Fredericton by bicycle

We had heard that Fredericton had one of the best bicycle networks in Canada so we wanted to check for ourselves.

On our 2025 Easter long weekend trip, we biked almost 63km in and around the city and only about 1km was on roads. Most of the trails were in great shape, and there were even some new bike paths through the downtown core.

Compared to our adventure on the Fundy Trail Parkway two days earlier, it was very flat! Instead of the hills, it was the wind that challenged us!

Partly flooded

We parked on the north side of the Saint John River (near Picaroons Brewery), at the corner of Union St and Gibson St. We then proceeded to bike north-west on the Riverfront Trail.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t a great start because the water level was so high that part of the trail was flooded, so we changed our route and headed on some side streets towards the Northside Trail. We then biked west on this trail for about 6 km, to the edge of town. The trail continued, but we turned around because there were other areas that we wanted to explore.

On the way back, we connected to the gravel North Riverfront Trail and rode it as far as we could before reaching the flooded area. It was in good condition and gave nice views across the river towards downtown. Eventually, we rejoined the Northside Trail and then connected to the Nashwaak Trail. We biked north-east for about 4 km towards Marysville. This paved trail was popular with walkers and cyclists and gave nice views of the flooded Nashwaak River.

A former cotton mill

At the end of the paved section in Marysville, we had coffee and a muffin at The Landing café, located in a former train station. We then headed across the river and checked out the former cotton mill before heading back towards the city center on the Gibson Trail. The trail was mostly smooth gravel, but there were a few washed out sections.

Bill Thorpe Walking Bridge

When we reached the Saint John River, we proceeded to cross it on the Bill Thorpe Walking Bridge. This beautiful old railway bridge only allows pedestrians and cyclists to cross. It provides direct access to downtown.

In the southern part of the city

Once across the bridge, we explored the southwestern shore of the river, taking the Salamanca Trail then the Lincoln Trail for about 10 km. We passed the University of New Brunswick on a nice forested section before enjoying some views (and a tailwind) along the river.

We then turned south on the multi-use path along Vanier Industrial Dr which looked to be a fairly new trail. The gravel was looser and it wasn’t overly interesting. We then rounded the corner and joined the NB Trail where the conditions suddenly deteriorated. Within a kilometer or two we found ourselves on a single muddy track. Thankfully we found a connection to Innovation Rd and took it back to the Lincoln Trail.

By this point we were tired and hungry, so we took a long lunch downtown at Isaac’s Way.

Tested by headwinds

Fueled by our lunch, we decided we had just enough energy for a few more kilometers. What we didn’t realize was that while we were eating the wind had picked up significantly. Immediately after leaving the restaurant we joined the South Riverpoint Trail where we were very exposed and were nearly blown over. Thankfully, commuting across the Halifax bridges is good practice for windy days.

After reaching the Delta hotel we headed south and joined the Valley Trail. We continued to battle the headwind for 6 km and then turned around after a viewpoint. The tailwind on the way back was a nice reward. We then crossed through downtown on the Crosstown Trail before enjoying some shiny new two-way bike lanes on our way back to the pedestrian bridge.

We then returned to the car and loaded the bikes. But before heading home we rewarded ourselves with a flight of beer at The Picaroon‘s, in a former train roundhouse located on the east side of the river. It was quite lively on Easter Sunday with people (and dogs) of all ages.

All in all, Fredericton lived up to, if not exceeded its reputation as a good cycling city!