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Km 0 |
Beginning of the Trans-Taiga Road, starting at Km 544 of the James
Bay Road. |
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Km 11 |
Hydro-Quebec microwave tower: "Castor" - no emergency phone.
Hydro transmission lines cross the road here. |
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Km 23
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Emergency telephone: "Sakami"
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Km 31 |
Nice view of an unnamed lake to the south. |
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Km 42 |
Road north to dam on Robert-Bourassa Reservoir |
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Km 56 |
Sakami Lake, 1.4km from the road. Picnic tables, boat launch, toilets,
fishing, camping. This is a very basic campground, little more than a
parking lot. |
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Km 59
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"Exutoire Sakami":
Sakami water overflow structure. Picnic tables, toilets, shelters(2). This is the
channel through which all the water diverted north from the Eastmain and
Opinaca Rivers flows north into the Robert Bourassa Reservoir. There's a
huge rapids visible in the distance to the north.
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Km 62
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Robert Bourassa Reservoir, 3 km from the road. Picnic tables, toilets, boat launch,
fishing, camping, viewpoint, no shelters. There's about 10 camping sites
here. Nice campground. The access road is narrow and rough.
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Km 87 |
Hydro-Quebec microwave tower: "Aeroport LG3". No emergency phone. |
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Km 96 |
LG3 Airport.
Emergency Phone (the last one as you head east). |
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Km 100
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Access road north to LG-3 dam and generating station (28 km) and
Hydro Quebec's Sakami settlement (25 km - not open to the public - no
services or accommodations). At LG-3 there is a scenic viewpoint with
interpretive signs overlooking the LG-3 dam and hydro-electric complex.
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Km 105 |
Road leads north to dam sites and Reservoir. |
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Km 110 |
Good view ahead of one of the dams and Cookish Bay of the Robert Bourassa
Reservoir. |
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Km 150 |
Road leads north to the Reservoir. |
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Km 170-180 |
The Road runs along atop an esker. As a result it is narrower, winding and
rougher. Nice views along here. |
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Km 186 |
Hydro Quebec "Poste Lemoyne" and microwave tower "Guyer". No emergency
phone. |
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Km 203
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Pontois River. Picnic tables, shelters(3), boat launch, toilets,
fishing, campgrounds(2), viewpoint. This is the last official campground
as you head east. Nice campground. Nice view of a rapids from the
viewpoint. There's a second campsite just west of the bridge on the
south side, but it is a very basic campground, little more than a
parking lot, located under the main hydro wires.
There are two boat launches. One is west of the bridge on the south
side, the other is east from the rest area, on the north side. This is
the last rest area and campground on the road.
Information panel.
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Km 243 |
Asatawasach River. |
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Km 256 |
Hydro Quebec microwave tower "Marvin" up on hill. |
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Km 286
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Nouchimi Outfitters, at Cladonia Lake. Fuel available
8am-5pm. Restaurant 7am-7pm. Rooms available 24 hrs. Open all year.
Phone (819) 855-3373, website:
www.nouchimi.com. Cargair hydroplane base (819) 854-4186. In May
2008 gas was $1.82/liter here.
This is the last fuel available on this road heading west. If you're
heading west and north to Radisson, the next fuel is 362 km away. If you're
heading west and south the next fuel is 449 km away at km 381 of the
James Bay Road.
If you're heading east and don't want to stop at Mirage Outfitter for
fuel, it is 592 km to Brisay at km 582 and back, or 760 km to the end at
km 666 and back.
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Km 292
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LG-4 airport.
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Km 306 |
Junction with Hydro Quebec access road leading to LG-4. |
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Km 307
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Keyano Hydro Quebec settlement, 1 km south. Not open to the public.
No services or accommodations.
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Km 308
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Viewpoint overlooking the LG4 dam and hydro installation to the north,
accessed by a steep and narrow road leading uphill. This is marked with
the French word for viewpoint, "belvedere". The lookout platform burned
down in a
forest fire in 2005.
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Km 308 |
Second access road leading to Keyano.
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Km 311
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Second access road to LG-4 dam and generating station, 5 km to the north.
Road and hydro installation not open to the public. No services or accommodations.
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Km 341 |
LG-4 Reservoir boat launch. |
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Km 358 |
Polaris Bridge
over the La Grande River. |
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Km 358
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Mirage Outfitter. Gas and diesel available 6am-9pm; outside these
hours for a $20 surcharge (which is sometimes waived). Restaurant 6am-8pm. Dormitory style rooms
as well as full size luxury rooms are available 24 hrs/day:
Dormitory style rooms were $75 in September 2005 and are still $75 in
Jan 2011. Telephone (819) 339-3150; website: www.pourvoiriemirage.com. Open all year.
In May 2008 gas was $1.47/liter here.
This is the last fuel and services available on the Trans-Taiga Road.
To go to Brisay at km 582 and back is 448 km, or to the very
end (Caniapiscau) and back is 616 km.
Mirage's owners took back the management of the business in late summer of 2008, and
it is now a much
friendlier place than it was prior to that!
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Km 362 |
Airstrip. |
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Km 382
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Donat Asselin Outfitter, winter only. No fuel. Phone (418) 661-0580.
Fax (418) 664-1881. Website:
www.pourvoiriedonatasselin.com.
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Km 395
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Access road to LA-1 dam and generating station, 42 km to the north.
Also Hydro Quebec residences. Not open to the public. No services or
accommodations.
The Kiskimaastakin Outfitter is located 63 km to the north along this
road - phone (819) 853-5114, website:
www.kiskimaastakin.com, fuel
is available only for their customers.
Past this point the speed limit is 70 km/h, due to the narrower road
surface.
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Km 457 |
Unnamed river and bridge. |
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Km 516 |
Unnamed river and bridge. Nice rapids viewable from the bridge. |
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Km 521 |
Unnamed river and bridge.
Nice lake and rapids here too. |
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Km 525
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Access road to LA-2 dam and generating station, 7 km to the north.
Not open to the public. No services or accommodations.
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Km 528 |
LA-2 airport. |
Km 542
(approx) |
Somewhere around here you will be the farthest north you can reach in
eastern Canada along a road, except for the rougher stretch of the
Trans-Taiga Road east of Brisay - there the road goes even farther
north. |
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Km 582
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Brisay dam and
generating station. At this point you are 658 km from the nearest town
(Radisson)!
Hydro Quebec residences, not
open to the public. No services or accommodations.
There's an extensive set of Hydro Quebec interpretive signs here, along
a small self-guided road tour of the hydro installation, including a
high viewpoint. Well worth a visit, especially after driving all this
way. No tours are available.
The road from Brisay
to Caniapiscau is rougher and a 4-wheel drive vehicle is recommended
by Hydro Quebec.
The main reason for this is the very coarse gravel used for this road -
there's large rocks littering the road surface - and the dips in the
road. However, I have heard
from people who have driven this road in ordinary passenger cars and
they say it is fine. You do have to keep your eyes open for the larger
rocks though. However, the road becomes more scenic and rises in
elevation (up to about 2000 feet above sea level).
-->To continue to Caniapiscau, when coming in to the
Brisay area, turn
right at the "T" junction, follow the signs to the "Belvedere", then
turn left at the signs for "Belvedere" and "Caniapiscau" (the sign for
Caniapiscau indicates that it is 92 km away, but all other sources say
that the Trans-Taiga Road ends at km 666, which is 84 km away). Continue straight, over the
control structure past the "Belvederes". There are no further signs
indicating that this is the road to Caniapiscau.
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Km 666
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- Caniapiscau reservoir and Duplanter water overflow structure. No
services.
- End of the Trans-Taiga Road, 745 km from the nearest town. This is the
farthest you can get from a town on a road anywhere in North America! (Not
counting the private Hydro Quebec towns that are not open to the
public).
- On the left side is the runway. Although topo map says it is no
longer used, in fact, it is well maintained & used for charter flights
(mostly from Montreal, for outfitter's customers). Road splits here.
Right branch goes to the Caniapiscau dam (very interesting place). Left
branch goes to Air Saguenay base on Lac Pau and then to the garbage dump
for the area.
- Explo-sylva Outfitter. (514) 254-6345, 1-800-267-9797. Website:
www.explo-sylva.com.
Open mid-June through mid-October (thaw period). No fuel.
- Leaf River Outfitters 418-882-6210. Website:
www.leafriverlodge.com.
- You cannot drive across country east to Labrador from here! Don't even
think about trying. Not even
with an ATV. Read Past the End.
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