Family Biking in Quebec’s Eastern Townships

Known as the Cantons l’Est, or Eastern Townships, the region of Quebec between the Saint Lawrence River and the Canadian/U.S. border is a bucolic landscape of lush farmlands, gently rolling hills, pristine lakes and small towns.

When the American Revolution heated up, people loyal to the King of England headed north and settled just over the border, establishing many of the small towns that now dot the countryside. But the French were also there, resulting in a charming mix of Anglo and French culture and cuisine.

The landscape and rural character make the Eastern Townships a natural vacation getaway destination for cyclists of all levels. With a terrain that varies from gently rolling to small mountain roads, there is a choice of challenge or easy riding on planned routes that include dedicated trails and narrow country lanes.

The primary trail system is la Route Verte (the Green Route), a bike trail network that links all the way to Montreal and is part of the Trans Canada Trail. The Green Route covers the entire province of Quebec and has more than 2,400 miles of trails. Within the Eastern Townships this amounts to hundreds of miles mainly over former railroad lands. The Route Verte enters the townships near Farnham in the west and runs over a 15-mile section to Granby. Enjoy the lake there with a nice bike trail and park around it, and don’t miss the outstanding Granby Zoo, with its natural habitats and rare animals like snow leopards. The St Christophe Hotel in Granby has direct access to the trail and rooms that can accommodate families.

Granby Zoo. Photo: Stillman Rogers

From Granby the L’Estriade is a 12.6-mile ride to Waterloo, all on paved surface. The next leg runs over a dedicated trail system, either paved or well-maintained stone dust, and unpaved sections through Orford National Park and on to the town of Magog. It sits at the head of Lake Memphremagog, a 29-mile-long lake shared with the state of Vermont; for a break from cycling, explore the lake on a cruise with Escapades Memphremagog — the kids will love hearing tales of the lake’s resident sea monster.

The trail in this area is known as la Montagnarde, and you might want to consider riding it in either direction while using Orford and Orford National Park as a base. There is camping in the national park, as well as swimming, boating and hiking, and a range of lodging choices from the luxury resort of Estrimont Suites and Spa to the comfortable and well-located Auberge 4 Saisons Hotel, which even has a small store where you can pick up supplies.

From Magog, a 21-mile segment called Axe de La Magog rounds Lake Magog and crosses the Magog River connecting to the Axe du Sommet (9.6 miles) and the top of Lake Massawippi at North Hatley. Any one or a combination of these trail segments makes a good family vacation, with stops at farm stands, parks, nature trails and attractions you discover along the way.