Tomifobia Nature Trail
Tomifobia Nature Trail
4.5
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Top ways to experience nearby attractions
Are you currently on your trip?
Help us find experiences available for you.
The area
Reach out directly
Best nearby
We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Attractions
11 within 10 kms
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.5
51 reviews
Excellent
25
Very good
19
Average
4
Poor
2
Terrible
1
scooper47
New England104 contributions
Jul 2012 • Solo
The Tomifobia Nature Trail / Sentier Nature Tomifobia is a 19-kilometer path built on a railroad bed that connects Ayer’s Cliff, Quebec to Stanstead and Beebe, Quebec, which are just over the border from another trail in Vermont. The use in French of the word “Sentier” instead of the more usual “Piste” is indicative of the woodlands nature of the trail. It is composed of hard-packed dirt and pea gravel and is therefore not recommended during the spring thaw and after heavy rain. Some stretches have loose gravel with sharp edges, so I would recommend puncture-resistant tires and perhaps not using a road bike (even though I saw some). My hybrid did fine.
The trail is mainly flat, but rises slightly as you head south particularly as you near Stanstead. I would recommend that you start in Ayer’s Cliff and ride south. Ayer’s Cliff has a big parking lot behind the tourist office where Rue Main (Rte. 141) from the south bears left and Rue Tyler goes straight. There are also a grocery store and a bike rental/repair place (819 838-5240) next to the trail.
I rode only the first 12.5 miles, according to my GPS unit. It is simply fantastic. You go by swamps, fields, and forests and are in almost constant contact with the Tomifobia River, although there is no easy access to the water. You have the feeling that you are completely isolated as the trail is crossed only four or five times by a public road. There is no danger of being stranded because it is well used, and everyone speaks English. Snowmobiles are banned, so it would be excellent for cross-country skiing.
I think the trail is more suited to a nature lover than a speed/distance rider. I would recommend that if you are short of time or stamina, you stop just short of ten miles at the shady spot next to the rock cliff over the river. There are log steps to get you off the trail and closer to the water, but be very careful of the pine straw ground; it could be slippery. You will have seen everything there is to see by that point. Better yet, ride only four or five miles and stop often to observe the beauty and the wildlife. Bring binoculars. This ride is worth an overnight stay in the area; try Magog, which has its own great bike path.
Scooper47’s top tips: 1) The trail continues for 1.16 miles north from the parking lot in Ayer’s Cliff. There is nothing to see; don’t bother.
2) If you are in Ayer’s Cliff at a meal time, I also recommend Chez Maurice across Rue Tyler. An authentic diner with good food at very reasonable prices, it is a rare find in a tourist town. Portions are big so wait until after your ride, if possible. (See my review on this site.)
The trail is mainly flat, but rises slightly as you head south particularly as you near Stanstead. I would recommend that you start in Ayer’s Cliff and ride south. Ayer’s Cliff has a big parking lot behind the tourist office where Rue Main (Rte. 141) from the south bears left and Rue Tyler goes straight. There are also a grocery store and a bike rental/repair place (819 838-5240) next to the trail.
I rode only the first 12.5 miles, according to my GPS unit. It is simply fantastic. You go by swamps, fields, and forests and are in almost constant contact with the Tomifobia River, although there is no easy access to the water. You have the feeling that you are completely isolated as the trail is crossed only four or five times by a public road. There is no danger of being stranded because it is well used, and everyone speaks English. Snowmobiles are banned, so it would be excellent for cross-country skiing.
I think the trail is more suited to a nature lover than a speed/distance rider. I would recommend that if you are short of time or stamina, you stop just short of ten miles at the shady spot next to the rock cliff over the river. There are log steps to get you off the trail and closer to the water, but be very careful of the pine straw ground; it could be slippery. You will have seen everything there is to see by that point. Better yet, ride only four or five miles and stop often to observe the beauty and the wildlife. Bring binoculars. This ride is worth an overnight stay in the area; try Magog, which has its own great bike path.
Scooper47’s top tips: 1) The trail continues for 1.16 miles north from the parking lot in Ayer’s Cliff. There is nothing to see; don’t bother.
2) If you are in Ayer’s Cliff at a meal time, I also recommend Chez Maurice across Rue Tyler. An authentic diner with good food at very reasonable prices, it is a rare find in a tourist town. Portions are big so wait until after your ride, if possible. (See my review on this site.)
Written August 16, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BougieBFoodie
Beaconsfield, Canada113 contributions
Dec 2017 • Couples
Well maintained trails for peaceful nature walks. Beautiful variety of trees, vegetation and wildlife. Look forward to returning in the summer months to kayak the waterways.
Written December 4, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LunyajSher
Sainte-Julie, Canada50 contributions
Jun 2015 • Couples
Flat easy and well maintain trail. In nice surrounding. Easy parking at Ayer's Cliff. Lots of vegetation following the river
Written June 29, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Vermonterontheroad
White River Junction, VT22 contributions
Aug 2018 • Couples
This is an old rail trail. It was safe and well kept and sends its way through mostly matsh and river. If you go for the bike ride you will be happy. If you go expecting a big "nature" experience it is a bit overrated
Written August 19, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
brigitte m
Ayer's Cliff, Canada19 contributions
Sept 2014 • Family
Beautiful trial for walking or biking. Bring a picnic and admire the view. Birds and tortoises hang out along the trail. Very nice for families, friends and couples.
Written May 19, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michel D
Ayer's Cliff, Canada330 contributions
Sept 2014 • Friends
A nice 12.5 miles trail for walking, cycling, cross-country skiing that goes from Ayer's Cliff up to Stanstead (province of Quebec) along the windingTomifobia river.
You travel on a former railroad bed so there is no steep hill to climb and you have everywhere a scenic view on wetlands, marshes, fields, woods, etc. You peep at turtles, birds and deers. You are in the wilderness while not beeing far from "civilisation" !
You travel on a former railroad bed so there is no steep hill to climb and you have everywhere a scenic view on wetlands, marshes, fields, woods, etc. You peep at turtles, birds and deers. You are in the wilderness while not beeing far from "civilisation" !
Written April 15, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Francis L
Montreal, Canada252 contributions
Jul 2019 • Couples
We travelled on the trail with bicycle and really enjoyed our adventure. The path was clear and road crossings were clearly marked. It was a nice outing!
Written July 16, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mcp63
Montreal, Canada5 contributions
Aug 2018
Its an easy flat rid on a beautiful trail. Also great for snowshoeing or walking in the winter. Highly recommend. You can also pick the how far you want to go.
Written October 12, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chris S
Montreal, Canada125 contributions
Oct 2018 • Couples
We didnt do all of it because every 5 minutes at one point you are crossing busy roads. Plus you hear cars often so doesnt exactly feel like you are away from it all in a forest
Written October 2, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jon S
Ottawa, Canada79 contributions
Sept 2018
This 27 km trail along a repurposed railway bed runs between Ayers Cliff and Stanstead. Start at the Ayers Cliff side as it's more interesting. It runs along a river. Easy to use, no noticeable grade and some attractive scenery, including the stream, shrubbery and trees, ponds and swamps. You can park just at the start of the trail a short way down the road if you are biking towards Stanstead.
Written September 16, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
No questions have been asked about this experience
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing