Ride 2
Bouctouche Dune
Scenic Beauty
Nothing conjures up romance like long walks on the beach. Is 12 km long enough for ya? Even if you don’t have a sweetie-pie, ride your bike to this ecologically-protected dune and fine-sand beach anyways. You’ll be glad you did. On the way there, enjoy the varied landscapes, including a peaceful arboretum, numerous water views, woods, farmland, rivers, bridges–a little bit of everything.
Safety
Expect to meet lots of other cyclists and walkers. Keep your head up and your speed down. Don’t be the jerk that slams into someone on a blind curve. If you wanna race, find a different place.
A few moderately-sized hills require a little caution but otherwise, the route presents few concerns.
90-95% car free paths and trails. 5-10% low traffic roads.
Fun Factor
While super fun at first, the twisty-turny trail in the woods does get a little tedious, but the promise of the dunes keeps you motivated. Any day you can ride your bike to the beach is a good day.
The village of Bouctouche has decent pdf trail maps on their website. The trail is somewhat confusing and not that well marked so consider printing off both pages and carrying them with you.
Driving directions:
From Shediac, drive approximately 30 km north on HIghway 11 to exit 32. After passing through Bouctouche, turn right onto Highway 134 and cross over the bridge. Look for the large Le Pays de la Sagouine on your right. Drive a few hundred metres down the road to the large parking lot. A port-a-potty can be found near the trailhead.
From Moncton, either drive to Shediac first or use Highway 115.
Route description:
From the parking lot at Pays de la Sagouine, find the trailhead at the southern end of the lot. Shortly after setting off, you will find several short mountain bike trails that branch off and rejoin the main gravel path–partake if you brought your mountain bike. After navigating the village of Bouctouche, cross the road and enter the Irving Arboteum. Plan on spending some time soaking up the peacefulness here before continuing on to the dunes. Exit the Arboteum by the river and cross the floating bridge over the Black River. Continue on over some hilly terrain until the trail deposits you onto the paved Potts Road. Turn right off Potts Road onto Desroches Road until you spot the trail entrance that takes you back into the trees. After another short section on Perry Road, the trail will eventually take you to the back of the Eco-Centre’s parking lot. Ride through the lot, cross the highway, lock up your bike and marvel at the boardwalk and dunes.
Ride the same route in reverse or better yet, shorten the return trip by riding on Desroches Road to Potts Road, thus eliminating part of the wooded trail. Also, avoid riding through the Arboteum again–instead, turn right and take the more direct route back to your vehicle to complete the loop. The village map shows a cyclist on Highway 175 but high traffic volume and a lack of shoulders means I can’t recommend it.
If riding the entire trail seems too much, consider breaking the trip into smaller separate loops for different days. A large parking lot at the Arboteum makes this option simple to plan. Alternatively, if you have 2 vehicles and want to avoid the “back” section of the “out-and-back” park a vehicle at each end and arrange a shuttle with your friends.
Notes:
1. Le Pays de La Sagouine only stays open during July and August. Choose the off-season for a peaceful and quiet ride. Le Pays de La Sagouine definitely warrants a visit but if you have the luxury of time, save it for another trip.
2. Along the trail, expect crushed gravel in spots, dirt in others.
3. Plan an entire day to see the sights, walk the beach and take photos. Bring a lunch.
4. At the time of our last ride, the trail seemed a little worn out. With the Sentier NB funding gone, it makes one wonder if the village will be able to sustain the maintenance work required to keep a a great trail in great shape.
5. One trail section in the trees has a sign posted asking cyclists to slow down. Please do. The trail is actually quite wide but has one narrow well-worn path in the middle and lots of blind corners. Stay alert for oncoming walkers and riders.
The boardwalk at the Irving Eco-Centre: Le Dune de Bouctouche. The park was established to help protect the 12 km dune that extends out into the Bouctouche Bay. Don’t be fooled by old tourism photos though. Storm damage reduced the original length of the boardwalk from 2 kilometers down to just 800m.
Floating bridge over the Black River. The bridge rises and falls along with the tides.
This iconic boardwalk at Le Pays de la Sagouine is disappointingly closed for safety reasons (2021). An alternative footbridge is put in during the summer but lacks the photogenic charm.
Look for this sign to exit the Arboteum (in the NW corner of the park by the river).