When you live in Nova Scotia, a weekend trip to PEI, makes for a perfect getaway. Beautiful in any season, and accessible by the Confederation Bridge or the ferry, Prince Edward Island is a must-visit! Getting out and spending time in our neighbouring provinces is something to enjoy and appreciate.

After experiencing our first feed of seafood and watching the spectacular sunset at CoveHead Harbour Lighthouse, the next day we were ready for more exploring. Our destination was the Greenwich Dunes in the National Park.

Greenwich

The western tip of Greenwich, a peninsula that separates St. Peters Bay from the Gulf of St. Lawrence, became part of Prince Edward Island National Park in 1998 to protect and preserve the natural and cultural resources found in the area.

We stopped first at the Greenwich Interpretive Centre to get our pass and some info. There are a few different trails you can walk or bike. We knew we wanted to do the Greenwich Dunes Trail, which was 4.8km. We put our sneakers on and grabbed our knapsack with a few snacks and water and headed out.

We had the perfect day visit the park and walk the trail. It was sunny and warm, with a nice summer breeze.

This beautiful field of fireweed, made for a popular photo spot. 😉

Floating Boardwalk

One of the coolest parts of the Greenwich Dunes Trail is the floating boardwalk.  The boardwalk goes over a pond and has some pretty incredible views of the dunes. It’s really an up close look at plant and bird life and there is even a bench to sit and take it all in. This area of the trail, with the floating boardwalk was incredible!

The beach

When you get to the end of the boardwalk, there is a little incline to climb up over, then once you reach the top, you have an incredible view!

The best part about this hike and beach is that it is not crowded. There are no tour buses here…at least we didn’t see any…and there are people, but you have a ton of space to explore or just relax.

Grace and Troy took a little rest on the beach while I took some photos and put my feet in the water.

Later, Troy became his own attraction, with a little critter crawling on him…;)

We all really enjoyed this. It was a perfect hike for us and a fascinating look at the natural beauty and landscape of Prince Edward Island. Next time I would pack a lunch…we had brought trail mix and snacks….and I would have worn my bathing suit and swam in the beach. There are no change areas there, so you have to come prepared. Give yourself 2-3 hours minimum, if you plan to do this hike.

The Greenwich Dunes was a highlight of our weekend and something I definitely plan to go back and visit again.

You can check out the first part of our trip to PEI in this post here.

Have you been to PEI lately? What’s your favourite part of the Island? Ever been to the Greenwich Dunes? Leave a comment and let us know!