Toronto to Quebec City...and back
- Bob Dalton
- Oct 14
- 13 min read
Updated: Nov 16
In September of 2025, I embarked on a return cycling trip from Toronto to Quebec City, with scenic detours to La Mauricie National Park and the Le Petit Train du Nord route in the Laurentians. Over the course of this adventure, I traveled a total of 2,100 km, primarily along designated bike routes and dedicated bike paths that featured minimal elevation changes making this route a perfect option for anyone looking something is long but relatively easy.
I generally followed the Great Lakes Waterfront Route from Toronto to the Quebec border and then Route Verte #5 from the border all the way to Quebec City. I had GPX files loaded on my Garmin but in both cases the routes are well signed. I used Ride by GPS to create a GPX file for the waterfront route, you can download that file here. For Route Verte #5 I used this file from Ride by GPS created by Paco Garcia. I only got lost a couple of times when I wasn't paying close enough attention to both signage and my Garmin but I was always easily able to get back on track.
Trip Overview
My trip had multiple phases, this report will allow you to jump to a specific section if you don't want to scroll through the whole thing.
5 Riding Days, 645 km
Plus 55 km cruising around Montreal
Montreal to Quebec City (Ile D 'Orleans)
3 Riding Days, 374 km
Plus 70 km cruising around Quebec City
Quebec City to La Mauricie National Park
1.5 Riding Days, 191 km
2 Riding Days (one gravel day), 143 km
Petit Train du Nord (Ste Agathe to Mont Laurier - not the full route from Laval)
4 Riding Days: 361 km
3 Riding Days, 297 km
Totals: 18.5 Riding Days, 2,136 km
Gear
For this trip I rode my Santa Cruz Stigmata configured as follows:
Single 38T front chainring with 10-52 cassette - I really didn't need gearing that low for this trip because there were no significant climbs to worry about.
40mm Schwalbe G-One Pro Tires - they were awesome.
Tailfin Rear Rack with Tailfin Rack Top Bag and two 10L Tailfin mini paniers
Tailfin 2.2L Top Tube Bag
Old Man Mountain Axle Pack rack mounts on the front forks holding two 10L Tailfin Mini Paniers
Apidura Expedition Handlebar Bag with 4L Backcountry Accessory Pocket added - this small bag was super handy.
Apidura Expedition 1.3L Cargo pack on the downtube.
Apidura 7L Frame Pack
I carried a 2L water bladder in a small backpack - I never needed to be carrying 2L on this trip as water was readily available everywhere.
Phase 1 - Toronto to Montreal
Day 1 - Toronto (Thornhill) to Cobourg
138 km with 1,000m of elevation gain which makes it sound harder than it was. This is generally a downhill to flat ride with much of it on awesome dedicated bike paths or bike routes through residential areas east of Toronto.
I camped at Victoria Park Campground right at the beach. The facilities are good and the campsites are fine for a predominantly trailer park but it is busy, don't expect peace and quiet.
Day 2 - Cobourg to Bloomfield
93km of beautiful easy riding on the waterfront trail and then the Millenium Trail (gravel) through Prince Edward County.
Spent the night with wonderful friends at their home in Bloomfield.
Day 3 - Bloomfield to Brockville (well almost to Brockville, Brown's Bay Campground)
145km of beautiful, easy riding. Long stretch on Hwy 2 east of Kingston got to be a bit of a drag as the surface was not great but there was not a lot of traffic.
The section from Gananoque all the way to Brown's Bay Campground along the Thousand Islands Parkway is gorgeous, dedicated bike path.
Day 4 - Brown's Bay to Ingleside (McLaren Campground)
Another beautiful day of easy riding (103km), almost all of it was on County Road 2 which was mostly great and not too much traffic though some sections had a narrow shoulder.
McLaren Campground is near the start of the Long Sault Parkway. I could have kept going as the riding was super nice but I had planned to stop somewhere to camp on these very cool looking islands - happy I did.
Day 5 - Ingleside Ontario to Montreal
This was an amazing day! 167km at an average of just under 25kph and it didn't feel hard. 95% of it was on dedicated bike paths and all of it was wonderful. I normally would not push that far on a single day but I was trying to make it to Montreal in time for the Grand Prix tomorrow. I made it!
This was also the day that I met the incredible Vincent as he was fixing a flat in the middle of his 400km day, just typical for him. Check him out here.
Phase 2: Montreal to Quebec City
In Montreal I stayed at a 1 star hotel on Ste Denis right in the Latin Quarter - not fancy but perfect for my needs! Early Sunday morning, September 14th, I explored the Grand Prix race route and then watched the race from various locations on the route. I did three complete loops of the course during the race which gave me different perspectives - my favourite location to watch was on the short hill on Avenue Panguelo in a beautiful residential area. That spot is not crowded and the riders go past at a reasonable pace making it relatively easy to see them - by "reasonable pace" I mean ridiculously fast for an uphill section! Sunday evening I had dinner with my cousins whom I had not seen for many years. We reminisced about the amazing times we had growing up together especially at the Lake of Bays in Ontario.
Day 6 - Montreal to Louiseville
Today was 133km that started on bike paths through the industrial areas east of Montreal which is...well very industrial but once you are through that you are onto quiet roads in beautiful farmlands and excellent riding.
On this section you start to see signs for the "Chemin du Roy" (King's Road) historical route which is well worth following as it takes you off the main roads and through beautiful small towns. I can't remember if all of that is specifically on the Route Verte #5 or not, in any case if you follow the Chemin du Roy signage you will not be disappointed.
I camped at Louiseville Marina RV Park which is a great spot! Usually RV parks don't have a nice feel but this place does. It is very well cared for, the facilities are excellent and the staff were super friendly.
Day 7 - Louiseville to Deschambault
Another great day! 113km today, mostly on roads but all very quiet and lovely. I saw so many nice old stone homes that I stopped taking photos of them as it was getting quite ridiculous. Deschambault my be my favourite little town on this entire route. I camped in the municipal park. I'm pretty sure camping was not allowed there but I waited until dark to set-up my tent, and no one bothered me. I was gone early the next morning. There are nice washrooms there that are open 24/7. Nice!
Day 8 - Deschambault to Quebec City (I'lle D'Orleans)
Link to my Strava entry to Quebec City. (72km)
This was another amazing ride. The first part continues to follow the Chemin du Roy on quiet roads with beautiful scenery and then follows defined bike routes through the beautiful western suburbs of Quebec City along the Saint Lawrence. When you get to the Champlain Bridge the dedicated, beautiful bike path begins and takes you all the way into, and beyond, the old city along the edge of the river.
On arrival at the core of the old city I road up the very steep Cote de la Montagne to arrive at the Chateau Frontenac in the middle of tourist craziness. It's all beautiful but was too busy for me so I decided to head to I'lle D'Orleans with the goal of finding a place to camp for the night away from the tourists.
Link to my Strava entry for Quebec City to I'lle D'Orleans. (56km)
Before heading to I'll D'Orleans I rode the bike path east of the city to see the Chutes Montmorency. It's interesting but honestly it is geographically not very attractive and I didn't spend much time there but I will say that I am glad I went and paid the entry fee into the park. It's worth the trip.
I rode across the Pont de L'Ille (highway 368) on the sidewalk - both the approach to the bridge and the bridge itself were pretty sketchy. They are working on a new bridge which should make the crossing much better - I'm told most people who choose to cycle the island take their bikes across in a car! I understand why but honestly it's not so bad.
The road around the island is well paved with not much traffic but there is very little shoulder so although I really enjoyed cycling the island it may not be for everyone. I wouldn't recommend it to cyclists not experienced with road riding in proximity to cars.
I camped at Camping Orleans which was nice but in hindsight I think the campground at Camping de la Point I'lle D'Orleans may have been a nicer spot - the sun was setting and I was tired so stopping was probably the right call. If I go back I will try Camping de la Point on the very north end of the island.
I'lle D'Orleans back to Quebec City
Quebec City was my original goal and since I achieved that I stopped numbering my travel days.
Today I did a relatively short ride from I'lle D'Orleans back to Quebec City where I was meeting my sisters at an Airbnb. Overall I loved riding on I'lle D'Orleans. My only regret is that I did not visit the museum for Felix Leclerc who I only learned about afterwards. Check him out. He has written songs for places like I'lle D'Orleans as well as Petit Train du Nord which is covered later in this trip report.
Phase 3: Quebec City to La Mauricie National Park
On Sunday September 21st I continued my trip heading back west from Quebec City with the goal of meeting Gilbert at an AirBnB we had rented near La Mauricie National Park.
The first day of this part of my trip was a 141km trip from Quebec City to Sainte Tite. I didn't specifically choose Ste. Tite ahead of time, it was a beautiful day with nice riding so I just kept going until I started to feel tired. My Strava entry for this ride is here. I followed the same route west that I had ridden east back through Deschambault where I stopped for lunch and on to Ste Anne-de-la-Perade. At that point I headed more north and away from the Route Verte but the roads continued to be nice without too much traffic. I don't have much to say about Ste Tite, it is unremarkable from my perspective. I had my first equipment challenge of the trip when I was unable to assemble the poles of my MSR tent - it's a design flaw that MSR acknowledges and has corrected. They sent me a completely new set of poles after my trip. Kudos to MSR!
The second day of this part of the trip was a relatively easy 50km ride to the Mekinac Regional County Municipality on the Saint-Maurice River where we had booked an AirBnb. It was a nice spot (Chalets Mauricie Tamias minimus) but it is not actually in La Mauricie National Park which meant that to ride in the park we had to drive about 40km to the park entrance. It looks like it is very close to the park but the only way in is to head back south to Shawinigan and enter via the Chemin du Parc-National. Good to know for next time! If we go back I would stay here. Today was also the first day that I saw some cool temperatures and a bit of rain. Most of the day was on paved roads with a good shoulder but lots of logging trucks and fast vehicles but nice riding just the same.
Phase 4: La Mauricie National Park
Day 1 - 39km Gravel Ride in the Park
Awesome day. Easy riding.
Lots of great camp spots on the trails and a few cabins which are open for use. Didn't see anyone camping so next time we will camp!
XC skiing here would be amazing too. Based on the signage it looks to be designed for XC and the cabins for sure are warming huts for the winter. Very nice!
La Mauricie Day 2 - 100 km road ride around the park
This is an awesome loop. Great pavement, sufficient shoulder, minimal traffic. Beautiful.
On Thursday September 25th we drove from La Mauricie to Sainte Agathe in dumping rain, the first I had seen on my trip and, as it turned out, it was also the last.
Phase 5: Petit Train du Nord
We spent a couple of nights at the beautiful home of my cousin Micheline and her partner Richard in Ste. Agathe; I can't thank them enough for their kindness and generosity. We started riding Le Petit Train du Nord trail on Saturday September 27th with perfect fall weather.
Day 1 - Ste Agathe to Camping Labelle et La Rouge (68 km)
The Petit Train du Nord trail is awesome! Due to it being built on the old rail bed there is basically no grade and the pavement is in pristine condition. This was by far the easiest 68 km of bike packing I have ever done. We rode to Tremblant and considered camping there but it was super busy so we kept going until we encountered the very nice campground called Labelle et La Rouge - so named due to the proximity to the town of Labelle and it is on the edge of the Riviere Rouge. I don't mean to diss Tremblant - it's beautiful but we didn't encounter any nice camping options in the immediate area. We considered riding further into the park where there is camping but that would have taken us quite far out of the northerly direction we were heading.
Day 2 - Labelle to Mont Laurier (103 km)
Today was another beautiful ride! I don't know what to say, the Train du Nord route is so beautifully done I can't imagine a nicer riding experience.
Day 3 - Mont Laurier back to Labelle (106 km)
More of the same awesomeness.
Day 4 - Labelle back to Ste Agathe (55 km)
And again. We stopped more than we rode today and just enjoyed the day. 55km in 6 hours : )
Day 5 - Ste Agathe to Ste Adele and Back (29 km)
Today we rode south on the Train du Nord route along with two of my cousins - Micheline and Michel. It was wonderful to catch up with them. They live in a beautiful part of the world and I look forward to coming back again - next time in the winter!
Phase 6: Return to Toronto
Gil and I drove from Ste Agathe back to Bloomfield on Thursday October 2nd including a lovely stop for lunch with Gil's brother Marc, his wife and granddaughter. I spent the night with Gil and Diana and headed towards Toronto on the same route (Millennium Trail then Waterfront Trail) I took when I travelled east. This time I did the trip in three days (I did it in two previously) which gave me time to see other locations along the lake and to take advantage of the incredible fall weather. When I arrived in Toronto on October 4th the high was 30C!
Day 1 - Bloomfield to Presque'Ille Provincial Park (81 km)
Before heading east on the Millennium trail I detoured a bit south to visit Sandbanks Provincial Park. The ride there was beautiful - well worth the trip just for the ride.
Day 2 - Presque'Ille PP to Darlington Provincial Park (110 km)
Day 3 - Darlington Provincial Park to Thornhill (106 km)
