Lots going on at P.E.I. National Park this summer

The staff at P.E.I. National Park are heading into a busy summer.

Beach wheelchairs allow those with disabilities to go in the water

Josh Lewis · CBC News · Posted: Jul 13, 2018 6:27 PM EDT | Last Updated: July 13, 2018

Entry to P.E.I. National Park will be free on July 21. (Tristan Gray)

The staff at P.E.I. National Park is heading into a busy summer.

Early bird passes were on sale until mid-June and visitor services coordinator Jessica Foster said sales were comparable to those in 2016.

"We were very busy. There was a continual lineup. It's looking great."

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This year for the first time, all national parks and historic sites across Canada will offer free entry to youth 17 and under.

2017 free entry 'huge success'

In 2017, all national parks across the country were free to enter as part of Canada's 150th birthday.

Foster called it a "huge success" for Parks Canada. There was a 36 per cent increase in visitors to P.E.I. National Park — more than 600,000 total visits — and a 35 per cent increase for Green Gables Heritage Place.

The beach wheelchairs that go right into the water are 'very, very popular,' says Jessica Foster. (CBC)

The 2018 season is well underway already, Foster said.

"The parks are busy, our trails, the beaches, our national historic sites. We're seeing lots of visitors, lots of Islanders and visitors from across Canada and around the globe."

Free entry July 21

Entry to the national park will be free on July 21, which is Parks Day across Canada.

A sandcastle competition will be among the events during Park Day on July 21. (Jane Robertson/CBC)

There will be lots on the agenda that day, Foster said, including a yoga session on the beach, a sandcastle competition and a surfguard competition for lifeguards.

The surfguard event is "so, so neat to watch," Foster said.

The national park has many trails for hiking and cycling, and several supervised beaches with recently-renovated facilities.

'Just like everyone else': Islander excited about new mats and wheelchairs in P.E.I. National Park

Foster has also been part of efforts to make the beaches more accessible, particularly at Stanhope Beach.

Stanhope has accessible washrooms and showers and accessible beach access, with special mats laid for traction for wheelchairs.

Water wheelchairs 'very, very popular'

There are also beach wheelchairs, including a few that will allow people to go fully into the water. Brackley Beach and the Cavendish campground beach also have one of those chairs.