This Historic Railway Is One of Canada’s Greatest Cycling Adventures
I smell resin drifting in the air, hear the buzzing of a fly at my sweaty forehead and see a cluster of hawks hunting above the farmland to my left. A fluffy, grey bunny darts out of the way of my wheels as I cycle an idyllic route through forests and rolling cottage country on Le P’tit Train du Nord north of Montreal. It’s quaint and picturesque, but my legs and glutes are already feeling the burn. I’m halfway through the longest trail I’ve ever cycled, and fatigue mixes with my awe.
Suddenly, I hear something unwanted: thunder.
A historic route
Le P’tit Train du Nord wasn’t always a cycling paradise.
Beginning in the late 19th century, trains carried settlers, supplies and visitors through Quebec’s Laurentians. By the early 1900s, trains chugged along regularly, transporting new arrivals—and in winter, shuttling keen skiers to the Laurentians’ powder-covered hills.
Rail service disappeared due to the rise of the automobile in the 1980s. But rather than letting the tracks fade into overgrown history, Quebec transformed them into a multi-use recreational trail stretching more than 230 kilometres from Saint-Jérôme to Mont-Laurier. Today, cyclists ride the same gentle grades once engineered for steam locomotives, passing by restored train stations, sun-rippled lakes, mixed forests and charming villages that still owe much of their existence to the railway.
To many, this might be just a trail. But to locals and visitors who keep returning to experience the region, it’s more: it’s history. It’s community. It’s preserving the past for now and for the future.
Why cyclists love Le P’tit Train du Nord
Inn-to-inn adventures are an accessible way for hikers and cyclists to explore all day without carrying everything they need on their back for multi-day excursions. This former railway is made for slow travel, and it’s ideal at a cyclist’s pace. B&Bs just off the asphalt trail offer a hot shower, warm meal and cozy bed to cyclists. You can cycle the entire trail or a day enjoying a section with outfitters such as D-Tour that can arrange all the logistics, including bike rentals and luggage transfer. Just show up.
Unlike many cycling routes with sudden steep climbs or technical spots, this trail follows the gentle elevation gain originally engineered for locomotives, so it never goes above a two or three percent grade up or down, making it approachable for families, first-time cycle tourists and experienced riders alike.
However, as my legs learn, that doesn’t mean it’s low effort.
Cycling through history
Our guide from D-Tour picks up our group of excited cyclists at our hotel in Mont-Tremblant. D-Tour offers flexible itineraries with no minimum group size, so whether you’re travelling solo, as a couple or a large family with differing interests, just tell them what you need, and they’ll take care of the rest.
We’re fitted to our bikes and given a safety briefing before taking off from the beautifully restored 1903 gare de Rivière-Rouge train station at kilometre 128.9 on Le P’tit Train du Nord.
There are around 20 historical train stations on the route. Many were saved from demolition while others were recreated to add to the heritage of this area for tourists and locals to enjoy alike. Some have a new life, becoming cafés, shops and visitor centres.
Breweries, bakeries and local attractions are also just a short detour off the path, contributing to its popularity and ease of access. We stop in La Veillée Microbrewery for a behind-the-kegs tour and meet the co-founder Patrick Laurin, who designs and names all his beers after his friends and family. “For me, drinking beer is social,” he says. “I drink with friends, chilling around the fire.” The entire experience exudes a cozy community feel.
Despite the weather forecast threatening rain, we pedal beneath blue skies spotted with puffy white clouds.
My legs and lungs already feel sore when we roll into our lunch spot at Labelle. Outside the station, which has been transformed into a museum, a red vintage railway car sits beside the trail as a tangible reminder of the past. The elderly museum caretaker unlocks the railway car for us. It’s boiling hot inside, but we check out the elevated passenger seats that would have offered the same views we’re taking in on two wheels, albeit at a more leisurely pace.
We feast on chicken and brie sandwiches, sparkling water and chips and salsa in a picnic provided by D-Tour to fuel us for another long journey.
As I trail behind the group, bringing up the caboose, I hear the rumbles of thunder: loud and foreboding. I watch the variable sky for signs of an approaching summer storm, but mercifully, the sky stays clear of rain. That will come later.
We end our ride in picturesque Canadian cottage country. I admire red Muskoka chairs on wooden docks along Lac Mercier. Kids jump into the cool water while adults cast lines to fish for bass. As we near our destination, my entire body aches, but I feel accomplished and alive.
The reward after the ride
After an incredible and leg-wobbling 41 kilometres, we switch from cruising on bikes to cruising on a boat. On cushiony seats, perfect for our saddle-sore behinds, we sail across the lake on a private boat ride. On board, we dine on a charcuterie board with local pickles, meat and cheese. It’s the best treat to celebrate the success of our adventure.
The next day, the clouds show up with vengeance. We’re meant to cycle another 25 kilometres, but as the forecast calls for 55 millimetres to drain down upon us, we make the decision to embark on a culinary journey instead: visiting a local distillery to taste-test gin and vodka, and eating a delicious local lunch at General Café in Val-David. I devour a Cochon Rose grilled cheese sandwich and sip a homemade lemonade mixed with hibiscus, mint and coconut milk, replenishing the electrolytes I’d lost yesterday. Everywhere we go, we see peeks of the puddle-speckled trail.
But bad weather doesn’t ruin the destination—it transforms it, giving us the opportunity to try something different. We still see cyclists clad in rain gear taking on the trail. “It’s la belle province!” declares one cyclist from Ontario who wears a water-drenched flower in her helmet despite the gloomy weather. Karen and her cycling partner Randy, two keen cyclists in their 70s, are taking three days to cycle the entire trail—so they have to keep going. We wave goodbye and wish them good weather. Their determination perfectly captures the spirit of Le P’tit Train du Nord: the weather may change, but the adventure continues.
To be honest, I feel grateful for the break from the bike and the chance to experience something new just off the P’tit Train du Nord.
The rain changed our plans, but it didn’t halt the adventure. In the Laurentians, that’s part of the appeal. One day you’re gliding through forests on one of Canada’s great rail trails; the next you’re discovering breweries, cafés and local flavours. After all, sometimes the best travel memories come from the detours.
When Should I Go? Spring offers lush greenery with sweet scents—and sometimes, rain. Summer means warm days for cycling and swimming, while autumn transforms the Laurentians into one of eastern Canada’s most spectacular displays of fall colour. In winter, many sections become cross-country ski and fat bike trails, a nod to the corridor’s long history as a gateway to the mountains.
