The perfect PEI pairing - for a pup.
Summer time in PEI, where every dog can officially have their day. And there aren’t many days better than this all-star pairing of an all-out beach session followed by joining the family on the patio for a very tasty afternoon.
Trust us, everyone wins with this one.
Morning at
Cable Head beach
Not designated as off-leash, but so much open space & never a crowd - especially in the morning. Sometimes you even find a friend to play with.
Fill up your coffee mug, grab your favourite beach toy and get ready for a morning you and your pup will never forget. Endless sand, views and memories, so don’t forget that camera either.
Cable Head Beach is a very off the tourist map kinda place. It sits just outside the Eastern reaches of PEI National Park, which covers a large portion of the North Shore of the island and includes many of the more popular beaches. Inside the park dogs aren’t allowed on the beach during the summer months to protect the nesting sites for plovers, so you gotta know the hidden spots outside.
Getting to the beach is a little tricky. You can enter the address of Skunkhouse Road and some gps will pick that up. If not, just head out from Saint Peter’s Bay on Highway 16 towards Goose River. About 5 km down the road, take a left on Highway 336 towards the ocean. 500 m down 336, take a right on Skunkhouse Road. Drive slow - there are no posted signs and no marked parking. The land is private property that allows beach go’ers to park and access the water, so please, please be respectful and leave nothing but footprints.
At the end of the road, scramble down the rocks and head left down the beach. Hurricane Fiona in the fall of ‘22 did a number on the beach and some of the sand has been slow to return to shore. The further you head down the beach, the better it gets. Cross over the fresh water stream and you are in doggie beach heaven.
One of the best dog-friendly features of Cable Head beach is the fresh water stream that comes down from the grassy dunes above. After lots of salt water frisbee, it’s super-handy to have a source for a fresh water drink nearby.
You can easily log 5k walking down the beach and back, but finding a quiet spot with shallow water and sand shoals to wander out on is always an easy-going plan.
With epic views in both directions and your four-legged friend enjoying every minute of beach freedom, it’s hard not to turn your morning into an all-out photo shoot.
Good luck getting the sand out of your life the rest of the day, but it’s all more than worth it.
NOTE* Cable Head Beach is not designated as an off-leash area, so although most people are completely cool with the dogs being free - be respectful and aware of others to avoid any issues.
Afternoon at Bogside Brewing
Smoked meats & craft brews enjoyed on a huge dog-friendly covered patio.
A classic PEI win/win/win situation here.
The thing that always blows us away about Bogside is how well run the whole operation is. Both the bar and the kitchen have been flawless every time we have visited (and that number of visits is shamefully pretty high).
A big exterior remodel in 2023 and the outdoor dining space is now even bigger and badder than it was previously. And we thought it was amazing before!
You stroll onto the patio, find a comfy table in hte shade to plunk down at, hit the doggy water dishes provided and then head on up to the bar to order up some drinks while you consider all of your smokehouse food options. It really is the perfect place to spend a lazy afternoon.
You can’t go wrong with the BBQ platters, they are huge and plenty to pick from for everybody.
Just trust Trappy on this one - Bogside is a bullseye every single time.
Resources
Cable Head Beach
Closest Sleepyhouse Properties
Off-grid Cable Head tiny cottage (coming 2024) - 1 minute walk
The Summerhouse at Saint Peter’s - 5 minute drive
Bogside Brewing in Montague
Closest Sleepyhouse Properties
The Summerhouse at Saint Peter’s - 25 minute drive
Off-grid Cable Head tiny cottage (coming 2024) - 30 minute drive
