Mistastin Crater Road (Newfoundland and Labrador)

The Mistastin Crater Road punches 38 kilometers north from the Trans-Labrador Highway through black spruce bog and granite outcrops to reach a 28-kilometer-wide meteorite crater formed 36 million years ago. Originally built to service uranium exploration in the 1970s, this rough track crosses the Mistastin River twice via sketchy wooden bridges before climbing to the crater rim at 515 meters elevation. The crater lake itself stretches like a perfect blue circle surrounded by impact-shattered bedrock that NASA has used as Mars analog training.

This expert-level route demands a fully capable 4WD with rock sliders and recovery gear. The road surface ranges from loose boulders to deep sand pockets, with several technical rock climbs that will test your spotter skills. Bridges may be out without notice — carry a chainsaw for deadfall removal. Best attempted June through August when ice clears the high country. No services exist for 200 kilometers in any direction, and satellite communication is your only contact with civilization. What you get is exclusive access to one of the planet’s most significant geological features and some of the purest wilderness camping in eastern Canada.