P.E.I. cycling trails: seven to try this spring

Now that spring is finally here and enough snow has melted that you can once again open your shed doors and get to your bike, it might be time to think about dusting off your helmet, oiling up your chain and heading out for a ride.

Whether with your family, a group of friends or riding solo, P.E.I. has much to offer cyclists of all abilities, and cycling continues to grow in popularity as outdoor recreation and as a preferred mode of transportation.

We asked long-time cycling enthusiast Cynthia King, who's just started a business offering guided cycling tours on P.E.I., her top picks for both family-friendly outings and for off-road enthusiasts. Mike Connolly of Cycling PEI also weighed in.

P.E.I. National Park

The trail that runs next to the Gulf Shore Parkway between Brackley and Dalvay is the perfect place for families to cycle, said King. With beautiful seaside scenery and smooth, flat terrain, it's fine even for small kids.

Stop and take photos at Covehead lighthouse and fishing wharf, where you can also grab a coffee or lunch. Continue on to Dalvay-by-the-Sea resort, which is a national historic site. It's about a 20-kilometre round trip.

Bonus: The Robinson's Island trail system just west of Brackley has several loops on easy terrain which is great for kids and features seaside benches on which to picnic. It is, however, closed right now to prevent spring damage.

The Confederation Trail: Mount Stewart to St. Peters

Another family-friendly choice, this section of the Trans Canada Trail is arguably the most scenic on P.E.I. and is about 25 kms one-way.

If you need minor repairs, there's a bike shop in Morell in the old train station that serves up ice cream while they fix your flat tire.

You can start in Mount Stewart or Morell, and there's plenty to do in St. Peters, which has restaurants, accommodations and shopping.

The Confederation Trail: Emerald to Borden-Carleton

There's a sort of prize at the end of this family-friendly trip on a branch of the Confederation Trail: a view of the monolithic Confederation Bridge to New Brunswick, built in 1997.

"It's the south shore, which we don't often think about when we think of tourism, but that destination is quite beautiful," said King.

One way = 18 km, and according to the Tourism PEI website, it's rated "easy."

Bonshaw

For the more adventurous, the challenging new trails at Bonshaw Hills "will be the premiere stop for mountain biking on P.E.I.," said Cycling PEI's Connolly. It's closed for a few weeks because it's too wet.

"There's a lot of money going into these trails," so they need to be carefully maintained, Connolly adds.

There are 12 km of new trails with another eight km under construction this summer, along with a new playground and washroom facilities. There's plenty of parking.

"It's just so beautiful, and it is a great challenge," King said. "You do a lot of climbing."

"It's a great little spot for a picnic," she adds.

Brookvale

Brookvale features 20 km of well-marked trails, mostly intermediate and advanced levels.

The cross-country ski lodge is sometimes open, and there is a port-a-potty available, Connolly said.

It's closed right now, though, as an employee of Cycling PEI clears fallen trees.

Gairloch

The Gairloch Road trail near Iona in eastern P.E.I. is "probably the most under-rated trail on P.E.I.," Connolly said.

It's about a half-hour drive from Charlottetown, and "in the middle of nowhere," Connolly said, but the ride through the forest and over streams is teeming with greenery, woodland animals and birds.

The loop is about 7 km, so Connolly suggests riding it twice or extending your ride on the adjacent Confederation Trail.

Riverside

Don't have the time to make it a whole day trip? Sometimes called the "Charlottetown old landfill trail," the Riverside location made both King and Connolly's lists for simple proximity: it's right in Charlottetown, and fairly short.

The narrow, snaky trail is about 6 km long through the woods along the Hillsborough River and is moderately challenging.

May is Bike Month world-wide, and Connolly urges Islanders to get riding. The Indian River Road Race is the first of the season May 2.