Staff Pick

Road Trip Toronto to Prince Edward County

Toronto Prince Edward County
200
km
2h30
drive
Summer
season

The Itinerary

Prince Edward County is an island of rolling farmland jutting into Lake Ontario, connected to the mainland by bridges and the Glenora ferry. Within about two decades it has gone from a quiet agricultural county to one of the most talked-about food and wine regions in Canada, with more than forty wineries, a dense concentration of restaurants, and galleries and shops filling former farm buildings and village storefronts. The limestone soils and the moderating effect of the surrounding lake suit Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in particular.

From Toronto the route is Highway 401 east to Belleville, then south on Highway 62 across the bridge at Rossmore, roughly 200 km in total. Picton is the largest town and the natural base, with the county's main concentration of accommodation. The wineries cluster west of Picton around Hillier and Wellington, where Closson Chase, Norman Hardie and Trail Estate sit within a short drive of one another. Wellington itself has become the county's dining village, home to the Drake Devonshire on the waterfront.

Sandbanks Provincial Park occupies the southwestern shore and protects the largest freshwater baymouth barrier dune system in the world, along with three of the best beaches in Ontario. Reserve everything: the park requires day-use bookings in summer and regularly reaches capacity in the morning, and restaurants and rooms fill weeks ahead between June and September. Late September and October are the county at its best, with harvest under way and the crowds gone.

Points of Interest

  • ✦
    Sandbanks Provincial Park
    The largest freshwater dune system in the world, and a white-sand beach.
  • ✦
    Hillier Wineries
    More than 40 estates, specializing in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
  • ✦
    Picton
    Historic downtown with restaurants and shops.
  • ✦
    Wellington
    A food-lover's village: Drake Devonshire and Norman Hardie.

Fishing Spots Along the Route

🎣
Ashbridges Bay
Lake
🎣
Athol Bay
Lake
🎣
Barry Lake
Lake
🎣
Bay of Quinte
Lake
🎣
Beaver River
River
🎣
Bell's Lake
Lake
🎣
Bend Bay
Lake
🎣
Biddys Lake
Lake

Protected areas along the route

🌿
LAKE ON THE MOUNTAIN PROVINCIAL PICNIC GROUNDS (RECREATIONAL CLASS)
Provincial Park
🌿
SANDBANKS PROVINCIAL PARK (NATURAL ENVIRONMENT CLASS)
Provincial Park
🌿
Monarch Point Conservation Reserve
Conservation Reserve
🌿
TIMBER ISLAND WILDERNESS AREA
Wilderness Area
🌿
TIMBER ISLAND PROVINCIAL PARK (NATURE RESERVE CLASS)
Provincial Park
🌿
NORTH BEACH PROVINCIAL PARK (RECREATIONAL CLASS)
Provincial Park
🌿
Brighton Provincial Wildlife Area NAME_ENG Brighton Provincial Wildlife Area
Provincial Wildlife Area
🌿
MENZEL CENTENNIAL PROVINCIAL PARK (NATURE RESERVE CLASS)
Provincial Park
🌿
Peterborough District Crown Lands
General Use Area
🌿
PRESQU'ILE PROVINCIAL PARK (NATURAL ENVIRONMENT CLASS)
Provincial Park
🌿
PRESQU'ILE ISLANDS WILDERNESS AREA
Wilderness Area
🌿
Ferris Provincial Park Addition
Recommended Provincial Park

Take this route offline

Cell coverage thins out fast once you leave Toronto. Export the map as a geo-referenced PDF before you go and open it in BorealMaps — your GPS position shows on the map with no signal at all.

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Practical info
  • Departure Toronto
  • Destination Prince Edward County
  • Distance 200 km
  • Duration 2h30
  • Category Medium (100–250 km)
  • Best season Summer
Themes
vineyard gastronomy beach Summer Couple Weekend Winery

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