If you haven’t heard the rumors, Québec’s mountain biking scene has kind of been blowing up. As a Vermonter (although I don’t really live in Vermont), I feel a bit embarrassed that I haven’t made my way across the border to check out any of the trail networks that I’ve heard so much about.
But that changed this past weekend. My dad and I headed up to Vallée Bras-du-Nord Secteur Shannahan outside of Québec City to see if the trails live up to the hype.
They sure did!
We had an awesome time exploring the Shannahan network from the easy, flowy trails on the south end to the technically challenging and stunning Nielson Loops in the north and everything in between.
This place – and I’m guessing Québec as a whole – has really embraced mountain biking and it shows. With excellent trail building, decent trail maintenance, lots of amenities, and a really cool vibe, Vallée Bras-du-Nord Accueil Shannahan is definitely worth a visit.
Keep reading to learn which trails to ride, route recommendations, camping info, and more!
Where is Vallée Bras-du-Nord, Shannahan?
Vallée Bras-du-Nord Secteur Shannahan is located about 1 hr 30 mins west of Québec City and 30 mins north of the town of St-Raymond.
The roads to Shannahan are rural and remote with intermittent cell service. Have your route downloaded before you set off.
The road into Vallée Bras-du-Nord Secteur Shannahan is dirt/gravel but well-maintained.
What about Vallée Bras-du-Nord Secteur St. Raymond? VBN has two different sectors: Shannahan and St. Raymond, which is located just outside of the town of St. Raymond, 30 minutes south of Shannahan.
I haven’t ridden Vallée Bras-du-Nord Secteur St. Raymond, so I can’t speak to how the trails compare. From what I can gather, it looks like these trails are shorter and meant to be lapped with maybe more bike park-like features.
Important things to know
Every mountain bike destination is different, so here are a few things to know before you head out to Vallée Bras-du-Nord:
Safety at Vallée Bras-du-Nord Shannahan
There are several safety measures in place at VBN. The trails are patrolled by bike patrollers and there is a dedicated Medical Hut next to registration. The patrollers have ATVs to extract bikers if needed. However, keep in mind that there is no cell service in the area, so help may be delayed.
Best Trails to Ride
I rode pretty much every trail at Vallée Bras-du-Nord Secteur Shannahan and I thought most of them were pretty awesome.
Here’s a little breakdown of the trails. For route recommendations, head to the next sections.
The southern ‘blue’ trails (Sucre d’Orge, Tire d’érable, and Buerre d’érable) are flow trails with not much tech. They’re great for newer riders or families, but I’d skip them if you only have a day or two at Shannahan and want to hit the techier stuff.
Coulée Douce & Barbe á Gendron. If you need a ‘warm-up’ I recommend doing these two trails over the other blue network. Coulée Douce is really beautiful and Barbe á Gendron has a fun, mellow downhill that ends at a little skills park.
Godzilla and Octopus are the ‘new school’ trails at VBN. Godzilla is a black-rated jump line with big features. Octopus is a blue-rated machine-built flow trail that I thought was pretty fun and worth doing once. The climbing trail up Nielson Est is long, but very well-switchbacked to make for an easier ascent.
The Nielson trails were my favorite trails. They’re definitely old-school technical and have some hike-a-bike sections, but the routing is amazing and there are some really cool features – natural and manmade. The sections that parallel the river are epic!
Légende & La Boréale were both awesome as well and definitely solid blacks with some technical parts. The climb up L’Aurore is steep, but well-routed and worth the two descents. Probably the coolest part of all of VBN is the waterfall section at the end of Légende!
Grand Ourse was the only trail I didn’t get to ride. It’s blue-rated, so it’s probably a good option for beginner/intermediate riders who aren’t ready to tackle the bigger Nielson loops.
Three Route Recommendations
The cool thing about VBN Shannahan is that there is something for everyone – truly. Want easy, fast flow? Hit the lower blue trails. Like rowdy old-school tech? The Nielson Trails and Légende & La Boréale are for you. Prefer new-school fun? Spend your time on Godzilla and Octopus.
Whatever tickles your fancy, there’s something for you.
I like a little bit of everything, so here are two routes I recommend doing:
La Terrasse
This route hits most of the flowy blue trails at VBN. It’s a good warm-up loop if you have a few days of riding at Shannahan or a good option for newer mountain bikers or families.
Ride it for:
- Easy, mellow, flowy terrain
Need to know:
- Most of the trails are one-way
Route directions: Main Parking > Sentier Delaney > Sucre d’Orge > Tire d’érable > Buerre d’érable > Sentier Delaney > Boulevard à Gérald > Coulée Doulce > Barbe á Gendron > Grande Évasion > Sentier Delaney
Route notes: There are a lot of twists and turns to this route, but since the trails are all one-way it’s pretty easy to follow. I still recommend having TrailForks downloaded to your phone.
Make longer: You can add Chutes à Gilles (a pretty easy black aside from the initial rocky tech at the waterfall) and either return via Tomahawk or head over to Grand Ourse on the other side of the river (which will make for a pretty big day of pedaling).
Légende and L’Boréale
Légende and L’Boréale are two of the most popular ‘enduro’ downhill trails at VBN Shannahan. I loved them! They’re chunky, technical, and have great flow in places. The waterfall finish to Légende is… legendary. If you’re a pretty confident rider, these two trails are a must. If you’re a very confident rider, try your skills out on Grande Légende.
Ride it for:
- The awesome downhills and the waterfall section on Légende
Need to know:
- There’s definitely some tech on this route. Walk if needed
Route directions: Main Parking > Sentier Delaney > Grande Évasion > L’Aurore > Légende > Back up L’Aurore > La Boréale
Route notes: There’s kind of a brutal climb in the middle of Légende.
Do less: If you only have one climb in you, it’s worth doing Légende over La Boréale for the waterfall finish and views.
2. Légende and L’Boréale
Légende and L’Boréale are two of the most popular ‘enduro’ downhill trails at VBN Shannahan. I loved them! They’re chunky, technical, and have great flow in places. The waterfall finish to Légende is… legendary. If you’re a pretty confident rider, these two trails are a must. If you’re a very confident rider, try your skills out on Grande Légende.
Ride it for:
- The awesome downhills and the waterfall section on Légende
Need to know:
- There’s definitely some tech on this route. Walk if needed
Route directions: Main Parking > Sentier Delaney > Grande Évasion > L’Aurore > Légende > Back up L’Aurore > La Boréale
Route notes: There’s kind of a brutal climb in the middle of Légende.
Do less: If you only have one climb in you, it’s worth doing Légende over La Boréale for the waterfall finish and views.
The Nielson Trails
The Nielson Trails were my favorite out of all the VBN trails. They are old-school, technical, and tiring, but all in a good way (at least I thought so). Not everyone will love this loop, but if you enjoy a challenge with some really cool trail features – natural and manmade – you’ll love this ride. The views are also epic!
Ride it for:
- Epic scenery, amazing trail building, a backcountry feel
Need to know:
- This is a long and technical ride. Don’t underestimate it. Split it into two loops if needed.
Route directions: Nielson Est Parking (or pedal from registration) > Nielson Est > Nielson Nord > Nielson Sud > Le Connecteur
Route notes: The section of Nielson Est from Godzilla to where it meets Nielson Nord closes every year around mid-September for hunting season. If you visit during this time, you’ll need to pedal up the Rang Saguenay road to Nielson Nord – essentially skipping all of Nielson Est. It’s still worth doing the Nielson Est climb up to Godzilla or Octopus, though.
Make it easier/do less: Ride each loop separately. Doing both loops together is a pretty big day with lots of technical riding and some hike-a-biking.
What to Pack
For a complete list of what to pack, head over to my Mountain Bike Trip Checklist.
Here are some suggestions specific to riding at Vallée Bras-du-Nord Secteur Shannahan:
Bike Shop & Rentals
There is a small bike shop that has mountain bike rentals. It’s located at the main parking area next to the registration building. They have a full line-up of Rocky Mountain bikes including e-bikes and kid’s bikes. Online booking is required.
I don’t think the shop really does fixes or maintenance, but if you have a small problem they’ll most likely help you out.
>> Learn more about VBN rentals and book yours
Food & Drink
There is very limited food and drink (including water) at VBN Shannahan. The registration building has a cooler with a few drinks – alcoholic and non. There’s also a small selection of snacks and trail food like bars and blocks.
The closest place to get groceries and a meal, though, is in the town of St. Raymond about 30 minutes south of Shannahan. We didn’t eat there, but the La Croquée Restaurant was super busy when we passed it on our way out.
Camping & Lodging
There are a lot of different options for camping and lodging at VBN Shannahan. Here’s what’s available:
VBN tent camping: The VBN campsite is located just a short pedal away from the main ‘hub’ and parking areas at Shannahan. There are 18 sites, each with a picnic table and fire pit. There is no running water or showers, but there are pit toilets. Firewood is available for purchase at registration.
ETSANHA Campground: This is a private campground located south of VBN. It’s NOT within pedaling distance of the trails, but it does have hot showers (for an extra fee). There are also several cabin rentals and space for RVs (no hook-ups).
VBN Van life: The ‘van life’ lot is across from the tent campground. I wasn’t very impressed with it and I actually changed my first night’s reservation to be over in the tent camping area, which is much nicer (my 21 ft van was fine). I’d only choose the Van Life camping if you have a larger rig or you’re caravanning with other vans.
Yurts/refuges: There are a number of hike-in/bike-in yurts and refuges available for rent and they look really cool. However, it’s important to know a few things before you book these:
Chalets & cottages: There are some really cool chalets and rentals spread throughout the VBN trail network. Some of them are bomb! They’re pretty pricy, but most of them can sleep 8-10 people, so they could be worth it for large groups.
>> Book VBN chalets & cottages
>> Book VRBO w/ hot tub #1
>> Book VRBO w/ hot tub #2
Best Time to Visit
Vallée Bras-du-Nord Secteur Shannahan is actually a year-round destination. In the winter, it’s super popular with Nordic skiers.
But if you’re looking to mountain bike, obviously you’ll want to go when it’s not blanketed in snow.
Spring is an okay time to visit, but conditions can be hit or miss. The trails may be pretty muddy and you may not be able to access the higher trails if the snow hasn’t melted yet.
Summer is the busiest time of year, but also brings the best weather. That being said, temps can get hot and humid so be sure to bring in plenty of water (remember, there is no potable water). There is a river to go swimming in, though.
Fall is my favorite time to visit. The crowds have thinned a bit and the temps are cooler. You might even get treated with some beautiful fall colors!
Other Things to Do at Shannahan
Vallée Bras-du-Nord is an all-around outdoor playground for everyone. If you’re traveling with non-mountain bikers or you want a day off the bike, here are a few other activities to check out:
Hiking – I saw a ton of people gearing up for a hike in the main parking area. The nice thing about VBN is that the hiking trails and mountain bike trails are completely separate. You still need to purchase a day-use pass for hiking. Check out some of the VBN hiking trails.
Via Ferrata & zip line – There is a Via Ferrata at Shannahan. We saw some of the climbers traversing a cliff face. I’m not a fan of heights, but if that’s your thing, go for it! You can choose to end your climb on a zip line.
Canoeing & kayaking – VBN Shannahan sits on the banks of the Bras do Nord River and they have kayaks and canoes to rent. You’ll get shuttled several miles up river and then you can float downstream back to VBN.
Explore the dirt roads – The wilderness around VBN Shannahan is vast and remote, but there are well-maintained roads throughout that lead to lakes and trailheads. If you head out to explore, I highly recommend you have a paper map or one downloaded to your phone.
Final Thoughts
I really enjoyed the riding at Vallée Bras-du-Nord Shannahan. There’s truly riding for everyone from flowy cross-country trails to new-school jump lines to big old-school techy loops.
I also appreciated that each trail is directional (you can only ride them one way), so there wasn’t any confusion about the best way to ride a route and it kept the trail traffic to a minimum.
VBN does get very busy and the day-use fee is kind of steep, but I thought it was absolutely worth it.
I haven’t explored a ton of Québec, but here are a few posts on mountain biking in the northeast:
Have you ridden at VBN Shannahan? What did you think about the trails? What questions do you still have? Leave a comment below!
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I love riding at VBN Shannahan . The Nielson is Epic! And I love the 3 fast flowy “Sucre” trails. I haven’t tried Legende and l’Boreale yet.
I find your various posts extremely helpful but I noticed when reading your VBN Shannahan writeup, you have the Route Direction, Route Notes and Make It Longer from 1. La Terrasse repeated under both 2. Legende and l’Boreale and 3. The Nielsen Trails.
Agreed, VBN is awesome! Definitely check out Legende and l’Boreale next time you’re there – two of my favorites. And thanks for catching those mistakes, I’ll get them fixed asap 🙂