Carrying Place: The Western Gateway to Prince Edward County

Carrying Place is the spot where Prince Edward County begins. If you are driving in from the west along Highway 33, you cross the Murray Canal at Carrying Place and you are on the peninsula. It is not a dramatic entrance. There is a small bridge, a few houses, and a sign. But the place has a history that stretches back centuries, and its role as the gateway to PEC gives it a significance that its modest appearance might not suggest.

The name tells the story. For thousands of years, this narrow isthmus between the Bay of Quinte and Weller's Bay (an arm of Lake Ontario) was where Indigenous peoples carried their canoes overland to avoid the long paddle around the County. It was the shortest portage route between the bay and the lake, and it was one of the most important transportation corridors in the region long before any European set foot in Ontario.

The Murray Canal

In 1889, the Canadian government completed the Murray Canal, cutting through the isthmus and turning the portage into a navigable waterway. The canal is about seven kilometres long and connects the Bay of Quinte to Presqu'ile Bay and Lake Ontario. It transformed Prince Edward County from a peninsula into, technically, an island, though few people think of it that way.

Today, the canal is used primarily by pleasure boaters moving between the bay and the lake. In summer, you can sit on the bank and watch sailboats and cruisers pass through. The canal banks have a walking and cycling path that runs along much of its length, making it a pleasant spot for a morning walk. The terrain is flat, the path is easy, and the views of the water and the surrounding farmland are quietly attractive.

The canal also serves as a gateway for the Millennium Trail, the former rail corridor that has been converted into a multi-use trail running from Carrying Place all the way to Picton. The trail is about fifty kilometres long and passes through farmland, marshes, and the edges of several villages. It is popular with cyclists and walkers, and sections of it near Carrying Place are well maintained and easy to access.

The path along the Murray Canal is flat, easy, and good for a morning wander.

History in the Landscape

Carrying Place has layers of history that are easy to miss if you are just driving through. The portage route was used by Indigenous peoples for thousands of years before contact. French explorers and fur traders used it in the 17th and 18th centuries. During the American Revolution, Loyalist settlers came through here on their way to new land grants in the County. The military importance of the route led to the construction of fortifications nearby during the War of 1812.

Little of this history is visible on the ground today. The portage route is now farmland and the canal. The fortifications are gone. But knowing the history changes how you see the place. This narrow strip of land was, for centuries, one of the most strategically important points in the region. People fought over it, travelled through it, and built their lives around it. The quiet hamlet you see today sits on top of all of that.

The Prince Edward County Museum in Picton has exhibits on the area's early history, including the portage route and the Loyalist settlement period. If the history interests you, the museum is a worthwhile companion to a visit to Carrying Place.

The Surrounding Area

Carrying Place sits at the northwestern corner of Prince Edward County, between the Bay of Quinte to the north and the agricultural heartland to the east and south. The landscape here is flat and open, with large farm fields, scattered woodlots, and long views to the horizon. It is quieter and less visited than the southern and eastern parts of the County.

The Bay of Quinte shore north of Carrying Place is popular with anglers. Walleye fishing in the bay is some of the best in Ontario, and several charter operations run out of the area. The bay's calm waters also make it suitable for kayaking and canoeing, especially in the sheltered areas near the canal entrance.

To the east, the road leads to Consecon, about ten minutes away. Together, Carrying Place and Consecon form the quiet northern corridor of PEC, offering a counterpoint to the busier tourist route along County Road 1. From Carrying Place, you can reach Bloomfield in about fifteen minutes and Picton in twenty-five, making it a viable base for exploring the whole County while staying in the quieter section.

Staying Near Carrying Place

Accommodation in the immediate area is limited to a small number of vacation rentals and rural properties. Most are farmhouse-style stays on larger lots, offering the kind of peace and space that is hard to find closer to the tourist centres. If you are looking for a quiet country stay, this part of the County delivers.

The trade-off is distance from amenities. There is no grocery store or restaurant in Carrying Place. You will need to drive to Trenton (just across the canal to the north) or to Picton for supplies. Plan to stock up before you arrive and cook most of your meals at the rental. For many visitors, this self-sufficiency is part of the appeal. You are trading convenience for quiet, and in a place like this, the quiet wins.

Sunsets over the Bay of Quinte from the north shore are wide, warm, and uninterrupted.

Cycling and Walking

Carrying Place is a good starting point for exploring PEC by bike. The Millennium Trail begins here and heads east across the County, providing an off-road route that avoids the busier highways. The trail surface varies: some sections are hard-packed gravel, others are rougher. A hybrid or gravel bike handles it well. Road bikes are less ideal for the unpaved stretches.

For road cycling, the area around Carrying Place has quiet roads with light traffic. County Road 3 runs east along the Bay of Quinte shore toward Picton and is a scenic ride, though it carries some truck traffic. The back roads south toward Consecon and through the farm country are better for a relaxed ride. The terrain is flat to gently rolling, and the roads are mostly paved with occasional gravel stretches.

The cycling guide has more detail on routes across the County, including suggested loops and what to expect on different roads.

Why Carrying Place Matters

Carrying Place is easy to overlook. There is no winery, no boutique shop, no Instagram-ready storefront. It is a small hamlet on a canal, surrounded by farm fields, at the edge of a county that most people come to for entirely different reasons. But it is the place where PEC begins, in both a geographic and a historical sense. Every visitor who drives across that canal bridge is repeating, in a modern way, the same crossing that people have been making for thousands of years.

That connection to the past gives Carrying Place a weight that its size does not suggest. It is worth a stop, even if just to stand on the canal bank for a few minutes and think about all the people who crossed this same narrow strip of land, heading to the same place you are heading now.

For more on the quieter parts of the County, the Consecon guide covers the neighbouring village. And if you are planning a trip that includes both the quiet north and the busier south, the weekend itinerary can help you balance the two.