Quebec’s New Mountain Bike Trails in 2025
Quebec’s mountain bike infrastructure has exploded over the last decade. With every region now harbouring multiple MTB hotspots, it now rivals and even surpasses many renowned provinces and states out West. This summer, that vigorous growth continues, with many of the top mountain bike areas set to add major new trails. Whether you love scenic cross-country loops, fast flow trails, or hair-raising descents, several are sure to jump into your list of favourites. A broad survey of the most popular riding areas reveals that more than 20 new or significantly reworked trails will be ready to ride in 2025. The passion, sweat, and creativity poured into all that development attests to the astounding vitality of the province’s mountain bike culture. Here’s an overview of this summer’s new trails.
Laurentians
Sainte-Adèle
Plein Air Sainte-Adèle (PASA) manages and maintains a vast trail system in the lovely mountains and lakes surrounding the town. Thanks to their efforts, the area offers a vast network of more than 80 kilometres of singletrack for all levels and some of the best riding in the Laurentians.
This year, the organization is building a trail to honour Mélanie Guérin and François Allaire, two residents who were tragically killed in a road accident in 2023. In a fitting tribute to the two dynamic, creative, community-minded individuals, the community has come together to develop Mel et Frank (1.3 km, blue and black) in the Parc du Mont Loup-Garou. The trail, which wends its way through a spacious maple grove dappled with large boulders, has different segments that split off and then come back together to reflect the type of riding each of its namesake’s enjoyed. The Frank section will be tough and techy, and the Mel sections, fast and flowy. The trail will open with an inaugural group ride in memory of the two cyclists on July 12.
Anyone interested in getting involved can donate or volunteer. A 24-hour trail-building event is planned for June 28. A short film documenting the trail’s creation is also in the works. Fundraising is ongoing, with $65,000 already raised toward the $80,000 goal. Donations will help cover materials, tools, logistics, and long-term trail stewardship to honour the memory of Mélanie and François.
Mont-Tremblant
The town of Mont-Tremblant’s impressive 50-kilometre trail system winds around the base of the ski mountain, along the Rivière du Diable and Rivière Cachée, and through the forests in the surrounding hills. The area appeals to a wide range of riding styles and levels, with ample offerings for family outings.
This year, Cachée, which descends a small mountain to the eponymous river, will be completely redesigned to become the brand-new Tiguidou (650 m, 90 m vertical drop, blue/black) trail. This addition will be a progressive jump line featuring tabletops, step downs, rollers, drops, berms, and S-turns. Riders will be able to choose intermediate and expert lines. The trail ends at Villageoise, the town’s multi-use path, whose riverside rest areas will be great spots for some scenic relaxation and snacks between laps. The trail is expected to open on June 30.
Quebec City Area
Mont-Sainte-Anne
A host of UCI World Cup events since 1991, Mont-Sainte-Anne is a world-class mountain biking destination with a 155-kilometre system. Downhill trails descend the ski slopes, and a skein of cross-country loops sprawl over the wild, mountainous terrain to the northeast.
Mont-Sainte-Anne will be busy this season: several new trails and a host of upgrades planned to existing ones are in the works. Downhill and enduro riders will be treated to two new trails. A currently unnamed, brand-new jump line, developed in collaboration with Vincent Dubé, is set to open later in the season. This trail, which should become one of the resort’s highlights, will begin at the end of Barbelé. Another new trail called Poutchow (607 m, 175 m vertical drop, double black) will be a steep, technical alternative to the upper section of La Chômeuse with multiple ways to connect into the rest of the network.
Cross-country cyclists will be able to ride an entirely reworked version of the rollicking Demi-Lune, which drops 45 meters through mixed hardwoods down to the Sainte-Anne River. Additional improvements include more trail interconnectivity at the ski area summit, a new link between Baptême and Grisante, rerouted sections on Belzemire and Spirale, and berm upgrades on Carin.
Empire 47
Empire 47 has a dense trail system in the mountains north of the village of Lac Delage. The trails run the gamut: tough, old-school XC double- and singletrack, steep technical descents, a fun pump track, and a massive jump line with huge tabletop features.
This summer, the area is set to make three major additions to its superb 73-kilometre system. Two will be advanced downhills. ProHi-B (2.1 km and 200 vertical drop) will be a black diamond enduro trail with a blend of technical and flow features. Sépultura (1.3 km and 130 m vertical drop) will be an expert freeride trail with impressive rock and wood structures. Wi-Fi, a cross-country descent, is being completely rerouted. Once completed, Wi-Fi 2.0 will drop off Sommet 1. Although not a new trail, the popular Shaman will be reworked to repair erosion issues while preserving the original line.
Sentiers du Moulin
Just 20 minutes from Quebec City, Sentiers du Moulin in Lac Beauport offers up some of the most thrilling riding in eastern North America. Spread over two rugged mountains, the 75-kilometre system abounds in huge built and natural features—massive slabs, yawning gap jumps, tight rock gardens, skinny bridges, and fast berms.
In mid to late June, SDM will unveil Saga (4.5 km, 232 vertical drop, black diamond), their most ambitious trail yet. A truly epic 4,000-hour undertaking (with half coming from dedicated volunteers) in the Maelstrom sector, it promises to be as gritty and magical as the old Icelandic tales that inspired its name. For this descent, you’ll need to channel your inner Viking as you rip down a mountainside with exposed ridges, steep slabs, stone drops, a natural tunnel, and lush carpets of moss. The collective masterpiece is set to become nothing less than the network’s signature trail.
Eastern Townships
Plein Air Sutton
Plein Air Sutton offers a 47-kilometre trail systems that spans the century-old forest on western side of the ski area and adjacent mountainside. The network includes single- and doubletrack cross-country trails (15 km), enduro trails (31 km) accessible by four different climbs, and a beginner jump line (900 m). Expect long climbs and descents with plenty of vert. Trail passes are available for those who only want to pedal up the mountain or with one, two, or four rides up the chairlifts. So riders experience the best of both worlds, lift-assisted trips up the mountain are limited to preserve trail quality and tranquility on the mountaintop.
The nonprofit organization will add two currently unnamed new trails this season. One (1 km, 100 vertical drop) will be the logical continuation of Aweille en l’air, the beginner jump line. This new progressive jump line will descend through the forest, incorporating natural and built features. Learners will hone their skills on rollers, A-frames, rollable drops, tabletops, steep pitches, double jumps, among other features. The trail is expected to open toward the end of September.
The second new trail (1.5 km? 180 m vertical drop, black?) is designed to be the area’s crown jewel. Riders will be blown away by the spectacular terrain; the natural layout with huge rock slabs and breathtaking vistas seems tailor-made for mountain biking. The trail will be a hybrid that strikes a balance between machine-and hand-built sections and features. It will be technical and rugged rather than flowy. The opening is tentatively set for the end of August.
Circuits Frontières
Circuits Frontières manages more than 50 kilometres of singletrack in a remote stretch of the Appalachians bordering Vermont and New Hampshire. The cross-country-style network winds through the protected lands of the Hereford Forest conservation area. Riders enjoy a true backcountry experience with long trails, big views, solitude, and the chance to spot wildlife. This destination lets you head off on epic loops with big climbs and long descents. That said, those with a penchant for enduro riding can hit the rowdy downhills Maîtrise and Doctorat, which descend from Mont Hereford’s 875-metre peak.
This year, Circuits Frontières will finish revamping L’Héritage, a two-way trail that travels a rolling 3.5 kilometres through the pass between Mont Green Goblet and Mont Green Goblet Sud to the Chemin Corvette forest road. Last year, they replaced all the bridges. This summer, they will reroute the trail to bypass a wetland with a 700-metre segment on drier terrain. The new section runs through a large maple grove and a patch of evergreens and includes a bridge over a wide creek. The new version of L’Héritage will open in mid to late June.
Chaudière-Appalaches
Lévis
Lévis boasts Quebec’s foremost urban trail system. Sentiers Vélos Lévis, a volunteer-run nonprofit organization, has developed five interconnected riding areas in different parts of the city, each with its own flavour. Trails are easily accessible from residential areas, giving many locals the chance to ride without driving; some lucky souls even commute by mountain bike.
The trail system has rapidly proliferated in recent years. By late June, five trails will grace a new hub on the north side of the Étchemin River. This area adds a hilly, rocky topography to Lévis’s otherwise flat or rolling (though in many places rugged) trail repertoire. All the new trails are narrow and winding and hew to a natural, minimalist aesthetic.
Ail ya y’ail (800 m, black) refers to the wild garlic found on the lush hillside (ail du bois in French) and is a pun on the great pains the builders took not to damage the ground cover (ayoye being an exclamation expressing suffering). With its technical rocks, wooden bridges, and breathtaking river views, it’s poised to become Lévis’s signature trail and among the most beautiful in Quebec. Pierre tombale (450 m, black) winds through tombstone-shaped rock formations, and L’Aventurière (1.1 km, blue) packs a series of thigh-burning ups and downs. Guébin (540 m, black diamond) features slabs and rock gardens, and L’Électrisante (710 m, green), named for the power lines that run above it, connects the new area with the Pintendre sector.
Vélo de Montagne MSG
Just an hour south of Quebec City’s bridges, Vélo de Montagne MSG is a hidden MTB gem that spans a wooded hillside overlooking downtown Saint-Georges and the Famine River. The 22-kilometre trail system features flowy, enduro-style runs on and around the ski slopes of Centre de ski Saint-George. Old-school cross-country trails wind through the thick woods to the east. The area is loaded with fun, whimsical features.
Over the past three years, the nonprofit has put a million dollars into expanding the network. Last year alone, they added five kilometres to their system with the additions of La Rousse 2.0, La Vertigineuse, La Famine, and La Bermuda. This summer, they will add a new bike park sector and thoroughly refurbish Flamingo, one of their oldest trails.
Parc du Massif du Sud
This regional park protects a broad swath of the Appalachians northeast of the Massif du Sud ski area. It’s a rugged landscape of high peaks and ancient forests. The XC-style mountain bike trail system has some of the province’s punchiest climbs and long, euphoric downhills through deep woods.
The park has been continually adding to the network, thanks in large part to the volunteer group Les Frocs d’Étoffe. With the addition of La Montée du Golgot (1.1 km, blue) this summer and Les Grandes Manœuvres (0.7 km, black) in 2024, the park’s singletrack network now totals 25 kilometres. The former is a gradual uphill leading to technical trails at higher elevations. The latter is a spicy descent (advanced but rideable for intermediate cyclists who keep their speed under control) that opens loop options with La Rebelle and La Médiévale. Two more as-of-yet unnamed downhills are also in development. One will be a flow trail paralleling L’érablière (2 km). The other will be a fast beginner line with sweeping turns (1.3 km).
