One of the must-do’s when visiting Prince Edward Island is to spend the day exploring the province’s national parks. We weren’t too sure which park we should visit, but after speaking with the hosts at our bed and breakfast, they quickly recommended Greenwich National Park, PEI. There are three walking trails throughout this national park and a long stretch of beach to dip your toes into. I would recommend giving yourself a good hour or two to walk around and take in the park’s peaceful surroundings. All of the routes are listed on maps at the entrance of the park, so there’s no need to worry about getting lost.

Purchasing a PEI National Parks Day Pass

To enter any of the province’s national parks, you need to purchase a day pass (or hold a seasonal pass). We went to the Greenwich Interpretation Centre where you can get a handful of tourist information regarding the national parks and the island as a whole to purchase a ticket. The fees were: CAD$7.80 for adults, free admission for anyone under 17 years old, and CAD$15.70 for a family/group of up to seven people in the same car. Keep your ticket receipt in plain sight on your car’s dashboard to avoid a ticket. These entrance passes can be used all day at any of the provinces national parks, so it’s best to squeeze in as many sights as possible to avoid having to pay for another ticket tomorrow.

Pierre Trail

This was the first trail we walked through. The trail basically takes you in a quick loop around part of the park. The highlights of this short trail were the beautiful gulf views on our left with an incredibly blue sky ahead. Depending on the time of year you go, you’ll also walk past a section of lavender; a perfect photo opportunity against the bright blue sky. The walk itself was quite short – from start to finish, it only took 15 or so minutes.

Dunes Trail

This was my favourite trail at Greenwich National Park. We began by walking through lush forest and then entered a clearing with a floating walkway going over a pond. As we continued to walk along, we could see the sand dunes rising in the distance. The views were just absolutely incredible on this route. You’ll come to the northern beach at the end of this trail and can walk along it, but ultimately you’ll need to retrace your steps and go back the way you came to get out.

Tlaqatik Trail

Since we were already here, we figured we would walk through the final trail at Greenwich National Park. This was the longest of the three trails and took you in a loop along the southern part. While it did offer beautiful views, there wasn’t anything different from what we had already seen on the other two trails. So, if you’re pressed for time, I’d recommend skipping this trail and sticking to the other two.