April 15, 2023 - Québec’s love affair with cycling is renowned, and the fabled P’tit Train du Nord (PTdN) linear park 234km cycle path, built over an old railway line in the Laurentians just north of Montréal from Saint-Jerome to Mont-Laurier, is the longest of its kind in Canada.

Opened in 1994, the PTdN welcomes about 950,000 cyclists each year, representing 72% of the total users, along with approximately 400,000 pedestrians/runners, or about 28% of the total.

It’s estimated that 50% of the visiting cyclists come from outside Québec, including Great Britain, Australia, France, the United States and all over Canada to discover the charm of the P’tit Train du Nord.

The entire trail is separated from the road with an average gradient of 4%, and most of the trail (72%) is paved with the remaining sections, primarily gravel roads.

The scenery is mostly forested rolling hills, lakes, waterfalls and villages. Keep in mind that there are some often-lonely sections where it’s recommended to bring food, water, tools, a spare inner tube and insect spray.

Former train stations are found approximately every 10 kilometres along the busy southern portions of the PTdN; most have been converted into bike stops, cafés, tourist information shops and small museums.

Many of the B&Bs and inns found on the PTdN route have earned Bienvenue cyclistes accreditation, meaning they are recognized by Vélo Québec as catering to cyclists. Across Québec, there are some 500 inns, hotels and campgrounds that are recognized as such, and the PTdN is a testament to how local tourism has flourished in conjunction with the bike path.

Autobus PTdN offers a luggage transportation service along the bike path and can accommodate up to 85 cyclists a day. About 95% of people using this service start at Mont- Laurier, the northern terminus of the PTdN, and ride south.

Along the route, cyclists can also access the Parc du Corridor aérobique, a 58km circuit from Morin-Heights to Amherst, through landscapes dotted with lakes and green valleys, along with picturesque villages.

The P’tit Train du Nord is also one of the routes used by the early settlers, and several side-trips will take you to sites of particular heritage interest such as the Gare de Val-David, or the 13 murals of Pays-d’en-Haut in St-Adele that now comprise Route des Belles-Histoires.

The trail also welcomes e-bikes within provincial guidelines, such as a maximum speed of 32kph and wearing a mandatory bike helmet.

Patroller ambassadors wearing bright red Patrouille jerseys have great knowledge of the region and are trained in first aid and basic bike mechanics to assist trail users if predicaments arise.

The PTdN route is part of the 28,000-kilometre Trans Canada Trail and Québec’s Route verte, a 5,358-kilometre network of bike paths in the province, described by the National Geographic Society in 2007 as “the world’s best cycling path.”