Biking "Le P'tit Train du Nord"

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Biking Quebec's “Le P’Tit Train du Nord” in Laurentians

Number of times we have biked this trail: 3 years

Basics:

Length: 200 kilometres + extension
Surface: 100 km crushed limestone and 100km paved
Width: 3 metres
Trailhead: Mont Laurier and Saint Jerome
Parking: at stations in each of the towns
Signage: at road crossings and on trail
Bathrooms: washrooms at each station, pit toilets in northern section
Water: at each station and 2 locations have spring water
Benches: at various locations



(all notes by Carol Ursano, with input from Joe!!)

Background Information on the Trail

Quebec's province-wide system of bicycle paths has been named the best in the world by the Washington-based National Geographic Society. The 4,000-kilometre Route Verte, which was officially inaugurated last year, has topped the list of international bike paths in a recently published book of the world's best trips.



National Geographic's Journeys of a Lifetime: 500 of the World's Best Trips listed Route Verte (of which Le P'tit Train is a part) ahead of a number of notable international cycling destinations, including the Gran Fondo Campagnolo in Italy, and the Ruta Astral in Chile.

Once completed, the Quebec system will include 4,366 kilometres of pathways. Le P'tit Train du Nord is but one section of the Route Verte!

We have done Le P'tit Train du Nord 2 complete times for 400 km and likely another 200 of selected sections. The information below represents the notes taken mostly during our first trip, with additions and updates made during the next two trips



• Called “Le P’tit Train du Nord Linear Park” is the longest linear park in Canada.

• Originally was a railway line of the same name built between 1891 and 1909 due to the efforts of Cure Antoine Labelle, a priest from Saint Jerome to open up the area northwest of Montreal to economic growth
• It became the key to regional development, fostering the growth of the Laurentian tourist industry
• The height of its success was between 1920 and 1940 when its owners, CP, began snow trains that boarded at Montreal, leaving every weekend for skiing in the Laurentians.
• LPTDN made its last passenger trip on November 15, 1981 and its last freight trip in 1989.
• Trail runs 200 km from Saint Jerome in the south to Mont-Laurier in north; also an additional 30 km from Saint Jerome south to Bois des Filion
• Was inaugurated in 1996
• It is asphalt from Mont Laurier to Labelle; otherwise has a crushed stone surface—is generally well maintained, although in the north, some of the asphalt is bumpy but bumps are well-marked
• Used by hikers, bikers, inline skaters, cross country skiers and snowmobilers—no motorized vehicles during the summer, no horses, animals. Up until 2008, it charged for biking. It still charges for XC skiing.
• Is maintained by municipalities through which it passes
• There are many points of entrance to the trail with free parking. B and B’s, hotels, motels, inns and campgrounds are available.
• Water is available at all of the former train stations as well as washrooms. The last 100 km had a few more outhouses as well.
• Bicycles are available for rent especially in Mt Tremblant and Saint Jerome. There is a company called “Les autobus de Le P’tit Train du Nord” (1-888-893-8356) that will transfer you (or your bike) from one station to another anywhere from Saint Jerome to Mont Laurier. We did not use this service.
• We biked the trail from km 200 to km 0, round trip





Day 1 (drove 550 Km)

• Drove from our home in Central Ontario to Kiamika, Quebec to a campground at Pimodan Lake. A long drive over rough, winding roads, particularly in Quebec. We crossed at Hull and headed north on Hwy. 307 . We should have gone on to Buckingham and then north on 309. It would have been a better route, we think. (Note: Our next two trips we did go via Buckingham and it was much better!)
• Stayed only 1 night at Kiamika because our site did not have electricity. (Pimodan Lake Campground, 9km south of Kiamika [phone] open April to November)





Day 2 (biked 26 km round trip)

Val Barette to Mont-Laurier and back - elevation at Val Barette is 240 metres and at kilometre 187. Mont Laurier is 235 metres and at kilometre 200 (the end!)

• Manitou Campground was about 5 km from the trail. Our site was not very nice, but we are close to the biking trail. (Camping Manitou $28.00 per night water and electricity, 5 km from Val Barette, 63 Chemin Poulin [phone] [e-mail]) We stayed here again for the second year and had a nicer site.

• Our first day biking on Le P’tit Train du Nord Linear Park Trail was in perfect weather conditions. It was in the mid-20s and sunny. We biked 13 km to Mont-Laurier, the northernmost point on the trail. This trail is referred to as part of “The Green Trail”. We met a few people going each way, saying “Allo” or “Bonjour” to each and every one of them. Some were on bikes; others were rollerblading.

The area is very northern looking with lots of lakes by the pathway and trees. The farm fields were quite beautiful as well. At Mont-Laurier, we rested at a trail rest stop, had a snack, and carried on to the train station, which is at the final point on the trail at Kilometre 200. Following this, we toured the local IGA food store. It was beautiful and well stocked with Quebec cheeses and of course beer and wine. It seemed strange for us to see these commodities in a grocery store. Stopped to take many pictures on the return trip.

• Note: This was to become our favourite part of the trail, as it was the most scenic and was a comparatively easy ride since it was flatter than some of the other parts of the trail. In our return trip the next two years, we still felt this was the nicest section of the trail.

• Note 2: Many of the rest stops at this northern section of the trail resemble cabooses. They’re quite quaint. Wooden barriers are natural, unlike ones further south at Mt. Tremblant which are painted fuchsia colour.

IN 2018 we spent a couple of days at the Best Western Hotel in Mont Laurier. Very nice!





Day 3 (biked 48 km round trip)
Val Barette to Lac Saguay - elevation at Lac Saguay is 340 metres

• Set off at around 10 am for Lac Saguay, 24 km away from Val Barette.
• Perfect weather—breezy, warm and sunny (temp was 27’C).
• More rugged scenery than previous day. Path was bumpier in spots as well, although it was asphalt. Lots of rest stops, and we needed them because we experienced a gradual climb all the way to Lac Saguay. It kept us working hard, but it was very doable. Met many Saturday bikers along the way. Between 181 and 182 km mark on the trail, Joe spied a source of fresh water. Was it ever delicious and cold. There were picnic benches there…a perfect place to take a break.

We passed over a few areas where the railway bed had to be built up considerably in order for the train to successfully travel through valleys. Stopped at a lovely lookout; were able to see the tops of trees, just as the birds do. BTW, red-eyed vireos could be heard all along the trail, along with chickadees.

At Lac Saguay, we ate lunch at a small fast fry place near the trail and saw a couple who were staying across from us at our campground. Then went on to the public beach a few blocks away. There we had a refreshing swim in Lac Saguay and sat in the sun drying off before we headed back. The local people were there with families spending a lovely summer Saturday. A classic Cadillac with speakers provided the musical background. Many cigarette smokers. This lake made a great impact on me: it was small and had such a thick forest of evergreens surrounding it. There were a few basic looking cottages at its edge. Very scenic and relaxing to be at. The way back was just as beautiful, although we were a bit more tired.





Day 4 (biked 36 km round trip)
Nominingue to Lac Saguay - elevation at Nominingue is 250 metres and at kilometre 145

• Nice campground -- Au Boise du Village right in Nominingue—our spot was particularly private--across the road from the main part; has direct access to Le P’tit Train du Nord therefore popular with bikers who are tenting. Lovely showers; no English is spoken. 251 Rue Godard [phone] [e-mail]. Our second year we spent 5 nights here while taking a 3 day trip to visit our daughter in Montreal. They only charged us $5.00 a night to leave our trailer on site and plugged in.

• Tourist Bureau at Nominingue is in the former train station & had English-speaking attendant
• Trail was mostly hardwood forests; should be nice in fall
• Lots of stopping places
• Gentle climb but a very definite one on the way there; great to coast back when we were tired

In 2018 we were not camping so we stayed at Auberge chez Ignace, 1455 Chemin Bellerive Sur Le Lac, phone [phone]. [e-mail]. A few km north of Nominingue and at km 142 right beside the trail. Very nice surroundings, a great view of the lake, quiet and a fantastic breakfast!!



Day 5 (biked 65 km round trip)
Nominingue to Km 113 near Labelle - elevation at La Belle is 225 metres.

• Cloudy, rainy day
• Saw deer, rabbit, turtle
• Highway on one side of path and lake on other

• Passed through Anonciation where I fell; ran into Joe’s back tire; while on the ground, saw a car coming at me in an intersection who asked if I was all right; helped by QC “boy scouts” who wanted money for a camping trip they were on with some girls. Shook up, I got Joe to give them a loonie. Felt taken advantage.

• Met many bikers of all ages, rollerbladers and a couple biking from coast to coast
• Pathway, although paved, was rough in parts
• Beautiful rapids at Riviere Rouge





Day 6 (8 km round trip )
Labelle to km 113

• Started out cloudy but turned breezy, warm and sunny
• Lovely campground —Camping Chutes-aux-Iroquois— had a spot right on Red River. The waterfall or “chutes” lulled us to sleep. Campground office had free use of a computer. 36 Rue du Camping, Labelle, [phone] [e-mail]. Our second year we had an even better location by the river, where we could also swim.

• The bike trail is only about 200 metres away, up a very steep hill. The train station is at the top with a museum and services available. It is at this point that the trail goes from pavement to crushed stone.
• Got groceries at a lovely little market in Labelle
• Biked at 3 p.m. for a short distance
• Played Scrabble, relaxed
• Our spot is right on the Red River. Swimming is possible. The town is across the river.

• Looked at interesting pictures and railway artifacts at the train station at Labelle; learned of a local legend, Jack Rabbit Johannsen, xc skier . Was a bustling station with people eating at an outdoor restaurant, others taking off on the piste





Day 7 (48 km round trip)
Labelle to St. Jovite - elevation at St. Jovite is 195 metres. Labelle is at kilometre 107, St. Joviete is at kilometre 91

• Hot, humid day with puffy clouds
• Still at Les Chutes aux Iroquois—had to change sites—got off at around noon
• Saw scenic farmlands, rode along the shores of lakes, saw wealthy cottages at Mont Tremblant

• Mont Tremblant train station was busy; lots of bikes coming and going; Joe photographed a vehicle that transported bikes and people and let them out at Mt. Tremblant to carry on north on the trail. Inside the station, the artwork of three local artists was featured. An artist was actually working on her piece while attending to those who wanted to buy souvenirs.

• Lots of people on the trail today—big groups of people travelling together
• Saw a lone deer crossing the path at around 3:30 p.m.
• Felt like we were in Switzerland with the lush forest and mountains in the distance.
• Enjoyed an ice cream cone in Mt. Tremblant; didn’t venture into shops
• Went as far as St. Jovite station but not into the town





Day 8 (12 km round trip)
St. Jovite to St. Faustin-Lac Carre - elevation at St. Faustin is 320 metres

• Arrived at Camping de la Diable at Mt. Tremblant (St. Jovite)—very expensive--$37/night + $1 for a shower! Computer use is $2 for 15 minutes if you had your own machine. Canoes available for rent.
• Lovely site along the La Diable River. Somewhat cramped in relation to other campers. Swimming.
• Hot sunny, humid until mid-afternoon when it clouded over and lightly rained
• Did the steepest climb so far of the trip—for 5 Km it was a definite climb—from about 190-360 metres—was doable, especially with extra gears on the bike and lots of water

• Saw a number of others biking the trail as well, many of whom were older than we and handling it quite well
• Enjoyed the exercise of the up climb and the thrill of the down climb as well
• Drove through the touristy town of St. Jovite and noted all of the shops and people milling about—did a little shopping of our own at Dollarama and the local gas station ($1.38/L on this day!)
• Came back to the campsite and had a swim in the Diable River and a game of Scrabble on shore





Days 9 and 10 (no biking)

• Camped at Camping Laurentien at Val David just south of Sainte-Adele. Most of the day sites have no sewage hookup. Also, there is a $5.00 charge to dump sewage and there is no dump station, but must use a site that has a sewer hookup. Camping Laurentien Route 117, Val David [phone] www.campinglaurentien.com

• No biking. The first day was rainy, so we shopped for groceries and wine/beer; Joe got a haircut, and relaxed at the trailer. The second day we visited our daughter Lisa in Montreal.

Day 11 (59 km round trip)
Val David to St. Faustin-Lac Carre - elevation at Val David is 305 metres. Saint Faustin is at kilometre 70 and Val David is at kilometre 42

• Still at Camping Laurentien at Val David.
• Good spot with privacy on both sides, but showers @ 25 cents each were not great. Wouldn’t return to this one, although it was right off the 15 and not far from the trail.

• Mostly cloudy, partly sunny humid day
• A fair bit of climbing to St. Faustin, although it was more gradual than Day 8’s was.
• Lovely streams along the path as well as the Riviere du Nord
• The path went along the 117 hwy, although often we could not see it, only hear it

• Was a good work out for the hip muscles.
• Interesting museum at the train station at St. Agathe—showed some of the well-known national ski personalities that came from this area

• Picked blueberries, raspberries and wild cherries from alongside the path
• Lots of bikers between St. Agathe and Val David; even saw a few joggers, although they’ve been rare on this trip
• Passed the Summit of the trail at km 67—427m at that point (over 1200 feet!)





Day 12 (42 km round trip)
Val David to Piedmont - elevation at Piedmont is 175 metres

• Still camped at Camping Laurentien
• Moved to a new spot because needed to dump sewer and a site with sewer hookup became available.

• Cloudy in am and hot, humid and sunny in p.m. until about 4 p.m. when it rained. We had just arrived back at our campground.
• The route was all downhill to Piedmont
• Quite a challenge to bike back, but we made it with a number of stops either to rest or for Joe to take photos

• Lovely scenery, particularly at Lac Raymond at Val Morin. Our route also ran alongside the Riviere du Nord, which is fast flowing and contains rapids and waterfalls. We stopped off at a rock area that reminded us of Muskoka and either Strawberry Bay or Bala. Also went through rock cuts.

• Met three interesting people today along the route who approached us and could speak English, although they were French-Canadian—had great chats with them about the trail, how we found out about it

• The trail was the busiest yet with many biking groups and individual bikers as well. People who use the trail are pretty fit, but there is the occasional chubby couple managing the inclines as well. Children of all ages accompany parents, either on the back of tandem bikes, on their own, or in a wheeled car pulled by the parent’s bike. All were well behaved, and people rode in single file on the right and most greeted us with either a nod of the head or “allo/bonjour”.

• Ride from Piedmont to Val David was the second most difficult of the trip.
• Many places we could have swum—public beaches, or alongside Riviere du Nord
• Were a few restaurants along the path—at Val Morin and at St. Adele
•A number of rest stops along the way, although bathrooms were only located at the towns.
• Found out that the P’tit Train du Nord trail is maintained through taxes paid to the municipalities through which it goes



Day 13 (42 km round trip)
Saint Jerome to Piedmont - elevation at Saint Jerome is 110 metres. Piedmont is at kilometre 21 and Saint Jerome is at kilometre 0!

• Cloudy day, threatening to rain but did not do so until we were back at our campsite, showered at around 5 p.m.
• Arrived at 10 a.m. at La Fontaine, our campground for the night. Apparently, it was 3 hours too early and we got charged ½ day’s fee in addition to the regular cost (53$ in all for one night)

• After a bit of circling the blocks, we found the train station in St. Jerome and set off from km 0.
• The trip was similar to ones we have done for the last few days…lots of climbing both ways! Travelled at first through St. Jerome with a lot of road crossings…Cars sometimes stopped to let us cross and at others, they didn’t. Had to be careful.

• Followed the Riviere du Nord for a bit; then the trail went through forested areas. Nothing really special about this section compared to what we had seen previously further north.
• Saw a deer at 1 p.m. right on the trail.
• Celebrated our successful coverage of 400 km with a cup of coffee and muffin at a little bistro
café at km 0.

• Not too many people on the trail today…met most of them nearer St. Jerome.
• Had one lady come up to chat with me at Prevost. She was pleased to hear that we had come from afar and were enjoying the trail. “Welcome to Canada”, she said, although I had mentioned that we were from Ontario.



We had near perfect weather, with the exception of a few days with light showers. The scenery was typical Canadian Shield with the trail often beside a fast flowing river or alongside a lake. Wildflowers and berries were everywhere.

The biggest municipalities are at each end. In between are mostly villages with well-maintained train stations that now serve bikers, hikers etc on the trail. It was rare to find English speakers, but because we had an unusual trailer (HI_LO), many campers would come up and try to speak to us either in French or a few words of English. Regardless, everyone was very friendly and easily accepted our broken French and sign language.



If you are only going to do a part of the trail, we highly recommend starting in Mont Laurier (the end) and biking/hiking south. The trail tends to pass through more hardwood forests, open fields and lakes, is paved, has less traffic (human) and is generally flatter until you get to St. Jovite where there is a 5 km climb.



We both thought this was one of the top trips that we have been on and are already planning a return trip to Le P’tit Train du Nord.

(We did twice more including 2018)

More Photos below .....

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Photos

Le P'tit Train du Nord
Chutes aux Iroquois

Le P'tit train du nord
These are found in the northern half of the trail

St Jerome
Starting point

Mont Laurier
The end of 400 km round trip

Le P'tit train du nord
Horse farm between Labelle and Mont Tremblant

Le p'tit train du nord
Val Barrette parking

Le P'tit train du nord
Great scenery from bridge

Le P'tit train du nord
near Mont Laurier

Le P'tit train du Nord
One of the MANY stations

Le P'tit train du nord
near Mont Laurier

Le P'tit train du nord
Old caboose shelter in northern part of trail

Le P'tit train due nord
beaver house and dam

Le P'tit train du nord
tourist bureau on trail in Nominingue

Le P'tit train du nord
How many languages do you know? (In Labelle)

Comments

[Condo Tremblant]

www.rvmt.ca
The absolute best time to walk or bike the trails is during fall with all the beautiful colours