Quebec: The Great Trail Planning Resource

Quebec is a wonderful section of the Great Trail to cycle. Most of the trails are made for it, and the bike infrastructure in cities is well done. The most iconic of these bike routes is the Route Verte which encompasses 5300km of bikes trails. Many of the GT sections in Quebec are part of the Route Verte. There are no water trails in Quebec (though there are two ferries).

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New Brunswick to Quebec City

Section	Distance (km)	Type	Managing Body
Le Petit Témis	143.23	Gravel Trail, Paved Trail	Parc linéaire interprovincial Petit Témis
Traverse Rivière-du-Loup – Saint-Siméon	28.00	Ferry	Société des traversiers Québec
Sentier de l’Orignac	30.94	Natural Trail	Sentiers de la Capitale
La Traversée de Charlevoix	93.67	Natural Trail	La Traversée de Charlevoix
Navette halte sentier des Pointes à Saint-Urbain à La Traversée de Charlevoix	19.99	Paved Road	La Traversée de Charlevoix ***
Sentier Des Pointes	9.68	Natural Trail	Sentiers de la Capitale
Sentier Les Florent	17.27	Natural Trail	Sentiers de la Capitale
Sentier du Gouffre	7.13	Natural Trail	Municipalité de Baie-Saint-Paul Sentiers de la Capitale
Ville de Baie-Saint-Paul	3.54	Gravel Trail, Paved Road	Municipalité de Baie-Saint-Paul Sentiers de la Capitale
Route 138	10.13	Paved Road	None listed
Sentier Gabrielle-Roy-Est	5.87	Natural Trail	Sentiers de la Capitale
Sentier Louise-Gasnier	7.7	Natural Trail	Sentiers de la Capitale
Sentier Gabrielle-Roy-Ouest	12.64	Natural Trail	Sentiers de la Capitale
Sentier des Caps de Charlevoix	42.39	Natural Trail	Sentier des Caps de Charlevoix
Sentier Mestashibo-Est	13.6	Natural Trail	Sentier Mestashibo
Sentier Mestashibo	11.7	Natural Trail	Sentier Mestashibo
Véloroute Marie-Hélène Prémon	43.28	Paved Road	Ville de Beaupré La Route Verte
Le Montagnard	27.26	Natural Trail	Municipalité de Lac-Beauport Sentiers de la Capitale
Corridor du Littoral	14.58	Paved Trail	Ville de Québec La Route Verte
Le Corridor des Cheminots	25.5	Paved Trail	Ville de Québec La Route Verte
Traverse Québec – Lévis (alternatively, there is a bridge)	1.12	Ferry	Société des traversiers Québec

***Although this section indicates that is on a road, the link is a shuttle from the sentier des Pointes, in Saint-Urbain, to the starting point of the la Traversée de Charlevoix (shuttle is taking the road 381). It is not recommended to use this road as a trail link. Please use the shuttle service provided.

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Quebec City to Montreal

I did this route a few years ago with my father and brother. I remember it being pretty hilly, but overall a lovely section of countryside and small towns to pass through. Also, Quebec City and Montreal have some of the oldest architecture in Canada. The old sections of both cities are like a step in the past (or to Europe). It makes for great sightseeing if you are interested in architecture.

Section	Distance (km)	Type	Managing Body
Parcours des Anses	7.12	Paved Trail	Ville de Québec La Route Verte
Ville de Lévis	15.71	Paved Trail, Paved Road	Tourisme Lévis La Route Verte
Corridor du Grand Tronc	12.73	Gravel Trail	Tourisme Lévis La Route Verte
Parc linéaire de la MRC de Lotbinière	25.77	Gravel Trail	Tourisme Chaudière-Appalaches La Route Verte
Sentier du Grand-Portneuf	57.43	Natural Trail, Gravel Trail, Paved Road	None Listed
Sentier Pégase Mauricie	64.31	Natural Trail	None Listed
Foulée mauricienne	36.55	Natural Trail	None Listed
Les amis des chevaux de Maskinongé	35.52	Natural Trail	None Listed
Parc linéaire des Bois-Francs	78.67	Gravel Trail	Parc linéaire des Bois-Francs La Route Verte
Sentier de la Vallée	14.74	Gravel Trail	Tourisme Cantons-de-l’Est La Route Verte
La Cantonnière	36.53	Gravel Trail, Paved Road	Tourisme Cantons-de-l’Est La Route Verte
Les Grandes-Fourches	72.73	Gravel Trail, Paved Trail, Gravel Road, Paved Road	Ville de Sherbrooke La Route Verte
La Montagnarde	45.55	Gravel Trail, Paved Trail, Paved Road	Tourisme Québec La Route Verte
Chemin de la Diligence	14.34	Gravel Road, Paved Road	None Listed
L’Estriade (map)	38.55	Paved Trail	L’Estriade Tourisme Cantons-de-l’Est
La Montérégiade (map)	38.95	Paved Trail	Tourisme Montérégie Tourisme Québec La Route Verte
Lieu historique national du Canal de Chambly (map)	19.36	Gravel Trail	Les Amis du canal de Chambly Parcs Canada
Ville de Chambly	3.04	Paved Trail	Ville de Chambly La Route Verte
Ville de Carignan	4.16	Paved Trail	Ville de Carignan La Route Verte

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Montreal to Gatineau

Fun Fact: Quebec’s Arboreal Emblem is the Yellow Birch (Betula alleghaniensis)

The Le P’tit Train du Nord part of this section looks especially exciting. It’s the section of the GT that I intend to do next.

Section	Distance (km)	Type	Managing Body
Ville de Longueuil	28.07	Gravel Trail, Paved Trail	Ville de Longueuil La Route Verte
Ville de Saint-Lambert	4.28	Paved Trail	Ville de Saint-Lambert La Route Verte
Parc Jean-Drapeau	2.53	Paved Trail	Parc Jean-Drapeau
Lieu historique national du Canada du Canal-de-Lachine	12.37	Paved Trail	Parcs Canada
Ville de Montréal	51.13	Paved Trail	Ville de Montréal La Route Verte
Ville de Repentigny	2.25	Paved Trail	Ville de Repentigny La Route Verte
Ville de Charlemagne	1.09	Paved Trail	Ville de Charlemagne La Route Verte
TransTerrebonne	28.67	Paved Trail	Ville de Terrebonne La Route Verte
Ville de Bois-des-Filion	2.31	Paved Trail	Ville de Bois-des-Filion La Route Verte
Parc linéaire Le P’tit Train du Nord (map)	236.47	Gravel Trail, Paved Trail	Tourisme Laurentides La Route Verte
Mont-Laurier à Grand-Remous	35.95	Paved Road	La Route Verte
Maniwaki à Grand-Remous	32.81	Gravel Road, Paved Road	None listed
Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg	11.68	Gravel Trail	Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg
Véloroute des Draveurs	66.47	Gravel Trail	Tourisme Outaouais
Low à Wakefield	26.05	Gravel Road, Paved Road	None listed
Sentiers Wakefield	3.59	Natural Trail, Paved Road	Municipalité de la Pêche Village de Wakefield
Parc de la Gatineau	43.21	Gravel Trail, Paved Trail	Commission de la capitale nationale
Commission de la Capitale Nationale	13.25	Paved Trail	Commission de la capitale nationale

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Logistics

If you are cycling through Quebec, Warm Showers is an excellent service to find free accommodation. It’s like Couch Surfing (also a good choice), but exclusively for cyclists.

Campgrounds along the Route Verte can be found here.

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Additional Resources

• Quebec cycling guides available for purchase
• Cycling in Montreal
• Eastern Townships

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Ontario is next, but it’s a bit of a beast so I’ll be breaking it up into multiple posts.