Interactive map now online will help P.E.I. adventurers hit the trails

Recreation P.E.I. has released an interactive trail map of all the publicly accessible trails in the province that's been two years in the making.

Hikers will be able to check out the details of municipal, federal and other managed trails and pathways, as well as scenic heritage roads suitable for a stroll.

Valerie Vuillemot, the executive director of Recreation P.E.I., said the group partnered with the province on the project.

"One of my favorite things about it [is that] it breaks things down into sections. So sometimes you can go to a trail and it says the trail is 5 to 8 kilometres. But it really just depends on your loop.

"You can actually view the trail section so you can piece together your own loop and figure out how long it actually is before you hit the trail."

Most of the trails were mapped in the spring of 2021 using the latest in global navigation satellite system (GNSS) technology.

New trails are being added as they are completed.

Some were damaged by post-tropical storm Fiona last September, so users are being asked to respect all signs and barriers and not venture onto closed trails or sections.

The map is best used on mobile devices and includes a "locate me" feature.It can be found on the Recreation P.E.I. website.

The executive director of Cycling Prince Edward Island said his group was consulted on the new map and he's really happy to see itbecome reality.

"As somebody who loves to discover new trails on the Island, Iwas really excited to see this map and just see how many little spots we've got all over the place," Jordan Bober said.

He thinks someimprovements could be made in the future, including having the map come up automatically instead of having to click on an icon.

Bober said there are other places to find out about the province's trails as well, including Trails P.E.I. and a Facebook page called P.E.I. Trails Report.