10 Things To Do In Prince Edward County That Aren't Drinking

Prince Edward County has built up a record over the years as the winery and cidery haven of Ontario. It’s even expanded to offer breweries and distillery tastings. Needless to say, it’s become a popular destination for bachelorette parties and weekend getaways from Toronto or Montreal (and for good reason too!).

But are you thinking of heading on a family trip to Prince Edward County? Or maybe you just don’t drink and are wondering if it’s even worth it for you to visit?

Even though a large part of Prince Edward County Ontario ‘culture’ are the wineries, I assure you, there’s still tons more to explore beyond alcohol in PEC!

Here are 10 things to do in Prince Edward County Ontario that aren’t drinking…

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Top 10 Things To Do In Prince Edward County

1. Visit The Prince Edward County Sandbanks Provincial Park

The Prince Edward County Sandbanks are PEC’s raison d’être. This is such an incredible provincial park and a must visit in Prince Edward County Ontario.

If you’ve ever been to Prince Edward Island, you might have seen the immense sand dunes. These are like those, on a much smaller scale, but are none the less impressive!). Plus, unlike Prince Edward Island, you’re actually able to walk out onto them.

You can enjoy the dunes at the beach, soaking up the sun with a view. But I recommend starting with the hike. The Sand Dunes trail is an easy hike on the sand dunes… literally. It takes you up to the peak for a view and then around through the sand and back to the beach.

It’s not a long hike maybe 30 minutes – but it is sunny, so bring a hat, sunscreen, and water.

sand dunes provincial park what to do in pec: a flat beach with people set up at picnic tables, while others are enjoying the water. The further down the beach you go, the sand turns into little mountains with some grassy spots and trees.

2. Visit The Cities Of Prince Edward County Ontario

A great way to explore some more of Prince Edward County is to head to one of their ‘larger’ cities.

The main city is Picton in Prince Edward County. Just because it’s a city though don’t expect it to be large at all. It’s a few blocks of cafes, restaurants, and local shops. One thing I do know though is that you won’t find a chain on Main Street. You can also head down to the marina (where you’ll also find some more non alcoholic things to do in Prince Edward County…).

Because Picton isn’t that large, explore Bloomfield and Wellington too. Although keep in mind, these cities even smaller! They’ll have different local vibes and stores to check out too!

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picton prince edward county: small three story brick buildings that are taller than baby trees planted on the sidewalk down the street. Cars are parked on either side of the road, but otherwise it's pretty quiet. It's a beautiful sunny summer day with hardly any clouds in the sky

3. What To Do In PEC: Walk (Or Bike) The Millennium Trail

The Millennium Trail is the old train tracks that’s been converted into a bike and walking path. The trail is 46 km long and goes through Prince Edward County Ontario (taking you to the top cities)

It will take you quite some time to walk the trail, so a better way is to bike it! You can rent a bike in either Wellington and Bloomfield.

Start from Wellington at Ideal Bike Wellington if you’re renting a bike, and bike all the way to Picton, passing Bloomfield. For a bit of a shorter ride, you can start in Bloomfield and rent an electric bike from Pedego.

things to do in prince edward county bike the millenium trail. A narrowish paved road without any one on it. It's lines with bushy trees on either side and you can see the blue skies above

4. Go On A Boat Tour In Picton

From Picton, you can also explore Prince Edward County Ontario from the water. This is surely a very different experience and gives you a completely new perspective of PEC!

There are two tours you can choose from that leave from the Picton Marina. County Sailing Adventures offers a private boat tour around the county.

Picton Harbour Pontoon Tours is a semi private boat tour (and a more budget friendly option – perfect for a family trip to Prince Edward County!). Plus, they still only have a maximum of 6 people on board at a time.

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5. Kayak, Canoe, Or Stand Up Paddle Board

Interested in the water activities, but not into the guided tour? Head out onto the Black River with Cabin Fever Kayak. You can rent a kayak, canoe, or stand up paddle board for an hour or the entire day!

P.S. In the summer they host Comedy on the River with local Canadian comics for a comedic adventure.

boat tours picton prince edward county: a mini harbour. There's a beautiful large apartment building on the right painted a light baby blue. In front is a small dock with a boat attached and there are two skidoos behind it. Further along the water in the back is a line of more boats attached to another dock. Full green trees line the water on either side.

6. Go Horse Back Riding

If water isn’t your preferred mode of transportation, why not see Prince Edward County Ontario from horse back.

You don’t have to be a professional rider to go horse back riding at Diamond J Ranch (just outside Picton city centre).

Go back to the wild west for a family fun activity on the trails.

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7. Find The Best View In PEC At The Lake On The Mountain

For the most part, driving around PEC is viewless and uneventful… that’s why you have to make a point to go to the Lake on the Mountain Provincial Park.

You can actually stay here overnight if you wanted to, or simply head to the restaurant for lunch with a view.

But, if you’re tight on time, you have to at least make a quick stop here to admire the view. Right of the highway, there’s a parking lot you can easily stop at and get out of the car for a few minutes.

The view of the lake is nice, but my favourite is actually the view looking down the mountain towards Adolphustown.

There isn’t much else to do at the actual Provincial park unless you wanted to go fishing!

family photo in prince edward county lake on the mountain. A woman dressed in a matching pink, white and orange floral tank top and skirt, holding a white and orange cat, with a man next to them wearing a tshirt and shorts. They're standing on the top of a grassy field overlooking the lake and smaller islands below and behind them on a hot summer day. — *Best place to stop for a family photo op!*

8. Go To A Museum In Prince Edward County

Despite popular belief, there is more than just wine culture in Prince Edward County Ontario. You can visit art galleries and heritage museums!

The largest gallery is Oeno with changing art exhibits to keep you coming back every season. Around the corner, there’s also the Andara Gallery showcasing contemporary fine art photographs and paintings.

There are also a few heritage museums in Prince Edward County Ontario focused on different aspects of history. They’re quite small, so you might want to consider visiting more than one!

The Wellington Heritage Museum explores the general history of PEC. The Mariners Park Museum is all about fishing and there’s the old lighthouse to visit! The Macaulay Heritage Park focuses on the indigenous background of the county.

But if you’re on a family trip to Prince Edward County, then you’ll want to visit Ameliasburgh Heritage Village for a fully immersive experience.

prince edward county ontario heritage house, an old victorian style home with red bricks, a beautiful large front porch, and green accents around the windows and railings. A large tree covers and shades the house and the large front lawn. An old timey sign in front of the house says: heritage house.

9. Family Trip To Prince Edward County: Visit An Orchard

Prince Edward County isn’t only about local alcohol but also fresh and local produce. The county is essentially a giant farm. If you’re not interested in the wineries, spend some time at one of the local farms like Campbell’s Orchard & Country Market.

They sell every type of local food imaginable. From fresh produce to local ice cream, maple syrup, and even mustard. If you’re visiting at the right time of year, you might also be able to opt for some apple or corn picking as well. They also offer farm tours with the owner to tell you all about the land and farming process.

10. Go Antique Shopping

There are TONS of antique stores in Prince Edward County that you’ll drive by on the road. Although just a heads up that some of these are actually peoples home… we drove by one and didn’t feel comfortable going in… we literally had to pull into their driveway and there was no one else there so we felt a bit uncomfortable.

But I’m sure you can get your hands on some great finds and even better local souvenirs!

Some favourites in the County include MacCool’s Re-Use, Stowaway Vintage, County RUST.

Bonus! What To Do In PEC At Night: The Mustang Drive In

I won’t lie, there’s not much to do in PEC at night, even if you drink (most wineries will close at 6:00 PM). So a unique activity to do is to hit up the Mustang Drive in… it’s actually been a drive in since the 1950s! Now that’s impressive.

They have two screens both showing double features from Wednesdays to Sundays (closed on Monday and Tuesday) I really wanted to go but unfortunately, we were visiting on a Monday… I always love a good drive in movie!

Bring a blanket it tends to cool down at night (oh and don’t forget the bug spray!).

lake on the mountain in prince edward county. A peaceful scene. A tree partly covers the cabin behind you, but you can easily see the back porch with chairs to sit on. There's a lawn before you reach the lake with a dock, and a barbecue and picnic bench.

P.S. Need A Place To Stay In Prince Edward County Ontario

When we visited Prince Edward County, we stayed in Belleville at the Hampton Inn. It was about a 10 minute drive to PEC. It was a last minute trip so everything was sold out or extremely expensive to actually stay in Prince Edward County.

I would stay here again though, it’s pet friendly, and a trusted hotel company. Unless you’re staying in Picton, most hotels are also in the middle of nowhere anyway, so I never felt like I was missing out on PEC nightlife. See room rates & availability on Booking.com.

If you are looking to stay in Prince Edward County, I found these hotels…

Probably one of the most famous and popular places in Prince Edward County is The June Motel. This pink-doored motel became famous after the Netflix special Motel Makeover. I will warn you though, The June Motel is not in a central location in Picton and it’s right off the highway. But, it did look as fun as it looks on TV! Plus, if you stay here, you can brag to all your friends that you stayed at the Instagram worthy June Motel! See room rates & availability on Booking.com.

For a more central location in Prince Edward County, stay at the Newsroom Suites in the town of Wellington. You can walk to restaurants and shops from your doorstep. Plus, you have Bed and Breakfast vibes at this boutique hotel. See room rates & availability on Booking.com.

Not too far outside the city the Twin Birch Suites & Cottages offers a cabin on the lake escape! You can book entire cabin (like the Waterfront Bungalow!) with a full kitchen and lake views! Plus, you’re still not far from Wellington for easy city access. See room rates & availability on Booking.com.

For more Prince Edward County accommodations, see Booking.com.

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