Checking Out the Homestead Trail
A gem found in PEI National Park
I wanted to start this newsletter by focusing on an area close to home - Cavendish. Yes, this is the main tourist destination here on PEI and the one place that almost everyone visiting the island will stop at. It is part of the resort municipality which makes up Stanley Bridge, Hope River, Bayview, Cavendish and North Rustico. I’m going to focus on the places in this area that are not as ‘touristy’. Places that you may drive by or not visit if you are to just visit those main tourist destinations only.
The first one I’d like to focus on is the Homestead Trail found in the PEI National Park in Cavendish. Why is this trail so special? Well, it has some really cool sights, sounds and vistas that are definitely worth checking out if you are visiting the area. Most of the focus in this area is on Cavendish beach and the usual tourist attractions in the area but I’d like to think that this trail is not that well known or visited (at least not as much as the beach).
The trailhead can be found off the main access road leading to Cavendish beach. Yes, you read that right…trails and the beach. What a beautiful combination. Heading west from Green Gables Heritage site, drive down Cavendish road for about 2 KM and turn right onto Grahams Rd (signs for Cavendish Beach). During the summer months, you will have to pay to get into in or show a park pass but if you are planning to go to Cavendish beach, the fee is well worth it. After going through the main entry booth, turn left when you see the sign for the Cavendish Campground/Homestead Trail. Park in the lot behind the Parks Canada building and you have now arrived!
The trail is 6.7 or 8.8 km long depending on which route you take (But if you want to take a shorter walk, that’s ok too as I have only did the hike for about 2 km and then turned around). Here is the sign at the trailhead…
You start off by walking down a crushed rock path through a spruce forest. As you walk you will get a few glimpses of Cavendish beach which may inspire you to go the beach afterword’s! Continue walking for about a KM and you find a picnic table that overlooks New London Bay and the sandspit which features numerous sand dunes projecting out into the bay…
This is the perfect spot to enjoy a snack and revel in the beautiful views. If you are feeling a little adventurous, you can climb down the small cliff and walk along the small beach area (if the tide is out). Doing this can provide some fantastic photo opportunities and views you just won’t find anywhere. I had the chance along with my family to do this last summer and I could have sworn I saw someone or something walking along the sandspit (it was a little too far to tell with the naked eye). I moved closer to try and get a better look but then the person seemed to disappear once they spotted me - LOL.
NOTE - it is now illegal to walk on the sandspit due to nesting Piping Plovers that are endangered. So if you are visiting be aware of this (they are signs at the edge of Cavendish beach providing a warning as well).
You could literally spend some time here if you’d like - the views are spectacular and the wonder of the sandspit is always enthralling to look and gaze upon. Here is a picture of a shot I took last summer (standing on beach):
What a view! This is just a taste of the incredible views that this lovely trail offers.
All in all it only took us about an hour to reach this area so the effort to get here is well worth it.
After reaching this point, we decided to head back as it was around lunchtime and we were getting hungry. I plan to visit again this summer and see if we can make it farther down the trail to see what other gems we can find!