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The Best Biking Routes
Nova Scotia's South Shore: Not in a hurry to get anywhere? Peddling peninsulas and coasting along placid inlets is a great tonic for the weary soul. You'll pass through graceful villages such as Shelburne, Lunenburg, and Chester and rediscover a quiet way of life en route.
Prince Edward Island: This island province sometimes seems like it was created specifically for bike touring. The villages here are reasonably spaced apart, hills are virtually nonexistent, the coastal roads are picturesque in the extreme, and a new island-wide bike path offers detours through marshes and quiet woodlands.
Montreal's Lachine Canal (Montreal): Montreal boasts an expanding network of more than 350km (217 miles) of cycling paths and year-round bike lanes on city streets. The Lachine Canal was inaugurated in 1824 so ships could bypass the Lachine Rapids on the way to the Great Lakes, and the canal now has a nearly flat 11km (6.8-mile) bicycle path on either side of it that travels peacefully alongside locks and over small bridges. You can rent bikes in the Old Port.
Quebec province's Route verte (Green Route): In summer 2007, the province officially inaugurated the Route verte, a 4,000km (2,485-mile) bike-path network that stretches from one end of Quebec to the other and links up all regions and cities. The idea is modeled on the Rails-to-Trails program in the U.S. and cycling routes in Denmark and Great Britain. Inns along the route are especially focused on serving bikers, with covered and locked storage for overnight stays and carb-heavy meals.
Niagara Region (Ontario): The flatlands here make for terrific biking terrain. A bike path runs along the Niagara Parkway, which follows the Niagara River. You'll bike past fruit farms, vineyards, and gardens with picnicking spots.
Highways 1 and 93 through Banff and Jasper National Parks (Alberta): Also called the Icefields Parkway, this well-maintained wide highway winds through some of the world's most dramatic mountain scenery. Take the Bow Valley Parkway, between Banff and Lake Louise, and Parkway 93A between Athabasca Falls and Jasper for slightly quieter peddling. Best of all, there are seven hostels (either rustic or fancy) at some of the most beautiful sights along the route, so you don't have to weigh yourself down with camping gear.
Stanley Park Seawall (Vancouver, British Columbia): Vancouver's Seawall surrounds the Stanley Park shoreline on the Burrard Inlet and English Bay. Built just above the high-tide mark, it offers nonstop breathtaking views, no hills, and no cars.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without
notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before
planning your trip.
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