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).
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 |
| Ville de Baie-Saint-Paul | 3.54 | Gravel Trail, Paved Road | |
| 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 |
| Le Montagnard | 27.26 | Natural Trail | |
| Corridor du Littoral | 14.58 | Paved Trail | Ville de Québec |
| Le Corridor des Cheminots | 25.5 | Paved Trail | |
| 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.
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 |
| La Montérégiade (map) | 38.95 | Paved Trail | |
| Lieu historique national du Canal de Chambly (map) | 19.36 | Gravel Trail | |
| 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 |
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 |
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.
Additional Resources
- Quebec cycling guides available for purchase
- Cycling in Montreal
- Eastern Townships
Ontario is next, but it’s a bit of a beast so I’ll be breaking it up into multiple posts.
