Hiking Carts and Bicycles on the Trans Canada Trail

Hiking and Cycling the Great Trail

Having recently completed our trek on the Trans Canada Trail, we are going back and hoping to release some reflective, retrospective and informative blogs on our journey.  Our hope is that the information in them will be of use for those “who come next” on the TCT and especially those interested in hiking or cycling across entire provinces or the complete trail system from the Atlantic to the Pacific to the Arctic.

 
While ultimately we hiked almost 20,000 km of the TCT, it was in our second year on the national pathway that we began using a hiking cart.  Our use of this hiking system led us to being constantly asked questions about it and its practicality. 
 
Having researched the options at the time, we eventually chose the Radical Design Wheelie, which we ordered from the UK.  It can be assembled and disassembled easily, transported or stored with ease when not using it and is nearly (in our experience) indestructible. 

 
We have modified ours to carry 20-30 litres of water on the lower rack, and it comes with a 75 litre bag for gear storage, which allowed us to carry more supplies and put some of the weight from our backpacks into the cart.  While originally ours came with a hip belt to pull the cart, we found it much easier to push ours. 
 
These carts are easy to maneuver, lightweight weight and with their large solid wheels handle incredibly well on the diverse terrains and trails across Canada.  In short, the Radical Design Wheel is amazing and has saved us on many occasions. 

Can you use wheels, hiking carts or cycle the Trans Canada Trail?

One of the most common questions we’re asked is whether we’d recommend using a hiking cart for long-distance treks - particularly on the Trans Canada Trail. And truthfully, it’s not an easy question to answer. This is because the TCT is not a single unified pathway with a single monolithic style.  Instead, it’s a sprawling network of pathways, rail trails and roadways that are as diverse as the nation and the country’s geography.  Conditions vary dramatically from region to region, and the trail itself is ever-changing.

As such, trying to plan a cart-friendly or cycling route by trying to make sense of the TCT’s Explore Map feature online can be confusing, with so much information for each trail section.
 
Beyond these factors, the fact also remains that wheels simply aren’t suited for every section of the TCT (when we not we are not talking about the water routes either).

 
In addition to this, having a hiking cart or a bicycle can be a challenge to maintain.   We’ve seen others face breakdowns, damage, and frustration trying to haul gear across unsuitable terrain. Mel Vogel and Malo, who had wagons that suffered repeated mechanical issues. Filmmaker Dianne Whelan had the benefit of a support vehicle when her bike encountered problems. We were fortunate – our Radical Design Wheelie carts held up remarkably well.  We knew how to assemble and repair them when needed.  Thankfully, we had invested in a great system, which worked great for the vast majority of the trail.  Indeed, Sean’s cart may even have saved his life after being hit by an ATV on a section of trail in the prairies. 

 
So if you are hiking long distances using a trekking cart or perhaps you are a cyclist and want to know where we think that wheels work and likely don’t work on the Trans Canada Trail, then this post is for you!
 
This information is for you and those who come next – whether you are on the Great Trail, the Trans Canada Trail or the Sentier Transcanadien, we hope this entry helps you plan your own adventure. 

Wheels in the Wilderness

One of the most common questions we’ve been asked while hiking the Trans Canada Trail is: “Would you recommend using a hiking cart or cycling the trail?”
 
The short answer? It depends.
 
The long answer is rooted in 28,000 kilometres of lived experience across forests, highways, alpine ridgelines, prairie backroads, and coastal paths - each terrain telling its own story. We’ve pushed a Radical Design Wheelie cart across much of this trail, relying on it heavily at times, stashing it when necessary, and fielding endless questions from curious locals, fellow adventurers, and law enforcement alike.

 
The Trans Canada Trail is not a unified footpath. It is a sprawling, diverse, often disconnected network of trails, roads, and water routes — and no single gear solution fits it all. So in this post, we’ve broken down where wheels help, where they hinder, and what you should know if you’re considering bringing a cart or bike across Canada.
 
This isn’t a review or a sales pitch of these particular carts or suggesting that people must use a similar system to venture on the TCT - just some insight on the subject from two people who’ve walked the walk, cart in tow.
 
So if you are looking at setting out across a province or taking on the entire TCT from the Atlantic to the Pacific to the Arctic – whether as a hiker or as a cyclist – and are wondering where we think that wheels work and likely don’t work on the national pathway, this information should be of help. 

Wheels on the TCT : A Region by Region Analysis

The cart has advantages and disadvantages that vary and shift from province to province and trail section to trail section.    

The Atlantic Coast

Starting in Newfoundland, the cart would have been a nightmare.  The East Coast Trail is beautiful, but it is a thin coastal path that is not suited for wheels.  Similarly, the T'Railway Trail, which goes from St. John's to Port aux Basque, Newfoundland, is a converted rail trail - which, when we hiked it in 2019, is maintained more for ATVs than bikes or hikers.  The T'Railway trail is a converted rail line which has had the ties and rails removed but which for the most part, is ankle deep blast rock and sand - slow going and painful on foot and I imagine very hard with a cart or on a bike. 

 
Moving across to the mainland of Canada, Cape Breton's Celtic Shores Trail is a busy cycling path so wheels would be work fine and be great for here.  Similarly, most of Nova Scotia’s sections of the TCT are a series of pathways joined by long road connectors having wheels would continue to be ok here.
 
Crossing to PEI's hikers and cyclists use the amazing Confederation Trail, which is a manicured rail trail that is flat, clean, has shelters and amenities.  So having a hiking cart or cycling the island would definitely be great there.

Back on the mainland, trail users enter New Brunswick.  This province has great trails which are connected by roads where carts and wheels would work EXCEPT (and this a huge exception) for the Dobson Trail and Fundy Footpath, where they absolutely could not go. 

Wheeling through Quebec and Ontario

Moving into Quebec, trail users begin a long, continuous tour of stunning trails.  Sections such as the P’tit Temis, expansive Route Verte and P’tit Train du Nord – which account for the bulk of the province are built for a dedicated cycling and hiking culture.  They are flat, well waymarked and extraordinarily maintained.  Both hiking carts and bikes would have no problems in Quebec, with the dual caveat being the Charlevois and Sentier des Caps were anything with wheels would likely be too troublesome to be worth it.  Trail users in Quebec that stay on the roads rather than going on the trails in the eastern part of the province so that they could use wheels, would miss out on the natural wonders of the area and be doing themselves a disservice. 

 
In Ontario from Ottawa to Huntsville, is a services of urban trails, rail trails, and cycling routes which are great for wheels (this is where we started using them), but there is a stretch from Huntsville to North Bay for perhaps 100-200 km that would be hard with them (as there was lot of bushwacking).  The TCT from North Bay through to Sault Ste Marie is the Voyageur Cycling Route, composed of roads and major highways and so they would work there.  Beyond this terrifying stretch however, is Northern Ontario along the shores of Lake Superior.  Here, the Trans Canada Trail returns to the rugged shores of the Great Lakes, including Lake Superior Provincial Park, Puckaskwa National Park, Casque Isles, and Sleeping Giant.  These are amazing and wondrous areas but neither hiking carts nor bikes would be possible on the terrain encountered here. 

Navigating the Prairies

Manitoba is a bit of a mixed bag with forested trails through Whiteshell Provincial Park followed by a terrific trek onward to Winnipeg, which is mostly roadways, railtrails and power corridors.  I’m not sure that wheels are a good fit for Whiteshell PP but from Pinawa to Winnipeg, they would be perfectly fine.  From Winnipeg onward to the Saskatchewan border most of the TCT is on gravel rural roads which make pushing a hiking cart or cycling much easier.  The challenge being that there is little shade and finding places to camp means that amid 40-45 degree summer temperatures, our daily stages soon averaged 40-60 km.  In these conditions, the ability to move faster on a bike would be a benefit.  For us, having a hiking car and the ability to carry more water and supplies was essential to getting through these conditions. 

 
Beyond the pilgrimage route of the Crow Wing Trail from Winnipeg south those on the TCT join up with a section that follows the Canadian-US border.  We were initially excited for this stretch of green space but ultimately it was so filled with gopher holes and we became of the object of scrutiny by border security that we eventually gave up on walking this berm of land and stayed on the road which paralleled the trail into Emerson.

From Emerson to Neepawa, the TCT is again along roadways with a few short sections in green spaces.  The roads are as easy as ever to use wheels on but some of the green spaces and pathways we found having the hiking cart to be a real challenge.  More simply put, this stretch is possible with wheels – though it can be slow going at times. 
 
Next comes the Rossburn Subdivision Trail in the western section of the province is listed as a railtrail but it too suffers from a lot of gopher holes, which made us nervous of twisting an ankle or hurting ourselves.  In addition to which the Rossburn section is primarily used by regional ATVers.  As such we once again spent most of our time on the adjacent roadway and did well enough – here both hiking wheels or cycling are easy going.
 
The situation in Saskatchewan is similar to Manitoba with the national trail moving between amazing provincial parks (Duck Mountain PP and Good Spirit Lk PP) and urban trails like Wascana in Regina and Meewasin in Saskatoon.  Unfortunately, in between these amazing paths are hundreds of kilometres of gravel concessions and paved roadways.    Once again, throughout Saskatchewan, we felt that the hiking carts and their ability to carry a lot of water were a must.  Indeed, I am not sure that we could have made it through here without them. 

 
Mel Vogel began using a wagon in this stretch for similar reasons.  The only catch being that while we had a drought for 90 days with 2 days of rain she had the reverse and wheels in prairie mud are very tough (we had the experience for 8-10 hours and were grateful it was not more).  With rain the roadways in the prairies turn into deep muddy, sticky and slippery mess. So if you have a rainy season while you are crossing wheels might be a challenge.
 
Westward the trail moves into Alberta which – like its prairie counterparts – begins with long stretches of roadway before moving to the Iron Horse Trail.  This trail, which we loved was wonderful.  It is a well-maintained ATV route between regional communities though it does have long sandy stretch which makes having wheels tough for a short period.

After the Iron Horse the TCT in Alberta weaves between roadways and really nice community pathways.  Indeed the urban paths of Edmonton, Red Deer, and Calgary's are truly great systems that anyone walking, jogging, pushing a cart or cycling will really enjoy.  However between these cities are very long stretches on dusty gravel roads and highways – which can be terrifying to navigate at times.  The upside here is that it is all easy to use a hiking cart or cycle along.

For us, in Alberta the wheels helped and remained indispensible.  We used them until Glenbow Provincial Park (southwest of Calgary) when it became obvious that the hills and climbs in our future would make the wheels more a hassle than help.   Beyond the foothills the climb up to Banff and the route beyond heading into BC having the hiking carts would have been a real problem between the nature of the pathways here (narrow dirt bike routes) and number of ascents / descents you make.   With that said, we did see cyclists pushing their bikes up mountain pathways en route to Banff – but its not something I would have wanted to try.

 
Beyond the Banff, is the High Rockies Trail – which is also part of the Canadian Continental Divide Trail that many people continue along after completing the CDT in the states or after cycling up from Mexico.  This was one of my favorite sections of the TCT in the entire nation – the views and landscapes are stunning.    While we did not have our hiking carts here most people we met were cycling it, making great time, and enjoying themselves so wheels are entirely viable in this stretch. 

 
Leaving Alberta and entering into British Columbia the natural wonders of the nation continued.  In BC, perhaps almost as much as Quebec and PEI, traversing the province with wheels or on a bike is easy.  Having crossed the Rocky Mountains beforehand we hiked this province without our wheels but the routes through Elk Valley, along the Chief Isadore Trail, the Northstar Rails to Trails, Grey Creek Pass, Columbia and Western, popular Kettle Valley Rail trail and amid the urban pathways of the Greater Vancouver Region from Abbotsford to the Pacific coast, as well as the trails of Vancouver Island make cycling most of the region very possible.    

Rolling to The West Coast

The caveat being that while BC as glorious long trails that are generally well maintained the province – in recent years – has faced several challenges.  Sections of the TCT are used as logging roads, other long stretches have been destroyed by floods and historic wildfires.  

So in many ways the Trans Canada Trail in BC is somewhat fragmented – naturally beautiful but at the cross roads of climate change extremes.  With that said so much of BC’s trails are perfectly suited to cycling that having wheels – especially in towns like Fernie, Nelson, and the GVA – where you will have plenty of support and options for repairs if necessary. 

Wheels in the North

Having attempted to describe the diversity of the Trans Canada Trail from the Atlantic to the Pacific we have only one short (well actually massive) section to detail – the North to the Arctic.

 
For us, the trek from Fort Saskatchewan Alberta through northern BC, the Yukon, and the Northwest Territories having the hiking carts was a must.  Once again the ability to carry more supplies through a region where costs only got higher the further north we ventured was indispensible.  The fact is that 95% of the route to the Arctic Ocean is on roadways, concessions, and terrifying highways makes having wheels easier to manage.  Our main challenge with them came on the Dawson Overland Trail between Whitehorse and Dawson City – but that trail was not really meant for summer hikers so we brought the headaches of navigating bogs and marshes onto ourselves.  

If we could do it again, we would have stuck to the road instead.   Overall, however, the constant ascents and descents on the rising and falling highways of the north mean that wheels take some of the weight off your body and make it somewhat easier trekking.  Ultimately, I don’t think we could have managed the north without the ability to carry more supplies and walk further each day without the wheels.  I suspect that cyclists with their ability to traverse longer distances, will also find having wheels here makes the journey easier.    

Final Thoughts about Wheels on the TCT

The wheels are great and we relied on them a lot, but there are catches to everything.  They draw more attention, essentially tie you to a physical object constantly, and you make yourself the focus of the  police very quickly.  

We had ours searched by law enforcement and were repeatedly accosted for being homeless with them.  With that said, reducing our backpacks from 70 lbs+ each on our backs to the wheels was wonderful and helped us cover more distance in the prairies and Arctic north. 

The Experiences of Others

While we have used our experiences with hiking carts to give a sense of how things would be on the Trans Canada Trail with wheels, we are undoubtedly guessing with regard to the experiences cyclists might encounter.    There is a cyclist by the name of Erlen Dur who made a ton of videos of his Trans Canada cycling trip on the TCT. 

 
We found that when he had struggles on his bike or dumped off onto a roadway rather than staying on the trail that the wheels would be harder to use.  He is a great resource to check out.
 
I hope this helps some.  I also hope that I am not dissuading you from hiking the TCT or using wheels or cycling across the country.  Just listing how experiences went - which obviously would not be the same as your own. 

Summary Reflections

Using a cart on the Trans Canada Trail has, at times, been a lifesaver - especially when walking across the sun-baked Prairies, where water, food, and shade are scarce and in the Arctic North.  It allowed us to carry what we needed without breaking ourselves in the process. But it also came with challenges including rough terrain, sharp climbs, public misperception, and added attention from authorities, making them a bit of a double-edged sword.
 
Would we do it again? Absolutely - but only in the sections that suit it.

If you’re thinking about tackling the TCT with wheels, whether on foot or by bike, we hope this breakdown of the national pathway helps you plan accordingly. The trail is not a straight line, and neither is this decision to set out the door. Trust your instincts, adapt as you go, and know that your journey will be uniquely yours.
 
Whether you're walking, wheeling, or pedalling - may the path teach you, surprise you, and carry you forward.
 
See you on the Trail!