Ungava Peninsula Iron Ore Mining Circuit

The Ungava Peninsula Iron Ore Mining Circuit follows the remnants of Canada’s northern iron rush, connecting a network of mining roads that once served massive open-pit operations in the 1960s and 70s. Starting from Schefferville, the route heads north through tundra landscape via the old Quebec Cartier Railway service roads, then loops through abandoned mining camps at Gagnon and Fire Lake before connecting to active operations near Fermont. This is true subarctic travel where you’ll encounter caribou herds, traditional Innu hunting camps, and the stark beauty of Canada’s mineral frontier.

Expert-level difficulty demands expedition-prepared vehicles with winch, extra fuel, and emergency supplies for 500+ km stretches without services. The route is only accessible June through September, with frequent equipment-destroying sharp rock and deep mud holes that have claimed countless vehicles. Permits are required for some mining company lands, and respect for Indigenous territories is essential. Cell service is nonexistent, but this circuit offers access to some of the most remote and spectacular landscape in eastern Canada, plus the chance to experience the scale of Canada’s resource extraction history.