Always something to explore

There’s always something to explore in Summerside throughout the year, and cruising around the streets can be as easy as hopping on two wheels! So what’s stopping you from packing this weekend and spending some time in #TheCityByTheSea?

The bikeable city

While cars are bound to be on the road, bikes are welcome to it too! All through the city, cyclists can take to the bike lanes and ride with traffic to get from point A to point B. But there are other paths to explore the city on two wheels too! First up is the Baywalk Boardwalk. The 7-kilometre boardwalk stretches along the shore for the ultimate ride on the waterfront and into the neighbouring Acadian Forest and Natural Duck Pond Conservation Area. The Baywalk neighbours several restaurants and shops, as well as the downtown, making for the perfect businesses to stop into on your travels. While in the downtown, there’s nothing sweeter than taking a ride through the historic district and taking in the architecture! Whether it’s winter or summer, the Baywalk is a great way to experience the water views.

If you’d like a more scenic ride, Rotary Friendship Park offers up almost 5 kilometres of trail networks in varying difficulty and terrain. Taking you past farmers’ fields, wetlands, and old-growth trees, Rotary Friendship Park provides you with a trip through the woods while still being in the city. Available for use all year round, in the winter, the trails are maintained for easy winter-bike riding and exploring.

Extending the length of the Island at 449 km, the Confederation Trail criss-crosses through the city, offering cyclists a way to see Summerside and connect to other parts of the province. You can hit the North Cape Coastal Drive to the west, taking you through Evangeline, West Cape, and to our northernmost tip North Cape! As a central location to other parts of the Island, cyclists can hit the trail and head towards Kensington and different coastlines to extend your biking adventures.

Staying in the city

Travelling through the city by bike may be easy, but so is finding a place to rest your wheels at the end of the day. While staying in Summerside, guests of the Loyalist Country Inn and Quality Inn and Suites Garden of the Gulf can store their bikes in the secure sheds on site! Both hotels are close to our restaurants and local theatres – The College of Piping Celtic Performing Arts Centre and Harbourfront Theatre – allowing guests to get away and enjoy dinner and a show without having to worry about the safety of their cycling gear. 

Refuel for your trip

There’s a restaurant for everyone’s tastes, from sushi to beer-infused pizza in the city. Evermoore Brewing Co. is stationed behind the Confederation Trail allowing you to stop in for a craft brew and something to eat before getting back on your bike!

A local favourite in the spring and summer season is the Samuel’s Coffee House Picnic Pick-Ups. Featuring their classic sandwiches, sweets, and cold drinks, it makes for the perfect way to fuel up or take a packed picnic for your ride on the go!

Cycling through the city is a great way to get outdoors and enjoy the seaside on your own, with friends, and with your family!  

Suggested Routes

Itinerary 1: Boardwalk adventure

Starting point: Loyalist Country Inn 

Grab your gear and mount your bike we’re going to go for a ride around downtown and the historic district. Stops can include Home By Caley Joy, Celtic Mist, and Little Black Dress. 

After you hit the stores, head up Spring Street until you hit the MacNaught History Centre and Archives. The neighbouring streets feature historic homes that you can take a look at while you circle back to Veterans Memorial Park and then the downtown. Make your way to Samuel’s Coffee House to grab a picnic lunch! Hop on the trail system behind Samuel’s that connects to the boardwalk and make your way along the waterfront. Continue on along the boardwalk until you feel a hankering for food – then enjoy your lunch by Samuel’s! The Baywalk ends in a little roundabout where you can turn around and head back in the direction you came. 

Itinerary 2: Into the woods

Starting point: Quality Inn & Suites 

Make sure you have your water bottle and a couple of snacks for your ride through the trees! Leaving Quality Inn and Suites head down MacEwen Road until you reach the entrance of Rotary Friendship Park. Make your way into the park and choose your trail system. Since they vary in difficulty, they also vary in length. Some also connect onto the Confederation Trail which can take you to other parts of the Island. If you’d like to stay in the city, you can follow the confederation trail into the edge of the downtown and head to Evermoore Brewing Co. for lunch. After your feast, you can hit the Baywalk and check out Spinnakers’ Landing, the shoreline and onto the Quality Inn.