Junction to Montague (10 km easy) * Royalty Junction to Charlottetown (8 km easy) * Mt. Stewart to Georgetown (39 km moderate) * Pisquid to Lake Verde 16 km (2 km hard, along Route 21) * Cardigan Junction to Montague (10 km easy) * New Harmony Junction to Souris (8 km easy) * Stratford to Murray Harbour (80 km moderate)

References

External links

Confederation Trail
official website
Island Trails
(formerly Rails-to-Trails P.E.I.) {{Authority control Rail trails in Prince Edward Island Trans Canada Trail Bike paths in Prince Edward Island