A guide to spring, summer & fall outdoor recreation activities in Prince Edward County.

N.B. – For the duration of the Covid-19 pandemic, it would be wise to reach out to individual businesses to verify this information.

Swimming

• Sandy beaches include North Beach Provincial Park (Consecon), Roblin Lake (Ameliasburgh), and Sandbanks Provincial Park – Outlet Beach, Lakeshore Beach, Dunes Beach.
• Wellington Rotary Beach has a mix of sand and pebbles. There’s a $10 per person entry fee on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays in May, June, September and October; and 7 days/week in July and August. Residents can obtain a free pass.
• Little Bluff Conservation Area has a pebble beach (and $15 parking fee, compared to $5 at the other conservation areas).
• There is a beautiful crunchy shell/pebble beach at Point Traverse Lighthouse, which you reach following a 1 kilometre-ish flat walk from the parking lot.
• Note – Check out swimguide.org for water quality reports before heading out!

Paddling, boating, and more!

• AirTime Kiteboarding offers kiteboarding lessons (age 10+) and sailing lessons on West Lake.
• Cabin Fever Kayak rents kayaks, canoes, and stand-up paddle boards for use on the tranquil Black River. After, treat yourself to some extremely squeaky curds at Black River Cheese across the street!
• County Sailing Adventures offers a variety of sailing tour packages leaving from Waupoos Marina. 
• Fishing! If you’d like to take your budding angler out on an adventure, check out this extensive list of local fishing charters. Pro tip = kids with a fishing license and library card can borrow fishing gear (rods, reels, and tackle boxes) from the Prince Edward County Public Library.
• Picton Harbour Pontoon Tours offers (you guessed it) pontoon boat tours of Picton Harbour! Tours last 90 minutes and depart from behind the Picton Harbour Inn at 10 a.m., 12 p.m., and 2 p.m. during the summer. They also offer sunset tours, weather permitting. 
• Sandbanks Provincial Park offers canoe and kayak rentals at the woodlot. 
• Westlake Water Sports on West Lake rents out seadoos, jet skis, pontoon boats, kayaks, and stand-up paddle (SUP) boards.
• Westlake Wakeboard School on West Lake offers wakeboarding lessons (ages 4+) and tubing and banana boat rides. They also rent out single and double kayaks, canoes, SUP boards, and paddle boats

Hiking/Walking

• At Beaver Meadow Conservation Area, two short hiking trails each end at an observation platform overlooking the surrounding wetlands.
• Gorgeous views await visitors to Little Bluff Conservation Area. Explore 1.5 kms of trails or venture down the steep pathway to the stone beach. Due to its popularity, parking is $15 (compared to $5 at other conservation areas).
• Macaulay Mountain Conservation Area in Picton has several easy walking trails, perfect for little legs! Check out the 100 miniature replicas of local buildings at Birdhouse City or wander between Birdhouse City and Macaulay Heritage Park along Whattam’s Memorial Walkway. We also developed a fun Scavenger Hunt for Macaulay Mountain.
• Massassauga Point Conservation Area, located at the dead end of Massassauga Road in Ameliasburgh, it offers short and easy hiking trails as well as stone beaches with a lovely Bay of Quinte – rock tossers will love it here!
• Sandbanks Provincial Park has several beautiful walking trails – two of our favourites are the Dunes Trail and the Lakeview/Lakeshore Lodge Trail.
• If you are looking for a quick picnic / runaround spot, check out Harry Smith Conservation Area in Ameliasburgh, Lake on the Mountain Provincial Park up the hill from the Glenora Ferry, Rutherford-Stevens Lookout in Waupoos, Lakeland Point west of Outlet Beach, or H.J. McFarland Conservation Area near Picton. 

N.B. – You can check out an Adventure Kit from the library to enhance your visit to one of the conservation areas. Themes include bird watching, weather, bugs, astrology, and rocks!

Cycling

Other than the Millennium Trail, I have not yet come across bike-laned areas or other safe cycling trails for kiddos in the County. We have also used the roads at North Beach and Sandbanks Provincial Parks during the off-season when they are closed for traffic, and the Picton Skate Park is great for ramp practice.

I’d highly recommend checking out Belleville’s trails – lots of kid-friendly cycling with a view to be had along various waterways. Kindly send any leads on kid-friendly cycling spots to andrea@pecparents.ca.

Horse riding 

Diamond J Ranch offers guided family horseback tours (no experience required) through mountain terrain overlooking Picton Bay. Pony rides are available for the smaller equestrians!

ATV Riding 

The Napanee & District ATV Club offers ATV riding courses (as well as private, semi-private, family and group lessons) just outside of Picton for kids aged 6-15 years old.

Kindly let me know of any errors or omissions at andrea@pecparents.ca. Thank you!