RVers who are looking for an island adventure with scenic coastal waterways should visit Canada’s Prince Edward Island, a province located on the Gulf of St. Lawrence on Bedeque Bay. Prince Edward Island is a maritime province known for its fishing and boating industry. People who visit the island will have all full range of coastal activities to choose from and possibly the freshest and best-tasting seafood around. While the tourism industry is bustling on Prince Edward Island, the opportunities for an outdoor escape are abundant. Instead of staying in a large city, why not stay in a secluded waterfront atmosphere in an RV or camper? Provincial parks, like Linkletter Provincial Park, give outdoor enthusiasts the best of camping and recreation with the comforts of home.
Linkletter Provincial Park, located along the North Cape Coastal Drive, is the perfect place to take your RV for a few nights when you make the park your home base while you visit some of the points of interest along the North Cape Coastal Drive. Lighthouses, museums, fishing villages, and interpretive centers help to make up the 217 mile (350 km) route.
If you choose to stay in the park, you won’t be disappointed with the options of things to do. The kids have places to play outside near sheltered picnic areas and restrooms, and there are hikes and scenic views near the camping area. The North Cape Coastal Drive is one of Prince Edward Island’s most informative and scenic drives, and because the route is popular, it’s best to reserve your camping space early to ensure you get to experience all that the area has to offer.
Linkletter Provincial Park is located near the town of Linkletter, and the largest city with gas stations and grocery stores is Summerside, which is a four-mile (6.7 km) drive away. The park is located 42 miles (67 km) west of Charlottetown, a drive that takes people across small bodies of water and over two-lane highways. To get to the park from Saint John, New Brunswick, a 183 mile (296 km) drive, RVers will have to cross bridges and the Trans-Canada Highway to get to the island. If you prefer to take ferries instead of driving across the gulf or bay, then choose one of the routes that take you across the water via ferry.
The parks are open from 8:00 am to 11:00 pm, so overnight campers must arrive before the park closes for the night.
The Linkletter Provincial Park Campground is a waterfront, pet-friendly facility that operates during the warmer months of the year. All of the RV sites have fire pits and picnic tables and overlook the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and Bedeque Bay, and many of the sites accommodate RVs and trailers up to 50 feet in length. There are three styles of spaces to choose from depending if you prefer unserviced, 2-way, or 3-way camping. The electric and water or electric, water, and sewer sites have 15 to 50-amp electrical service making camping both scenic and comfortable. The campground has a camper’s store, playground, laundromat, drinking water, washrooms with showers, a dump station, and WiFi service.
The sandy shoreline and the beach that overlooks the Northumberland Strait on Bedeque Bay is the best place to sit if you want to feel the sun on your skin and the salt-water breeze on your face. Although the water is chilly, even during the peak season, it won’t stop ocean-lovers from taking the plunge. During the summer, the average temperature for the water is approximately 59 °F (15 °C ), but for some people, that’s the perfect temperature to swim. If you decide to swim, remember that you should always swim with another person, as there are no lifeguards on duty.
Do history and culture interest you? Do you like to learn about the lifestyles of the people in the regions you visit? The Acadian Museum, located in Miscouche, Prince Edward Island, is a museum that celebrates the history, culture, and lifestyle of the people who helped establish the province. The museum, which is open during the summer season, has rotating exhibits and interpretive information that will inform and entertain guests of all ages. The museum isn’t far from the park, and it's a place you won’t want to miss. Contact the museum for hours of operation and the price of admission.
Bring your sense of adventure and plan a day trip into the coastal waters of Prince Edward Island. While fishing is one of the leading industries of the region, tuna fishing is the most popular type of deep sea fishing, and tourists and commercial anglers fish the warm waters surrounding the province. The water may look chilly, but it's the mildest of the ocean waterways above the Carolinas. This warm water helps to create excellent tuna fishing, especially during the summer months. If you think you would like to give deep sea fishing a try, visit one of the many fishing charters located on the island and schedule your adventure.
If the ideal vacation involves a round of golf, you're in luck. The Prince Edward Island Ocean View Golf Resort is a short drive from the provincial park. While some people feel that summer is the best time to golf, at this club, the best golfing is found during the shoulder seasons. The resort has a pro shop and restaurant, but the facility’s primary focus is the golf course. You don’t have to stay at the resort to play, so the course is perfect for people who like to stay in their RV, but still get a round or two of golf in during their visit to a new place. For information on fees and tee times, contact the golf club.
After you’ve spent time exploring the island, come back to your campsite, and explore the shoreline. The day-use area, although small, is located near the boardwalk and more than one playground area. The beach is the perfect place to sit and enjoy the waterfront views before heading to the shelter to have a picnic lunch. If you plan on spending a lot of time near the day-use area, you don’t need to worry about traveling too far to reach restrooms and drinking water, as they are both situated close by.
The winter is often a time where people choose to stay inside, away from the snow and the cold weather. Just because it's the winter doesn’t mean you have to lose your sense of adventure. If the cold weather doesn’t bother you, why not try renting a snowmobile to explore the areas around Linkletter Provincial Park? The towns close to the park have options when it comes to renting snowmobiles, and pathways and trailheads weave near the park’s boundaries. Try something new. Get out your cold-weather gear and see Prince Edward Island from a cold and snowy lens.
