Mountain biking is the activity or sport of riding a bicycle off-road, usually over rough terrain on a bike specifically designed for that purpose. There are various styles of mountain biking; here we will concentrate on three: cross-country, enduro and downhill, as defined by Vélo Québec (in French only).
Cross-country mountain biking involves cycling on narrow unpaved trails with many curves and lots of grade changes.
Enduro is a cross between cross-country and downhill mountain biking that primarily focuses on going downhill; however, mechanized lifts are not used to travel uphill (bikers must make their way up under their own steam).
Downhill mountain biking is an extreme sport primarily done at lift-serviced bike parks on terrain that features jumps, drops, rock gardens or other obstacles. This type of mountain biking requires advanced technical skills. Freeriding is a type of downhill mountain biking.
Gaspésie currently offers cross-country and enduro sites (which are not lift-serviced).
A vast region of forests and mountains, Gaspésie offers many roads and hills to explore: the backcountry is full of trails that may be just as exciting to discover as developed sites in terms of slopes, curves and obstacles. However, in the interest of safety, we have listed only the official sites that are organized, mapped and for which access complies with current regulations. We invite you to be cautious while mountain biking and to consult the section about responsible mountain biking below. In addition, several new projects are in the works in Gaspésie, so stay tuned for more details!
For recommended sites that offer dirt or gravel bike paths, see our blog post about bikeways in our region. These locations are perfect for a family outing or to prolong the fun of riding through the magnificent sea and mountain scenery of Gaspésie!
