Points East Coastal Drive - Prince Edward Island PEI

Explore the 1850s 12-room gabled homestead, gardens, walking trails, ecological forestry project and a native tree and shrub nursery. Enjoy the art gallery and tea room.  The Homestead offers a wide variety of cultural and natural history activities and workshops, as well as restaurant, banquet and conference facilities in a beautiful wooded setting. Check website for seasonal hours and events.

Sir Andrew Macphail, (1864-1938), a distinguished Island doctor and writer, is recognized as a National Historic Person and the homestead is a provincially Designated Heritage Place. He served as the first professor of the history of medicine at McGill University (1907-37). He was knighted for his services with the Canadian Army medical Corp. of which he wrote the history (1925).

Nature Trails at Macphails Woods:
The Macphail Woods Ecological Forestry Project is part of the homestead's 57 hectares (140 acres) which are wooded and include a pond and several streams. These woodlands are a research and demonstration site for the restoration of native forests. Four trails and a native plant garden have been created and work has now begun on an arboretum. The Wild flower, Streamside and Woodland Trails focus on different aspects of natural history, while the Rhododendron Trail features displays of rhododendrons plus a mix of native and non-native plants. Each trail has its own unique charm. Visitors are encouraged to tour the site on their own at any time of the year. To arrange tours or for more information, contact the Macphail Woods project at (902)651-2575. Parking is available at the trailhead near the house. Please refrain from removing flowers or other plants from the homestead. For more information on the trails and a listing of events visit www.macphailwoods.org/trail

Trail Quick Facts
Difficulty Rating: 2.5
Length: 0.5 - 4.0 km
Structure: Mixed
GPS Location: 46 09.680,-62 49.401
Environment: Rural
Surface Type: Gravel, Wood, Boardwalk Wood, Chips, Soil, Forest Floor

It would be helpful to get a MacPhail pamphlet from the Homestead office near where you park at the trailhead as there are many trails at this site. They vary from easy garden walks to more challenging woodland hikes with stairs, bridges and riverside terrain.

Trail Quick Facts sourced with permission from www.islandtrails.ca