Tour Vert - P'tit Train du Nord

Loop ride starting and ending in Ottawa

Cycle Canada's P'tit Train du Nord tour is a bike ride starting and ending in Ottawa, Ontario via the Laurentian Mountains(Laurentides).

Seven days of cycling.

Riders on Cycle Canada's P'tit Train du Nord start in downtown Ottawa, Canada's capital city.

The trip takes us to the heart of the Laurentian Mountains of Quebec. It's a year-round recreational district with many amenities for visitors.

For sections of the trip you are on the official P'tit Train du Nord which is a converted railway track. Most of the trail is paved but there are some short sections of unpaved trail. The trip is mostly flat to gently rolling but there is some climbing on day two and three which is one of the reasons this trip is more challenging than other tours. We recommend a rest day at Mont Tremblant region where riders can relax by a lake or explore neighouring villages.

Ottawa is very bike friendly and we encourage riders to arrive early.

  

Tour Itinerary

Ottawa and the Gatineau Hills

Leaving Ottawa you take paved trails and secondary roads, passing by Parliament Hill on the way to the large and scenic Gatineau Park on the Quebec side of the National Capital District. Heading north we follow the Gatineau River valley almost to its headwaters in the Baskatong Reservoir near Mont Laurier.

Manawaki and Mont Laurier

At Mont Laurier you are at the western end of the P'tit Train du Nord (Little Train of the North), which is the longest linear park in Canada. The central feature of the park is a largely abandoned Canadian Pacific rail line that now is a recreational trail between Mont Laurier and St-Jerome, north of Montreal. The trail is partly paved and partly crushed limestone. Riders follow the paved section of the trail to get to Mont Tremblant with the choice of unpaved trail or road for a small section.

Rest Day in Mont Tremblant

We reommend a day off mid trip to relax with a wide selection of gourmet and international restuarants nearby or visit the ski/mountain bike village where there are lots of opportunities to enjoy more outdoor activites and view the beautiful mountain scenary.

Leaving Mont Tremblant

From Mont Tremblant follow the P'tit Train route to St-Jerome through the steepest and hilliest part of a long established ski destination in the Laurentian Mountains. In that part of the route there are sections of unpaved trails for a a total of 45 kilometres (28 miles). The paved alternative would be very steep and riders always come to appreciate the trail.

The P'tit Train trail ends just past St-Jerome, which is the northernmost of a series of suburban communities on this side of Montreal. We turn ride through villages that are farm supply centres.

Final leg to Ottawa

At the Ottawa River travel upstream to Montebello. From here cross over the Ottawa River and return to Ottawa, the final section following bike trails alongside the river.