Prince Edward Island Trails, Inc. (Island Trails) was established in 1994, as a successor to PEI Rails to Trails, coinciding with the formation of the Trans Canada Trail. The Confederation Trail is this province's contribution to that great work. The new organization assumed an expanded mandate to promote, develop, and maintain a network of trails in the province.

Promotion and protection of the Confederation Trail has continued since that time. The development of the woodland hiking trails component began in about 2003, with the identification, and lobbying to access the Dromore Woodland site.

Serious planning began for that trail in 2005, and permits, funding, and construction took place over 2008 to 2009. It has been designated the PEI portion of the International Appalachian Trail. The remaining six woodland trails followed a similar but much accelerated course. Their construction was completed in 2010.

The work continues, with plans in place for upgrading several sites from the list of Other Hiking Trails elsewhere on this website.

Island Trails is a non- profit corporation which is presently governed by a new Constitution that was adopted at the 2010 Annual General Meeting and amended at the September 2018 AGM.