Chemin Forestier de la Zec de la Rivière-Boivin — Haute-Gaspésie Interior Highland Road

Most overlanders who hit the Gaspé Peninsula stay close to the St. Lawrence coastline or the edges of the Chic-Chocs park boundary. The Zec de la Rivière-Boivin road pushes past both into a zone that doesn’t see much traffic outside hunting season. The route climbs from the Matapédia Valley floor — accessible from near Amqui on Route 132 — and works northeast into the highland plateau, following the Boivin River drainage through dense balsam fir and paper birch before the treeline starts thinning toward 700-metre summits. The river crossings on this route are not bridged at every point; the Boivin itself requires a ford assessment in spring runoff, and the clay substrate turns greasy within hours of rain. A mid-route lookout near Côteau des Hirondelles delivers a Chic-Chocs panorama that earns its approach.

Moderate difficulty in dry conditions, difficult after precipitation — that clay sticks to everything and pulls tires sideways. High-clearance 4WD with aggressive all-terrain rubber is the call; mud tires if you’re running this in shoulder season. ZEC access requires a daily permit from the Zec organization — buy it online or at the entry point. No fuel beyond Amqui. Water from the Boivin is plentiful but filter it. Late June through September is the sweet spot; October pushes it but the fall colour in the Matapédia highlands is absurdly good if you accept the cold nights.