Begin your PEI trail adventure at Plough the Waves in Wood Islands, site of amenities such as a Visitor Information Centre, Liquor Store, retail shops, and a replica train station which features an exhibit of life pertaining to the railway in the 1870s, authenticated by parts of the original Belle River station. Also on site is the Melville freight shed. A short 4.1 km trail with tight turns, through woodlands and past ponds, brings you to the rail bed at Mt. Vernon, where Iona lies to the west and Murray River to the east.

Heading east, the trail passes beside a large millpond, a nesting area for Canada Geese. Watch for osprey and the frequently sighted bald eagles as you approach Flat River. In Melville is a railway bridge and the foundation of a water tower used by steam trains. The trail section ends at Iona, one of the highest points on PEI, where spectacular vistas have recently been opened by woodcutting.

Heading east from the trail junction, the trail crosses 0.6 km of open wetland, the Wood Islands Bog, home of some rare species of native plants like orchids, and surrounded by nesting grounds of a variety of warblers. Occasional streams cross the trail in huge old stone culverts, relics of the original construction. Crossing Main Street in Murray River, the trail passes the original railway station just behind the post office. Between Murray River and Murray Harbour lupines line the trail in late June and early July. The crossing at Route 18 was the site of the last fatal accident on the railway. A concrete bridge crosses Jordan’s Pond, and the trail ends in Murray Harbour.