Outings from Spring to Fall
The En Piste website has maps...
Go to La-Roue Illustré for the best list of local trails!
- Montréal: Grand Tour ~60 km trail, Montréal and South Shore.
Map in PDF format (230 KB). Left-click to view online,
right-click to download. Requires Acrobat Reader, lets you zoom for detail.
We meet at the same place as Tuesday and Thursday nights: in the Old Port, on the corner of de la Commune and
Mill street just before the bridge.
From the Old Port we head west, following the trail over and under the blue
bridge. After crossing the locks we come to a T, and turn right to follow the Lachine Canal. (At the
end of the Grand Tour we approach this T from the other direction -- Île Notre-Dame.) This is all in the
first kilometre. The rest of the Grand Tour is an elongated W with a buckle across the top.
For the next 11 km we follow the Lachine Canal to the end, crossing from side to side
as the trail obliges. At René-Lévesque Park we leave the trail -- turning
left -- to skate briefly through a side-street and join the trail beside the St. Lawrence river. With the
river on our right, we reverse direction to skate for another ~11 km to Verdun. Not long after the
Verdun Auditorium (start and finish of the Défi de l'Île de Montréal),
the trail comes to a T at the side of a street, not far from the ramp for Autoroute 15.
We'll continue going straight, following the trail that leads alongside the Autoroute for the bridge-crossing
onto Île des Soeurs.
For those who aren't able (or don't have time) to do the complete Grand Tour, turn left at the
T instead of continuing straight towards Île des Soeurs. You'll be on Henri-Duhamel Blvd.
Follow the bike-path through 2 traffic lights. At the second, turn right (leaving the bike-path), and
follow the road under Autoroute 15 and to the end at St-Patrick St, which runs alongside the Lachine Canal.
Turn right onto St-Patrick, and after 50 meters or so you'll come to Charlevoix and Magnan's Tavern. Turn
left onto Charlevoix to cross the Lachine Canal, where you'll find the trail leading back (to the right)
to the Old Port. (Another short-cut would be to take the metro, e.g. at the corner of Wellington and
de l'Église, near the Auditorium.)
Once on Île des Soeurs, soon we come to a traffic light, where we turn left and follow the
trail to a shopping-centre. After a short break, we cross the street to find our way to the ice bridge, which parallels the
Champlain Bridge and is closed to traffic. This takes us across the St. Lawrence and onto the Estacade,
a narrow strip of land separating the river from the St. Lawrence Seaway. Turning right, we skate for
another ~10 km with the river on our right, the Seaway on our left. At the end of the Estacade we cross
the Seaway to the South Shore, where we turn left to follow the trail downriver again. In this segment, at any
trail-junction we go to the left, eventually passing under the Champlain Bridge to complete
the last limb of the W.
Looping over the top of the W, we cross the Seaway near the Victoria Bridge, using a footbridge
that requires a short climb up and down a ramp. This takes us onto Île Notre-Dame, where we skate
along part of the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in order to reach the Concorde Bridge. Thus we cross the
river for a second time and find our way back to where we began. Virtually all of the route is on
marked cycle-paths.
- Île des Soeurs: l'Estacade ~25 km return, starting on Île des Soeurs.
When you arrive on Île des Soeurs you are on Île des Soeurs Blvd. Turn left at the first Stop; you will
be going alongside the trail at your right. We meet in the parking lot of the Provigo. With your skates on,
continue along the trail, which at the first intersection (René-Lévèsque) continues to the left. This
takes you directly to the entry to the Estacade, which is a bridge that crosses the St Lawrence like a
little brother next to the Champlain Bridge.
At the other end of the bridge we pass through an opening in the fence and turn right onto the
10 km road occupying the narrow finger of land separating the river from the St Lawrence Seaway. At the
end you can pass through another fence to climb to the locks. This is where we turn around if we're
only doing 25 km, but you can also cross over the locks (along the right side, not where cars go) and
then continue left along the Rive Sud trail in Ste-Catherine. Soon afterwards there is a park with toilets and water.
- St-Lambert: Rive-Sud ~30 km return.
We meet in the parking-lot for the bike-path in St-Lambert, off Riverside near the corner of Notre-Dame.
For a photo series showing what you'll see along the way, click here.
There are several ways to get there quickly by car. From the Jacques-Cartier Bridge,
take Hwy 132 West and exit at Notre-Dame (1st exit). At Riverside (stoplights) turn left, and proceed
to the large parking-lot on your left (3rd entry from the corner). From the Champlain Bridge,
take Hwy 132 East and exit at Notre-Dame. Turn left at Riverside and proceed to the large parking-lot
on your left (3rd from the corner). From the Victoria Bridge, keep right at the exit and follow
the signs for Hwy 132 East. You'll end up on Riverside. Cross Notre-Dame (do not go towards 132) and
continue on Riverside till the large parking-lot on your left (3rd from the lights).
To get there in skates, starting from the Old Port you go via the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve,
following the bike-path to take the footbridge over the locks. Coming down off the footbridge, turn
left onto Riverside if you're going to the meeting-place. After the lights at Notre-Dame look for the large parking-lot on your left (3rd
entry after the lights). If you're not meeting other skaters at the parking-lot, turn right when you
come down off the footbridge, since that's where the trail goes.
To get there by metro (yellow line, Longueuil station): after leaving the metro station turn
right (west) onto St-Charles. After crossing Lafayette or Tiffin, St-Charles will become Riverside. You'll
see a bike-path in front of the Maisonneuve Cégep: follow it, and at the end of the park you'll see the
large parking-lot where we meet. Click here to see a map of the exit
from the metro station.
The bike-path leads us upriver in a south-westerly direction, more or less alongside the
St-Lawrence, through Brossard all the way to the locks at Ste-Catherine, where we turn around and come back.
- Granby: l'Estriade ~35 km trail, 50 minutes from Montréal.
Trail maps in PDF format (requires Acrobat Reader): Overview (582 kb -
good detail on both trails);
L'Estriade (539 kb); La Granbyenne (327 kb).
From Montréal, cross the Champlain Bridge to take Autoroute 10 towards Sherbrooke.
Go off at Exit 74 (Rte Pierre-Laporte -- not the exit for Rte 139!) and turn right to cross the
autoroute. Go to the end (8 km), and turn left. Soon you'll see a McDonald's approaching on the right --
turn into the first entry and park as far as possible from McDonald's, which is the end where we meet.
If you start from Sherbrooke, take exit 74 (Rte Pierre-Laporte), and turn left, then
continue as above. (It's 55 minutes from Sherbrooke.)
Facing the lake, we head right and follow the trail towards Waterloo. There's a water-fountain at
the shelter, and another outside the toilets near Waterloo. The toilets in the McDonald's are inadequate
and often dirty.
The original trail follows an abandoned railway from Granby to Waterloo. At Waterloo we come to a
small park with a caboose on one side, toilets on the other. A little later you can fork left to go
into Waterloo, where there's a convenience store etc. However, we continue straight to the end in order
to rest near the water. A return trip on this section amounts to ~42 km.
Back at Granby, again heading towards Waterloo, at about 1 km from the McDonald's the trail
presents a fork. Turning right takes you on the original trail towards Waterloo, while left (physically
straight ahead) puts you onto the new section, which was designed as a trail and is much more interesting.
The new section is in a series of loops, so you need a trick to explore it all properly. The trick
is to always turn left until you arrive back at the junction with the old trail, where you started.
You could also do the new section by always turning right, but then you would have to brake a few times,
whereas turning left you never have to brake. A complete tour through the new section, with a return to
the parking lot, represents about another 20 km.
If you take the trail to the other side of the McDonald's, it continues for several km before turning
to gravel. It's worth exploring once in your life, but there are too many stops for speedskating.
- Granby: Parc Yamaska ~35 km of trails, about 1:05 from Montréal.
For a special summer outing, meeting in the park gives us access to the beach along with the same
trails as when we start from Granby.
From Montréal, cross the Champlain Bridge to take Autoroute 10 towards Sherbrooke. Turn off at
Exit 78 (Bromont) and turn left to cross the highway (not towards Bromont). This puts you on
Chemin Saxby Sud, which you'll follow to the very end. When you come to a "T" with highway 112,
do a right-left stitch to continue on Chemin Saxby Nord, carrying on all the way to the end
and the entry to Parc Yamaska. (Just before the end you'll cross through Ranch Massawippi.)
You have to pay to get into the park.
We meet in the parking lot to go skate before returning for a swim and a picnic lunch.
- Canal de Soulanges (35 km of trail, 30 minutes from Montréal)
Map in PDF format (1,010 KB), very detailed, requires Acrobat Reader.
Leave Montreal heading west, either on Autoroute 20 or on Autoroute 40. (If you go by 40,
you'll leave it at Exit 41, following the signs for Autoroute 20 / Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue. Then you'll
join Autoroute 20 West.) Autoroute 20 leaves Montreal Island to go onto Île Perrot, then crosses
a longer bridge to Dorion. At Dorion you turn left onto Route 338, towards Pointe-des-Cascades. At
Pointe-des-Cascades you'll see the signs for the bike trail; turn left towards the village, then right
to cross the canal. At the stop you'll see the church to your right and a parking lot, but don't park
there on Sunday mornings; instead, go to the smaller parking lot to the right. This is where we meet.
The bike path along the canal is about 21 km. At the western end there's an 8 km section through
the woods, followed by an 11 km section at the side of Rte 338 between St-Zotique and
Rivière-Beaudette -- the last town before the Ontario border. At the end of trail we continue 100
meters further to the dépanneur, where we have a rest before heading back. The total return trip is 70 km.
You used to have to buy a season pass to use this trail, but now it's free.
Here's an interesting link about the Canal de Soulanges.
- Beauharnois (20~40 km of trail, 35 minutes from Montréal)
Road map
with trails clearly marked, 189 KB PDF file on the Beauharnois-Salaberry website (requires Acrobat Reader).
From Montreal, take the Mercier Bridge towards Chateauguay. Cross through Kanawake. Then
take Hwy 30/132 to get to Beauharnois. At the dam, go through the tunnel, and at the first street on
your left you'll find a parking lot. There's an Esso beside the trail. It takes about 30 minutes
from the Mercier Bridge to get there. There are several other parking lots along the canal.
Benoît St-Germain writes this description: "Actually there are two trails, one on each side of the
canal, but I've only skated on the north side. I imagine that the southern section is similar.
The northern section is 19 km long and very flat. The first part runs alongside a very quiet
country road. After 5 km, you rejoin the canal and follow it to the end of the paved trail.
The asphalt is beautiful except for a few sections where there are roots crossing beneath. This
forms little volcano-like bumps from 2 to 10 cm high. [So in these parts it's important not to
skate in a pack.] Apart from that one drawback, I have to say the countryside is splendid. It's
very peaceful and there are lovely sections in very good condition."
- Blainville (41 km of trail out and back, 30 minutes from Montréal)
From Montreal, take Autoroute 15 North. Leave the autoroute at Exit 25 (Blainville). This
puts you onto blvd de La Seigneurie (heading east). Continue straight. About 1 km after passing
route 117 (blvd Curé-Labelle) you'll see the Blainville train station on your left. Park here,
since this is where the trail begins.
- Le P'tit Train du Nord (93.5 km of trail, 2 hours from Montréal)
Map in PDF format (140 KB). Left-click to view
online, right-click to download. Requires Acrobat Reader, lets you zoom for detail. Alternately,
view this map in GIF format (77 KB).
From Montréal, take Autoroute 15 North. Continue to the end, where 15 becomes Highway 117 but is
still the Transcanadian. You're heading now towards Mont-Laurier, not towards Mont-Tremblant.
When you reach Labelle, turn right at the stoplights, cross the bridge over the Rivière Rouge,
and follow the signs for the train station, which you'll see within a few hundred meters. This is where
we park. The station offers picnic tables, toilets and a small bar with draft beer... Great motivation
for the return skate!
Inaugurated in 2003, this paved section of the P'tit Train du Nord is of exceptional quality,
particularly since it goes on for 93.5 km all the way to Mont-Laurier. The profile is typical of former
railways, with a long false-flat that gently climbs for about 50 km, followed by a descending false-flat
to Mont-Laurier.
Since kilometre zero of the P'tit Train du Nord is at St-Jérôme, Labelle is at km 106.5 and Mont-Laurier
at km 200. Between the two there are several small towns where you'll find toilets, water and so on.
These towns are: L'Annonciation at km 127; Marchand at km 134; Nominingue at km 145; Lac Saguay at km 163;
Beaux-Rivages at km 175; and Val-Barrette at km 187. To quote Charles Beaudoin : "It's an old railway,
so it runs through every little town and skirts the mountainsides. The view is breathtaking, splendid,
magnificent!"
For more information go to the Laurentides
website, and in the menu on the left, click on "Linear Park Le P'tit Train du Nord".
- Deux-Montagnes: Oka (bike path ~35 km, 20 minutes from Montréal)
From Montréal, head north on either Autoroute 15 or Autoroute 13. When you reach Autoroute 640,
turn onto it heading west (towards Deux-Montagnes). Take the Deux-Montagnes exit, keep to the right
and go under the autoroute, then move into the left lane. Turn left at the stoplight. Another ~100m and turn left into the
parking lot of the arena. Go to the back of the parking lot and park next the woods -- this is where we meet.
To get to the trail, skate to the right side of the parking lot, do a quick left-right, then continue
through the parking lots to the street-entry next to the station. The trail is beside the street. We
follow the trail to the right to head towards Oka, passing through Paul-Sauvé Park along the way.
We don't park near the station because in summer it's always full, whereas near the arena we can gather
in peace.
There are toilets in the arena and in the station.
Some notes about the trail:
- The trail crosses countless little streets and a couple of major roads. Though there are 4-way stops
at most of the intersections, there are at least 2 where you MUST stop because the cars won't. Be very
careful as you approach all intersections.
- Some sections of the trail do have a few bumps, holes, gravel etc. that could take you by surprise.
No problem if you're alone, but if you're skating in a group, pay extra attention.
- At about 30 minutes from the start we confront what we'll call "Oka Mountain", which isn't really
a mountain by any means, but does represent terrific training for Athens-to-Atlanta.
From both directions, the mountain offers you 2 climbs and 2 descents. The descents are not hair-raising,
but before you take them on -- if you've never skated down a significant hill -- you should prepare
yourself by practising on easier hills, like at Île Ste-Hélène.
- Coming back from Oka, just after the final descent from the mountain, the trail makes a sharp right
to go back into the fields. Do not try to make this turn! Unless you've braked all the way and started
your turn out on the road, it's dangerous if not impossible. (You have to pass between some posts as well
as looking out for other users of the trail.) Just let yourself roll out along the road, gradually slowing
down and paying attention to traffic. It's perfectly safe as long as you take your time. When there are
no cars behind you, make a U-turn and go back to the trail.
- Levis: Parcours des Anses (12.38 km trail by the St Lawrence.)
Map in PDF format (86 KB). Left-click to view online,
right-click to download. Requires Acrobat Reader, lets you zoom for detail.
From Montréal via highway 20: Take the Jacques-Cartier Bridge and
follow Hwy 20 (Autoroute Jean-Lesage) towards Québec. Do not exit at the Pierre-Laporte
bridge to cross to Québec. Instead, continue and exit at 4th Ave, then head for the river. See the map...
- Burlington, Vermont (~45 km trail and fine streets, 2 hours from Montreal.)
Click here to see the
current wait-times at US border crossings.
From Montréal: Cross the Champlain Bridge and take Hwy 10 towards Chambly. Get off
at exit 22 to follow Hwy 35 South, which becomes Hwy 133 (passing through Iberville). Follow 133 South
all the way to the border at Highgate Springs (Philipsburg). You must have identification (a passport
or driver's licence) to cross the border. You are now on I-89 in Vermont, about 58 km from Burlington.
Get off at exit 14W (into Burlington), merging left to take the center lane. You are now on Rte 2 /
Main St. In the next 2 km you'll cross many traffic lights, but stay on this street all the way to the
end. After crossing Battery St. (the last traffic lights) the road curves right. You are now in
Waterfront Park. After the Stop (you are now on Lake St) keep going straight. Finally the road
curves left across the railway tracks, and you'll see the Skatepark immediately to your right beyond
the dirt parking-lot. Parking is free, either in the Skatepark lot, in a small elevated lot further on,
or going between the two brick buildings to be in front of the lake. Do not however park in the
lot for boaters, which is to the left across from the Skatepark.
The first outing of the day, on the flat, goes out along the bike path heading north (to the right
when facing the lake). The second route leads to hills and begins along the path in the opposite direction.
From Sherbrooke: (~2h30) The best route has yet to be determined, but the most direct
is to take Hwy 10 all the way to Ange-Gardien (exit 55), and then follow 235 South down to Bedford
(29 km), going through Farnham. Then turn right onto 202 West to get to Pike River (6 km), where you
turn left onto 133 South, which goes the rest of the way to the border at Highgate Springs (12 km). The
remainder is as given above.
- Laval: Récréathèque (Winter) (Organized indoor inline sessions)
(Sessions are described on the Winter page.) The
Récréathèque de Laval is located at
900 Curé-Labelle Blvd in Laval (450-688-8880). Take Hwy 15 North out of Montreal, then exit at
Notre-Dame Blvd West. Cross the first major intersection (Chomedey), as well as the
second (Curé-Labelle = Hwy 117), turning right at the first street after Curé-Labelle, which is
Jarry. Parking and the main entrance to the Récréathèque are off Jarry Str.
Winter Outings
- Joliette: Rivière l'Assomption 8.3 km track on the river,
35 minutes from island of Montréal (50 minutes from Décarie).
Map in PDF format (308 KB). Left-click to view
online, right-click to download. Requires Acrobat Reader, lets you zoom for detail.
From Montréal, take Autoroute 40 East, turning off at Highway 31 North for Joliette. The highway
leads directly into the city. Shortly after the first Stop sign (200 meters), you'll
turn with the right lane onto rue St-Charles-Borromée North. Stay on this street; after 1.6 km
you'll see the red-and-white signs for Chez Henri, the restaurant where we meet. (Everyone in Joliette knows
this place, so if you get lost just ask the way to Chez Henri.) At the entrance on the far side there are
benches for skaters to change, as well as toilets. To get to the ice, take the stairway at the back of
the parking lot.
For more information on river activities at Joliette, check out their website.
To find out current ice conditions, call 1-800-363-1775. Click here for a map of the city.
To rent skates, once you are on St-Charles-Borromée look for rue Baby, and turn right. After a few
hundred meters you'll come to a shopping mall on your right with a Maxi and a SportsExperts store that rents skates for
$8 a day.
- Joliette: Lac des Français Long ice track on the lake, 1 hour from Montréal.
From Montréal, take Autoroute 40 East, turning off at Highway 31 North for Joliette. The highway
leads directly into the city. Shortly after the first Stop sign (200 meters), you'll
turn with the right lane onto rue St-Charles-Borromée North. Instead of stopping at
Chez Henri, keep going straight. St-Charles-Borromée Nord will become chemin Visitation,
while also being Route #343. It won't take you more than 25 minutes from Joliette to reach
Lac des Français.
After leaving Joliette, you'll cross the village of St-Charles Borromée followed by
St-Ambroise de Kildare and then St-Marcelline de Kildare. Approximately 3 km further you'll see
lac des Français on your right. Keep going till you see (again on the right) a sign announcing the
municipal beach. That's where to park to go skating.
Note that neither toilets nor warming cabin are to be found near the lake. There is however a
restaurant down the road where you first started to see the lake.
- Québec: Lac Beauport 2.5 km track on the lake, 2h15 from Montréal.
Map of the track (421 KB) in PDF format (requires Acrobat Reader).
From Montréal, take Autoroute 40 East to get to Québec. In the outskirts of Québec,
Autoroute 40 temporarily joins Autoroute 73, and you follow them north/east (not towards the Pierre-Laporte
bridge). Soon you'll turn onto a ramp to continue following 73/40, heading east. A few kilometers
further, turn off to follow Autoroute 73 North. Then take exit 157 towards Lac-Beauport. Follow the road
to Lac-Beauport -- at first it's 4 lanes, then 2 -- watching for the Manoir du Lac on your left. You
can park just across from it, on the right. The Manoir welcomes skaters in the "basement". However,
for races, or if you arrive after 11 am, you can continue along the road until the next parking lot (to
the right). Park and cross the road, where the Nautical Club welcomes skaters in winter.
From Sherbrooke, take Autoroute 55 towards Drummondville, then continue towards Québec along
Autoroute 20. Turn off onto Autoroute 73 North to cross the Pierre-Laporte Bridge, and continue as above.
(It's 2h30 from Sherbrooke.)
- Ste-Marguerite: Lac Masson 8.5 km track on the lake, 1 hour (?) from Montréal
Road map (283 KB), and
map of the track (578 KB), both in PDF format.
From Montréal, take Autoroute 15 North. Turn off at Exit 69 (Ste Marguerite du lac Masson,
Estérel), and continue towards Ste Marguerite du lac Masson. You are on Rte 370 East. Drive
carefully because this is a very winding road. After 12 km you'll see Lac Masson. When you reach the
end (a T), turn right and park nearby in the municipal parking lot. The oval and the track are on the
other side of the road. There's a shelter down on the ice where you can change, and toilets up at
street level. At the far end of the track there are also toilets (at Estérel).
Here's what they say on the Ste-Marguerite-Estérel website:
"The ice at Lac Masson awaits you with skating on 8.5 km of lighted tracks with benches for relaxing.
Music on Saturdays and Sundays. The Capitainerie is open with dressing-room and skate rentals."
For more information contact
Benoît Beauchamp
Recreation coordinator, (450) 228-2545.
- Granby: Lac Boivin Illuminated 800 km oval, 50 minutes from Montréal.
From Montréal, cross the Champlain Bridge to take Autoroute 10, heading towards Sherbrooke.
Turn off at Exit 74 (Rte Pierre-Laporte -- not the exit for Rte 139) and turn right to cross over
the highway. Go to the end (8 km), and turn left. Pass by the McDonald's on the right, and turn right
at the first stoplight. On the other side of the river, turn right again, and continue a little further
till you reach the Centre de Nature Boivin (in Daniel-Johnson Park). There is a large chalet for the use
of skaters, and you can rent skates and other equipment. In the middle of the oval there is a large area
for those who wish to play hockey, complete with nets. The park has something for everyone.
- Laval: Centre de Nature 400 m oval.
From Montréal, take Pie-IX North, and cross the bridge to Laval. Get off at the exit
for boul. Concorde West. After going under the highway, keep to the right, and turn right at
the stoplights. Park. The skating oval is in an abandoned quarry.
- St-Jean: Canal de Chambly 1500 m track.
From Montréal, cross the Champlain Bridge to follow Autoroute 10. Exit at Route 35, towards
St-Jean-sur-Richelieu. Turn off at boul. du Séminaire, and follow it to the McDonald's, also
there's a Relais nearby. Park at the corner, and we meet in McDonald's. (To be revised...)
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