Greenwich Dunes Trail

Greenwich Dunes is a roughly 4.6 km out-and-back from the Greenwich Trailhead to Greenwich Beach. The stored line follows the physical corridor once, so the map shows one direction while the distance is the full walk there and back. Allow about two hours, or longer if you stop on the boardwalk, climb the dune, and spend time on the beach. This is the park's standout walk if you want an unusual coastal landscape rather than a quick forest loop.

From the parking area, the route crosses old homestead fields and a small wood on packed gravel. It is mostly flat or gently rolling, with no sustained climb. The path then turns into a meandering wooden boardwalk and crosses Bowley Pond on a floating section over shallow water and cattails. Slow down here. The pond can nearly dry in summer, and its wetland habitat is used by American bitterns and red-winged blackbirds. The boardwalk is the signature stretch, but the changing views are the point: field, forest, open wetland, then dunes.

At the far end, stairs and a short sandy climb take you over the dune. Some sections use Tensar matting, which can be slippery. The payoff is your first clear look at the mobile parabolic dunes and the long beach beyond. Greenwich has Prince Edward Island's biggest dunes, with counter-ridges called Gegenwälle, a landform described as very rare in North America. Stay on the boardwalks, stairs, and designated paths. Marram grass and lichen mats help hold the sand in place and are easily damaged. From the top of the coastal dune, look back toward the boardwalk and pond for the best route-specific view and photo composition, then continue down to the beach.

Use the Greenwich Trailhead at 61 Greenwich Road, Route 313, just past the Greenwich Interpretation Centre. The beach facilities at the far end are separate from the trailhead and include washrooms, change rooms, exterior showers, and a large picnic shelter. There is no documented food service along the walk, so plan any meal separately. Park admission applies when fees are in force. Bikes are allowed only as far as the Tlaqatik junction, after which you continue on foot. Dogs may be leashed on the trail, but they are prohibited on Prince Edward Island National Park beaches from April 1 through October 15, so dog walkers need to turn back before the beach in that period. Parks Canada does not maintain the Greenwich trails, boardwalks, or stairs between Thanksgiving and Victoria Day. For a shorter outing from the same trailhead, Havre Saint Pierre is a separate roughly 1.1 km loop, but it does not reach the dunes or beach.