Stanhope Beach

Overview

About Stanhope Beach

Why stop

Soft sand and broad shoreline for an easy beach day
Thoughtful boardwalk and ramp access

Heads up

Can be crowded on hot summer days
The sand is a 140 m walk from the beach complex

This is the most accessible beach in Prince Edward Island National Park, with soft, fine white sand above the waterline and hard-packed sand below the waterline when the tide is out. The beach has wide sandbars, and the beach complex at 828 Gulf Shore Parkway East pairs a large parking lot with washrooms, showers and a playground, so a full family beach day takes very little planning.

Parkwolf’s verdictWhy stop here

Map

Where it is

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Full map

BeachStanhope Beach46.42062, -63.10118

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Plan your stop

Before you go

Best time to go

Beach boardwalks and stairs are a warm-season installation, generally in place from the Victoria Day weekend in May through late September.
Surf guard service is seasonal, generally offered in July and August, roughly from the end of June to Labour Day. Never assume someone is on duty.
When seasonal guards are working, surf conditions are aimed to be posted around late morning.

Facilities

Mobility mats and buoyant beach chairs may be available by reservation, so arrange them in advance rather than assuming they are waiting on site. Beach wheelchairs are not stocked here; those are kept at Cavendish and Brackley.

Washrooms and outdoor showers for rinsing off sand and salt
Designated parking for visitors with limited mobility, plus wheelchair-accessible entrance, restroom and seating
Sheltered picnic area and kitchen shelter, benches, and picnic tables
Playground beside the beach complex
Walking and cycling routes nearby along the shore parkway

3 active Prince Edward Island alerts

ClosureOceanview cliff area closed beyond signs and fencingStay out of all unmown areas beyond the signs or fencing at Oceanview (46.49951N 63.38272W), including the rocks and cliff edges.Official details
ClosureHomestead trails closed because bridges are outDo not use Homestead Long Loop or Homestead Trail Short loop: both trails are closed because bridges are out. - Respect all posted warnings, closures, notices and signs while using other park trails.Official details

See all 3 alerts

A park ranger sits on a dash-mounted phone, talking, as Parkwolf’s Tour Guide plays “Army Cutworm Moths: A Grizzly Bear Buffet” on Grand Loop Road below Dunraven Pass in Yellowstone — Parkwolf Tour GuideThe highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.

Prince Edward Island Tour Guide

Your drive to Stanhope Beach, narrated.

Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Prince Edward Island National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.

Recorded for this place

Stanhope Beach

0:00 / 0:31

“Stanhope Beach is coming up, a fine-sand beach with a gentle route through the dunes. From the beach complex, it's still about 140 metres to the shore: a flat boardwalk leads to a ramp down to the sand.”

Plays as you drive up to Stanhope Beach in the Parkwolf Prince Edward Island Tour Guide.

More about Stanhope Beach

The walk to the sandFrom the beach complex it is about 140 m to the sand: an 80 m flat boardwalk out to the top of…

From the beach complex it is about 140 m to the sand: an 80 m flat boardwalk out to the top of the dune, then a 60 m ramp with a flat landing partway along where you can pause. The route is designed as a gentle connection from the parking area to the shore. Bicycles are not permitted on the boardwalk.

Honest drawbacksIt can be busy on a hot summer day, so allow time to park and settle in.

It can be busy on a hot summer day, so allow time to park and settle in.
The 140 m approach is easy underfoot but still a walk with coolers, chairs and umbrellas, so plan your carrying trips.
Domestic animals are prohibited on the beaches from April 1 through October 15, which covers the entire main beach season.
Outside the warm-season setup, the boardwalk and ramp access is not in place, which changes how you reach the sand.
This is the Stanhope Beach complex, not Stanhope Cape Beach or the campground beach access, so navigate to the correct entrance.

Wildlife

Wildlife in Prince Edward Island

All Prince Edward Island wildlife maps

100 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 7 AMSighting map

95 sightingsOspreyMost seen around 8 AMSighting map

67 sightingsGreat Blue HeronMost seen around 7 AMSighting map

104 sightingsRed FoxMost seen around 7 AMSighting map

97 sightingsSnowshoe HareMost seen around 7 AMSighting map

13 sightingsMuskratMost seen around 7 PMSighting map

Sighting maps show where each species has been reported across Prince Edward Island. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.