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Writer's pictureTasha Morham

Best Bike Paths in Montreal

Updated: Nov 23, 2020

Take advantage of November before the snow hits by trying out a new bike route! Here we've got a collection of bike paths found by our very own execs which you might not have considered before. Placed around the city, these paths could give you one last outdoor adventure before the season gets too harsh (Finals season, that is).



Nuns Island

nuns island park bike route forest

Take a tour of the cutest suburban island just off the shore of Montreal. The

route is only composed of bike paths from Atwater Market to the island. Then the bridge that crosses a small part of the St-Laurent river has a wonderfully wide bike path from which you get a fantastic view of downtown Montreal. On the island itself, you’ll find one continuous bike path that circles the entire place, passing solely through parks either alongside the inner roads or alongside the external st-laurent river. The park surrounding the island is a gorgeous forest with a few paths and intermittent joys such as play structures, benches, and even a small work out station found at the end of the island (Parc l’Orée-du-Fleuve).

bike route from downtown montreal to nuns island parks

Starting Point: Concordia Downtown campus

End Point: Maynard Ferguson park

Duration: 35min

Distance: 9.1km

Difficulty: Easy, medium amount of road crossings before the island. One steeper slope, a few medium slopes, otherwise more or less flat. One section is gravel (by the golf course).







Lachine Canal

lachine canal biking route bike

Any stretch of this canal is surrounded by parks with winding bike paths. Starting at Old port and ending on the other side of the island at René Lévesque park, it’s a beautiful chance to bike through the south side of the island. Stop anywhere along the way to sit in the grass. or you could grab a snack from Atwater market.

lachine canal bike route information

Starting Point: Old port

End Point: René Lévesque park

Duration: 45min (one way nonstop)

Distance: 15km

Difficulty: Easy. Very flat, minimal road crossings. Might run into some construction but there always seems to be a way around it. Mostly likely the solution will be to cross the canal at an earlier bridge.





Bois-de-Liesse Nature Park

bois de liesse nature park st-laurent river lookout bike route

If you live in this neck of the woods then the bike route within this park is definitely worth the trip. This park is oddly wonderfully contradicting because although it is cut down the middle by a major road (which runs on a bridge above), it remains secluded and full of wildlife. Last time I went myself, I had to stop because three wild turkeys had decided to stroll across the path. The park in general is filled with dirt paths, boardwalks, benches, and lookouts onto either the St Laurent river or the small river within (Ruisseau Bertrand).

If you find the whole route too arduous then no stress, the path also passes by Bois Saraguay Nature Park (though bikes aren’t allowed on the paths within), Bois Franc Park, Parc Noel, and a few others which might be worth exploring.

bike route information from metro cote vertu to bois-de-liesse nature park

Starting point: Côte-vertu metro station

Ending point: Bois-de-Liesse Nature Park

Duration: 25min

Distance: 7.4km

Difficulty: Hard. Although it’s flat it also crosses some bigger streets. Most of it is on neighbourhood streets with designated (though not separate) bike paths, though be careful while on Boul. Gouin which doesn’t have a separate section for bikes.




Notre Dame St.East

bike path park beside rue notre-dame est

You’d be surprised to find a sweet park with a bike path that runs alongside rue Notre Dame St. East. It includes a dog park, a play structure, and a workout station (both of the latter at Parc Morgan). With one end a 10min bike ride from Parc La Fontaine and the other a 10min ride from the Botanical Gardens, it’s a path that makes the most of nature in a very industrial section of the city. The beginning of this route takes you a small hill from which you can see a gorgeous view of the St Laurent river with La Ronde on the other side.

The connection between this route and the Botanical Gardens is entirely bike paths, whereas the connection parc la Fontaine takes you through a few quieter neighbourhood streets, as well as the bike path on rue DeMaisonneuve.

Starting point: Parc du pied-courant

Ending point: Parc Joesph-Octave-Villeneuve

Duration: 17min

Distance: 4.20km (nice)

Difficulty: Medium, relatively flat. Some major intersections to cross. From the route to Parc la Fontaine it’s a steep incline either on bike paths or small city streets. From the route to the Botanical gardens it’s a minor incline on bigger streets but all bike paths.


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