Chemin Forestier de la Zec Nordique — Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean Boreal Shield Interior Loop

North of Chicoutimi, once you’ve cleared the last strip mall and crossed onto ZEC Nordique territory, the Canadian Shield takes over and it doesn’t negotiate. The road network here is built for logging trucks, which means it can handle weight but not necessarily traction — you’ll find exposed bedrock outcrops polished smooth by decades of equipment, stream crossings without bridges, and long stretches of sharp fractured granite that will eat sidewalls from tires with compromised integrity. The main circuit links forestry camps along the upper tributaries of the Rivière aux Sables and Rivière du Moulin, climbing through black spruce and jack pine into open rocky terrain where the views across the Saguenay plateau are legitimately stunning. The ZEC access permit is mandatory and purchased at the entry station or online through ZEC Nordique’s portal.

Mid-July through late September is the sweet spot — black flies ease off by mid-July, and the fall colours in September are something you’ll want your camera ready for. Minimum vehicle requirement is a high-clearance 4WD; the rock sections punish anything with low ground clearance and soft sidewall tires. Fuel in Chicoutimi — there’s nothing on route. Cell service drops to zero within a few kilometres of entry. This is Canadian Shield overlanding at its most honest: hard rock, big sky, and the sound of nothing but wind and ravens.