Acadian Coast Bicycle Tour

The Acadian Coast Bicycle Tour will be an exploration of the Gulf of St. Lawrence across the province of New Brunswick, Canada. Our tour will begin near the bottom of the province near Nova Scotia. From there, we will tour almost the full coastline northward to Quebec. Upon reaching the top of New Brunswick we then take transportation back to our starting point, no doubt sharing on the way wealth of stories from our tour.
This tour is for moderate-level to experienced cyclists. Over most of the tour there are only a few hilly sections. There will be a few good sized days of riding, however, so this should not be a first tour and one for those who enjoy time in the saddle. As for all our events, it is a worry-free tour with the help of our support vehicles.

Tour Outline

Day 1 – Moncton to Bouctouche
Day 2 – Bouctouche to Kouchibouguac National Park
Day 3 – Kouchibouguac National Park to Miramichi
Day 4 – Miramichi to Tracadie
Day 5 – Tracadie to Shippagan
Day 6 – Shippagan to Caraque
Day 7 – Caraquet – Pointe-Verte
Day 8 – Pointe-Verte to Campbellton
Day 9 – Return Transportation to Moncton

Moncton – Bouctouche 74 km (46 mi.) – Our tour begins at the city of Moncton and heads for the Acadian Coast. One of the few remaining great sand dunes on the north-eastern coastline of North America is located close to the town of Bouctouche. The sand dune stretches 12 km across Bouctouche Bay, a result of the constant action of wind, tides and sea currents since the last ice age. A rich variety of marine and aquatic plants and animals, especially shorebirds and other migratory birds, make the dune their habitat. Visitors can use the 2 km of boardwalk to explore the dune and its protected salt marsh.

Bouctouche – Kouchibouguac National Park 67 km (40 mi.) – Kouchibouguac means “river of the long tides” in the native Mi’kmaq language. Kouchibouguac National Park includes barrier islands, sand dunes, lagoons, salt marshes and forests. It provides habitat for seabirds, including the endangered Piping Plover, and the second largest tern colony in North America. Colonies of harbour seals and grey seals also inhabit the park’s 25 kilometres of sand dunes. There is a boardwalk trail, eight hiking trails, a network of bicycle trails.

Kouchibouguac National Park – Miramichi 105 or 66 km (big short-cut available) – After the day following a lowly-populated region we will stay not far from town. The Miramichi is one of the world’s greatest Atlantic Salmon rivers. While down from historical highs, the river continues to be the largest producer of Atlantic Salmon in North America.

Miramichi – Tracadie 85 km (53 mi.) – We start riding into what is known as the Acadian Peninsula. Today’s terrain will be reasonably flat. We camp on the Baie des Chaleurs.

Tracadie – Shippagan 108, 60 or 162 km (67, 37 or 100 mi.) – Today we will have three options. We can ride as far as Shippagan, home of New Brunswick’s largest fishing fleet. There will b ethe option of exploring Ile Miscou. On it we cross the at times barren landscape and ride to its far end, to the island’s lighthouse. From this point we are surrounded by the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Participants have the option of being driven back to Shippagan or riding, which would make for a long day.

Shippagan – Caraquet 68 or 44 km (43 or 27 mi.) – We take in the northern side of the Acadian Peninsula, to the town of Caraquet. The day will include visits to various small villages and also an optional trip to a popular beach. Today is short to go easy for our tour’s longest day.

Caraquet – Pointe-Verte 112 or 122 km (70 or 76 mi.) – Turning northwest, we will face the tour’s longest day distance-wise. We will pass a number of small villages along the Baie des Chaleurs and camp along the shore.

Pointe-Verte – Campbellton 89 km (55 mi.) – Our last day. There will be a few hills today, hopefully we will be in shape by now. Participants can ride about town or perhaps cross the bridge into Quebec.

Return Transportation to Moncton