Quebec City to Katahdin
Was wondering if anyone has experience with making this trip without a car. It's only about 200 mi., but I haven't been able to find any good info on the web.
Very interesting that it is only 200 miles.
Would you consider paddling part of it if there was a good route?
Yeah, that sounds like it would be fun. I was initially asking about public transportation, but what's the rush?
Oh. I see now you are from Germany. I don't know the answer. There are trains that go from Quebec City to the Gaspe Peninsula, and there is very good hiking in the Gaspe. Many Quebecers vacation in the Gaspe, but Maine is very popular for them also, but I would think by car rather than by bus. There used to be a great passenger train from Montreal through Maine to McAdam New Brunswick and on to my home town of Saint John, but it no longer runs. There would be buses from Montreal down into Vermont and New York. I am not sure about buses from Quebec City down into Maine, but it would be bus for sure, not by train.
Car rental would be better option for Quebec to Maine, especially to Katahdin. Gaspe would be a better choice for travel by public transportation. Hope that is helpful.
If it is a thru-hike or section hike of the AT you are interested in, you might consider starting with the International Appalachian Trail, starting in Gaspe, or even Newfoundland. Otherwise, fly directly to Bangor Maine, and then to Katahdin from there.
Best of luck.
Thanks for the advice. My plan is to attempt a thru-hike of the AT. I will happen to be in Quebec City on a business trip at the very end of my contract, so I am going to be moving out of my home and on to the trail. It seems like there must be some buses to Maine, but as I say, if I must start on the IAT, there's no real rush.
There are buses in Maine, but I think to get to Millinocket from Quebec City is very long by bus. If you start on the IAT in Gaspe, I think the section from Gaspe to Mount Carleton in New Brunswick would be very nice, but from Mount Carleton to Katahdin might be rather sketchy, meaning more flat, less scenic, and more roads. I don't know this for sure. The fundamental problem is that from Mount Carleton to Katahdin does not follow a ridge, and so it does not lend itself to a trail so well like the rest of the AT and IAT. Traditionally, people walked ridges to avoid thick forest, or they travelled on rivers by canoe. In North America our ridges are still more or less intact and suitable for hiking, but along our rivers we have things like roads and farms and cities that tend to get in the way of hiking trails, at least until they get greened up some more.
You might do some reading while your are getting ready, which might help plan your trip. One would be the invasion route that Benedict Arnold took when he tried to invade Quebec during the American War of Independance. You could possibly take that route in reverse, but some of it might be more suitable by canoe. The other thing you might read up on would be the St.Francis Indians, and raids back and forth between the American Colonies and these Indians. Still, that might be a bit off base for getting to Katahdin. Another piece of the puzzle could be Henry David Thoreau's "In The Maine Woods", but only the latter part of the trip, since going all the way down to Old Town would be out of the way from Quebec.
I think your best bet might be to but a used canoe, and take it from Quebec City up some river that intersects the IAT at some point, and then simply sell or give the canoe away, and carry on to Katahdin at the AT from there. Have fun raiding the Americans.
If you burn any towns down, be sure to tell them you are NOT Canadian.
Even though the distance is short as the crow flies, I don't think there's any direct public transit link between Quebec City and any point in Maine. I believe you'd need to go through Montreal and perhaps Boston to get anywhere in Maine.
Duct tape is like the force. It has a light side, a dark side, and it holds the universe together...
Thus the saying....
Looks like this is going to be a little tougher than I thought.
given the state of public transportation in that area...walking may actually be your fastest alternative.Originally Posted by frogmanjack
Looks like this is going to be a little tougher than I thought.
Love people and use things; never the reverse.
Mt. Katahdin would be a lot quicker to climb if its darn access trail didn't start all the way down in Georgia.
quebec city to Katahdin
As they say in Maine.. Ya Can't get theah from heah!
what you might do is drive to Edmunston NB.. then paddle the st john to the Allagash, paddle the allagash far as you can, the catch logging roads to Baxgter State Park. By the time you get to Baxter, if you get to Baxter, you won't want to do much hiking.
But why anyone would want to do this is beyond me.
Why would anyone hike the AT?
The only public transportation is via Montreal to New York to Boston and then up to Portland on either Amtrak or a bus. In Portland, it is then about a 4 hour bus ride to Medway and then you have to either shuttle or hitch the the park. There are not even good options to fly out of Quebec to Maine, odds are they will route you via Toronto to Portland
There is a large amount of vacation traffic that goes from Quebec to Old Orchard Beach Maine during the summer as it is the closest Atlantic beach to Quebec (the town gets taken over by them), unfortunately there is no public transportation on this highway even though it is the closest short line distance. From there you can catch Amtrak to Portland and then catch the bus. With the enhanced border security these days, it may be a bit more hassle finding someone to ride with from Quebec. Alternatively, you can hitch to Showhegan Maine via the same route and then hitch RT 2 to Bangor Me where you can catch a bus or keep hitching to Medway. The Quebec to Old Orchard route also crosses the AT in Caratunk Me so you can just do a short flip flop to Baxter and double back to Caratunk.
There appears to be a bus from Quebec to Bangor which goes the Montreal route to Boston, with a 4 hr layover and then continues to Bangor up the coast. The route also passes through Hanover and Manchester in NH in the early morning, so you get a view of the Whites , if there is any light between 4 and 5:30 am. Look online at greyound.ca in order to book online. Here's the schedule; hope it's legible. If not, it's available on-line at greyhound:
Location Arrives Departs Layover Carrier Schedule
QUEBEC, PQ 07:30pm OEX 0130
STE FOY, PQ 08:00pm 08:00pm OEX 0130
LONGUEUIL, PQ 10:25pm 10:25pm OEX 0130
MONTREAL (E), PQ 10:45pm OEX 0130
MONTREAL (E), PQ Transfer 11:05pm :20 GLI 9122
BURLINGTON ARPT, VT 01:35am 01:50am :15 GLI 9122
BURLINGTON, VT 02:00am 02:00am GLI 9122
MONTPELIER, VT 02:45am 02:45am GLI 9122
WHITE RIVER JCT, VT 03:55am 03:55am GLI 9122
HANOVER, NH 04:10am 04:10am GLI 9122
MANCHESTER ARPT, NH 05:40am 05:40am GLI 9122
BOSTON (E), MA 06:40am GLI 9122
BOSTON (E), MA Transfer 10:00am 3:20 CLI 0052
PORTLAND TWS, ME 11:55am 12:01pm :06 CLI 0052
BANGOR TWS, ME 02:15pm
OEX: ORLEANS EXPRESS INC
GLI: GREYHOUND LINES INC
CLI: CONCORD TRAILWAYS
From Bangor to Millinocket there are some public carriers, and from there it's a short hitch to the park. That part of the route is covered elsewhere on this list. Do a search for beginning or ending at Katahdin.
Note also that Hanover and Manchester are close to the trail, if you want to flip-flop.
Your best option is to locate someone in Q City with a clean passport and pay them to drive you.
I always see Q plates near Tim Horton's in Skowhegan, ME. Why they drove past Dunkin Donuts is beyond me.
If you are more apt to hitchike, plenty of traffic comes down from Q City.
Also remember that you will need your passport and 6 month visa in order to cross the border into the US from Canada on the bus or any form of transport.
When I lived in Stratton ME, I drove to Quebec City twice.
It is a fairly direct route through Jackman, Me i believe.
However, there is no public transportation that i know of.
I would hitchike, with a sign and plan to get off at the border and walk through and then hitchike again (because i don't think anyone would take a hitchiker through the border although there are exceptions) I hitchiked through Europe before the borders were all open and twice had people drive me through but usually had to get out and walk.
Or, perhaps a bicycle.
Or fly to Portland and take a bus perhaps.
Good luck. Things are not always easy in the US without a car.
Don't let your fears stand in the way of your dreams
Thanks to everyone for the advice. It looks like I'll be doing some combination of walking and hitchiking. I'm also thinking about putting up signs asking for a ride at the university and the MEC.
Also, if anyone that sees this and can give me a ride around the first of July, I would greatly appreciate a private message or email.
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