Route and road trips

Coming from Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean? Don’t think of Route 172 as simply a way to get to Tadoussac. It is already the beginning of your journey!

Leaving Saguenay, the road follows the fjord valley toward Sacré-Cœur, the western gateway to Côte-Nord. Along the way, you will already begin to experience the scale of the mountains surrounding Parc national du Fjord-du-Saguenay.

Take the time to make a detour to Anse-de-Roche, admire the mountains plunging toward the Saguenay and discover the spectacular scenery of the fjord before continuing on to Tadoussac.

In Tadoussac, two worlds meet: the Saguenay Fjord and the St. Lawrence Estuary. From there, the Whale Route becomes your new road.

Tadoussac to Kegaska | 845 km

This is the ultimate Côte-Nord road trip. From Tadoussac to Kegaska, Route 138 follows the St. Lawrence for nearly 850 kilometres, with coastal scenery accompanying you for much of the journey.

Along the way, discover the whales of Tadoussac, the long beaches of Haute-Côte-Nord, Baie-Comeau, Port-Cartier, Sept-Îles, the islands of the Mingan Archipelago, Havre-Saint-Pierre, Natashquan and, finally, Kegaska, where the road ends.

Known as the Whale Route, Route 138 is meant to be travelled slowly: leave the main road, explore the villages, walk to the water’s edge, sample local products and set off again without necessarily knowing where your next stop will be.

Baie-Comeau → Fermont | approximately 565 km

Here, the St. Lawrence disappears behind you and the North truly begins.

From Baie-Comeau, Route 389 crosses the boreal forest to Fermont and the 51st parallel. Along the way: the impressive Daniel-Johnson Dam at Manic-5, immense reservoirs, the Uapishka Mountains, kilometres of virtually uninhabited territory and, finally, the mining town of Fermont.

This road requires more preparation, but that is precisely part of its appeal. Here, you keep an eye on your fuel, plan your stops and accept that you may occasionally lose cell service in exchange for something much harder to find: a true sense of expedition.

For those who want to continue, Route 389 is the gateway to Expedition 51°, a journey of some 1,700 km through Québec and Labrador.

Kegaska → Blanc-Sablon | By sea

In Kegaska, after 845 km on Route 138, the pavement ends. But the journey is far from over.

To discover the heart of the Lower North Shore, you need to completely change the way you travel. The Bella Desgagnés follows the coastline, stopping at communities that are still not connected to Québec’s continuous road network.

Kegaska. La Romaine. Harrington Harbour. Tête-à-la-Baleine. La Tabatière. Saint-Augustin. Blanc-Sablon.

It is a unique way to experience the Lower North Shore: a maritime journey aboard a ship carrying both passengers and freight, where every stop reveals a different community, history and identity.

Here, the journey itself becomes the experience. Watch communities appear from the deck, step ashore for a few hours or a few days, and discover a side of Côte-Nord shaped by the sea, fishing and geographic isolation.

Buttons:

Route 138 also exists at the other end of the Lower North Shore. This section is known as the Chicoutai Scenic Route.

Between Vieux-Fort and Blanc-Sablon, approximately 75 km of road connect several communities at the eastern end of the region. This section is separated from the rest of Québec’s Route 138 by hundreds of kilometres of coastline without a road connection.

Here, the road follows the Gulf of St. Lawrence through scenery unlike anywhere else on Côte-Nord: treeless hills, coves, English-speaking communities, maritime heritage and the vastness of the sea.

And in Blanc-Sablon, you are only a few kilometres from Labrador and the ferry to the island of Newfoundland.

Before setting out, plan the details that can make all the difference. Road access, ferries, bus transportation, air connections, cycling routes, EV charging stations and practical travel tips: find all the essential information you need to reach Côte-Nord and travel throughout the region with ease.