Groulx Mountains – Uapishka

Located 125 km north of the Daniel-Johnson dam, more precisely 335 km north of Baie-Comeau, this remote region is increasingly popular with the hiking community, with 42 of the peaks above 1000 m in the Groulx Mountains territory, 15 of which are located in the North-South traverse sector. Mont Veyrier is the massif’s highest point, reaching an altitude of 1104 m.

Crossed by lakes and rivers, this mountain range is covered with boreal vegetation and alpine tundra. Abundant wildlife, including gray wolf, black bear, ptarmigan, woodland caribou, spruce grouse, red fox, marten, etc. A flora composed mainly of black and white spruce, balsam fir, white birch and trembling aspen up to around 800 m altitude. Above 800 m, the forest becomes sparse with spruce and fir.

Trails

In summer, there are two marked trails. The first leads to the summit of Mont Provencher and the second to the summit of Mont Jauffret. An unmarked circuit links the two trails, via Mont Veyrier and Mont Jumelle. Here, it’s best for everyone to face their own route to avoid damaging the fragile taiga and tundra vegetation at this altitude. The best access period is from June 15 to 25 or early September. Before June 15, it’s best to bring your skis or snowshoes.

Access

To get there, it’s about a 10-hour drive from Quebec City. The Groulx Mountains are accessible via the Trans-Labrador Highway, with the entrance to Route 389 in Baie-Comeau. The trip from Baie-Comeau to the Groulx Mountains takes about 4h30. Gas stations are available at km 95 (cash only), the Motel de l’Energie at km 211 and the Relais Gabriel at km 317. The ends of the summer trails, with base camps and parking, are on the Manic-5 road at km 335 for Mont Provencher and km 365 for Mont Jauffret.

Trail conditions

For information on trail conditions, visit the Société des Amis des Monts Groulx Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/188557424567717/

Nearby

At Km 336 of Route 389, Station Uapishka on the shores of Lac du Cratère Manicouagan offers camping, cottage and lodge accommodations, as well as several guided and self-guided outdoor activity packages.

The Groulx Mountains region was originally named Uapishka by the North Coast Innu, meaning “white peaks” because they are covered in snow for around nine months of the year. They were renamed in 1967 by Daniel Johnson’s government in honor of historian Lionel Groulx.