Say, “maple leaf”, and I’m likely to think of  the Joplin rag before anything else. And I think of maple syrup! It also conjures up images of our neighbor to the North; namely, Canada.

Here are ten possibilities in what I might call “The Land of the Maple Leaf”.

The Great Lakes Waterfront Trail covers more than 3600 kilometers (about 2237 miles). Numerous communities, including First Nations, are on this route. You’ll pass many parks and other natural areas. This trail is fully signed.

Perhaps you would enjoy Quebec’s Route Verte, which includes the Whale Trail. As you pedal along the Saint Lawrence River, you just might catch a glimpse of humpback whales!

The Cabot Trail of Nova Scotia apparently has some pretty stiff climbing, but some great scenery; woodland and marine alike.

The Confederation Trail on Prince Edward Island sounds like it would be right up my alley. It was build on abandoned railway beds. Sounds like Rails to Trails!

How about Newfoundland’s Viking Trail? This one is not for the faint-hearted; it’s rugged, but the scenery looks great!

The Yukon is a place I associate with dogsleds and prospecting for gold; not bicycling. You could put in some lo-o-o-ng days if you go there in Summer!

If downhill is your cup of tea, try British Columbia’s Kootenay Rockies. Grab that MTB and head North!

You could head to Alberta and ride the Parkway for glacier-watching. Or you might pedal through the prairies of Saskatchewan. Or how about Manitoba’s Duck Mountain Provincial Park? Cycling trails there are marked at the head according to level of difficulty.

Wow, that’s quite a list. Would this be an “inn-to-inn” style trips? Self-supported, with panniers and all? It’s a lot to consider; but Canada is a big country!