The Aerobic Corridor: Escape to the Woods
Montreal, Quebec · Nov 17, 2023
A rail trail in the Laurentian system that feels like the intimate little cousin to the P'tit Train du Nord, quieter and more tucked into the woods. It is largely unpaved, with the same easy rail-trail grade that lets you ride a long way without climbing through the mountains. Laid-back villages, quaint cafes, and beautiful scenery make it one of Trevor's favourite ways to escape the city for a day.
The Aerobic Corridor is the route to ride when you just need to disappear into the woods for a day. It is another rail trail in the Laurentian system, but where the P'tit Train du Nord is the headline act, this one is the quieter, more intimate cousin, with less traffic and more access to small villages. The vast majority of the riding is unpaved, so it has a more genuine gravel feel underfoot, and its laid-back atmosphere and beautiful scenery make it one of Trevor's favourites.
Reaching it follows the familiar pattern. Take the EXO train from downtown Montreal to Gare Saint-Jerome on weekdays, or ride the STM metro to De la Concorde and connect from there. From Saint-Jerome you link a stretch of the P'tit Train du Nord and some relaxed rural roads before reaching the corridor itself, so part of the day is spent earning your way out to it.
The corridor is the smaller share of the day, with the approach along the rail trail and quiet lanes making up the rest, but the riding holds the same easy character throughout. This route is one of Trevor Browne's picks from his Montreal gravel guide.
The riding keeps the easy rail-trail grade, never steeper than about four percent, so you can string together a long distance without ever feeling like you have climbed through the mountains. Most villages along the way have a cafe or a grocery store for topping up on snacks and drinks, and there are punchier mountain bike trails near Morin-Heights if you want to add a knobby-tire detour at the start.
This is a warm-season ride best enjoyed from late spring through the fall, and tires around 40mm with a little tread handle the crushed-stone surface comfortably. Overnighting is possible but takes some planning, since campsites are thin and you may need to track down a bed and breakfast. There is also an optional loop around the Red River region, known for world-class gravel and home to the Big Red Gravel Run, and the standout for Trevor is pausing on the old train bridge over the river just to listen to the water flow.
