Empire 47 and the Trail That Started It All

Just outside Québec City, where the boreal forest brushes up against the edge of urban life, a rider drops into a slab of weathered granite. Tires grip stone as the trail dives into the trees dappled in the late-day sun. This is Descente du Code, a standout among the vast, purpose-built network at Empire 47—better known as E47.

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Set on the 47th parallel, the region's naturally rolling hills make it ideal for mountain biking—gentle climbs, flowing descents, and techy lines that invite all kinds of riders to test their skills.  Here, the rider moves to the rhythm of root and rock, following a line carefully carved into the terrain. The trail doesn't just challenge you—it demands trust. Between rider and trail. Between community and land. Every berm and bridge tells a story of bold vision, shared effort, and a deep commitment to making mountain biking more accessible.

Tucked into the municipality of Lac Delage, just five minutes from Stoneham and 25 minutes from Québec's historic Old Town, E47 sits at the gateway to the Jacques-Cartier Valley. What started as a rough 6-kilometre loop carved by hand is now a thriving, non-profit trail centre and one of Eastern Canada's busiest and most respected outdoor recreation destinations.

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The roots of E47 trace back to 2013 when local physical education teacher Alain Déraspe approached XTERRA about hosting an off-road triathlon in Québec. His friend Christian Déry owned forested land beside Lac Delage and agreed to let them build a trail. With the help of a few volunteers—and nothing but hand tools—they shaped a rugged 6-kilometre loop just in time for the first XTERRA Québec in September 2014.

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"It was a hard experience," Alain recalls. "A lot of rain, a lot of mud. We had to do five laps to hit 30 kilometres"—the full distance for an XTERRA. That original course pushed racers through soaked forest and root-choked trail, but it ignited something much larger than a single race.

Word spread quickly. "People in Stoneham—not just triathletes, but mountain bikers too—said, 'Wow, we could have trails right here. We want in,’" says Alain. And so, they kept building. Those with experience passed it on. One shovel, one trail at a time. Together, they laid the foundation of what would become one of the most dynamic riding centers in the region.

A pivotal moment came when Alain and Christian visited Burke Mountain in Vermont—home to a renowned lift-access downhill park and a cornerstone of the Kingdom Trails network. "He looked at the map and said, 'This is my land. I can do this,'" recalls Alain. From there, the dream got bigger.

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Fat biking helped fuel it. When the snow started falling, avid riders packed trails with snowshoes and snowmobiles, grooming by hand and headlamp. They improvised, adapted, and learned—often working late into the night and tinkering in their garages to build custom grooming rigs. Borrowing ideas from ski areas, they tailored their techniques for fat tires and packed snow. As demand grew, they introduced a small trail fee and reinvested the earnings into proper machinery. That snowball effect—no pun intended—led to one of the largest and busiest fat bike networks in the world. Today, the E47 crew shares their hard-earned knowledge with other trail centers across Québec, raising the bar for winter trail care everywhere.

"Everything began with XTERRA," Alain says, "but the fat bike—that's what gave Empire 47 its identity."

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Today, E47 operates on a full-year model, boasting an impressive 1,000 winter members and 3,500 summer members. On peak weekends, the trail center sees around 800 riders a day, making it one of the busiest mountain bike hubs in the region. "Weekends are full of kids," says Gabriel Marceau, E47's Director of Operations. "It's amazing—families are more than welcome here."

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During the summer, riders can explore approximately 80 kilometres of trail, with machine-built and hand-sculpted singletrack winding through the woods. Designers built the network for everyone, from families and first-timers to expert flow-seekers. Signature lines like Belzébrute, Upper Valkyrie, and Kamasutrail deliver Whistler-calibre berms and granite slabs, while easier loops like Queue de Castor and Huron help new riders build skills and confidence at their own pace. A paved, lit pump track near the welcome center keeps the stoke going, and a drop-in daycare introduces kids to outdoor play while parents hit the trails.

Behind the scenes, a team of over 80 employees keep things running smoothly. Trail crews build year-round. Coaches teach. Ticketing, patrol, and events operate like a well-oiled machine.

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Still privately owned but carefully managed, Empire 47 operates with a sustainable tourism model that weaves environmental protection, community engagement, and economic impact into every decision. They eliminated motorized recreation and stopped illegal dumping, restoring degraded land and protecting the surrounding boreal forest. Trail impact remains below 5% of the 60 million square feet they manage—a testament to careful planning and erosion-conscious design. By creating a world-class trail system just 25 minutes from Québec City, they've also built a consistent flow of outdoor tourism that supports local restaurants, hotels, and gear shops throughout the year. Most importantly, E47 keeps the community at its core, offering inclusive programming, local employment opportunities, and a welcoming space for everyone.

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The XTERRA Québec course now threads through the evolving trail system while still tracing the bones of the original, hand-built six-kilometre loop from 2014. The route unfolds like a story across the land. It starts with a gravel-lined straightaway before a safe street crossing leads into the network proper. From there, a warm-up climb winds through the Évolution zone and into La Grimace's undulating terrain. Then comes Kerozen—the trail that started it all—still rough, still rowdy, and still earning riders' respect. The course then opens into scenic sections like Family and Huron before picking up speed through Pètepisrépète's fast rollers. The longest climb, Apex, leads to one of E47's best-loved descents: Shaman, with smooth berms and fast, flowing lines that urge riders to let loose. The course finishes with a mix of forest singletrack, river-crossing boardwalks, and the jump-filled Pada-One line that funnels into E47's paved pump track.

Thanks to the parks' thoughtfully varied network, the event is open to anyone, even complete beginners. "We try to make our events accessible to everyone," says Alain. "If you don't swim, there's a duathlon. If you've never mountain biked, we have a discovery course. You just show up with a bike—no experience needed." That mindset—welcoming, adaptive, inclusive—flows through everything E47 does.

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Already a key event on the XTERRA Americas Tour and World Cup stop, Alain's long-term goal is to also bring an regional championship to the trails, and continue to create pathways for new riders and racers of all ages to access the sport through all E47 has to offer.

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Now, as Race Director, Alain continues to guide the organization but leaves the day-to-day to his team. "I get to talk to the participants more now," he says. "Hear their stories. Figure out how we can keep improving."

"I get to talk to the participants more now. Hear their stories. Figure out how we can keep improving."

From a scrappy 6-kilometre loop to a world-class trail center, Empire 47 keeps growing. Keeps evolving. Still fueled by vision, grit, and community.

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"If I knew in 2013 what I know now, I never would've done it," Alain laughs. "Not because I regret it—but because we had no idea how much work it would take. But some of the best things come from not knowing. You just dive in. And years later, you look back and realize what you've built."

Empire 47 shows that trails can do more than connect riders. They can anchor a community, spark lifelong outdoor habits, and help protect the very landscapes that make them possible.

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They're not just building trails.

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They're building a legacy.