Chemin de la Rivière Mistassibi — Réserve faunique des Laurentides Northern Forestry Circuit

The Mistassibi River drains one of the most remote corners of the Réserve faunique des Laurentides, and the forestry road that parallels its upper reaches is exactly the kind of route that separates overlanders from tourists. Starting near the Chicoutimi-Nord access gate on the reserve’s northern side, you’re immediately in dense boreal forest with no cell signal and no bailout options for long stretches. The route crosses several unnamed tributaries and a handful of timber bridges in variable condition — checking current status with SÉPAQ before you go is non-negotiable. Logging traffic is real and unpredictable; yield to the semis and pull wide.

This is genuine backcountry Quebec. Spring and early summer turn the clay-heavy sections into axle-deep mud traps that will swallow under-prepared rigs whole. Late July through early October is your window. You need a capable 4WD with a locker or LSD, a lift, and recovery gear — a buddy vehicle is strongly advised. Fuel in Alma or Chicoutimi before entering; there’s nothing inside. SÉPAQ charges a daily access fee for the reserve. You get moose, loons, pike-filled lakes, and a real taste of Quebec’s boreal interior as your reward.