How to Get There

From Toronto, Ontario:

• Travel north on Hwy 400 and Hwy 11 to the City of North Bay.

• From North Bay take Hwy 63 northeast to Temiscaming in Quebec. 

• Continue north on Quebec Hwy 101 through Ville-Marie, to Hwy 117. Alternatively you may take Hwy 391 (see a Quebec road map). Hwy 101 is more scenic, but there is also more traffic.

• Go east through Rouyn-Noranda. Watch the road signs carefully as you go through the city, as there are many turns and the signs aren't obvious.
  If you plan your route using Google Mps it will show you a way to bypass Rouyn-Noranda, but the roads are quite rough.
  This is the last city you will pass through on your way north.

• Continue east to Hwy 109. Turn left to go north to Amos.

• Continue north on Hwy 109 from Amos to Matagami (183 km).

Please note that you could also drive north on Hwy 11 from North Bay in Ontario and continue north and east from Earlton, via Larder Lake into Quebec on Ontario Hwy 66 and Quebec Hwys 117 & 101 to Rouyn-Noranda. But this route takes longer to drive and there's more traffic.

From Ottawa, Ontario:

• Cross into Quebec and travel north on Hwy 105.

• Turn left onto Hwy 117 to continue north, through La Verendrye Game Reserve.

• At Val-d'Or turn right onto Hwy 111

• Go north to Amos. Turn right onto Hwy 109.

• Continue north on Hwy 109 from Amos to Matagami (183 km).

From Montreal, Quebec:

• Take Autoroute 15 north from the city.

• When it ends continue north on Hwy 117, through La Verendrye Game Reserve.

• At Val-d'Or turn right onto Hwy 111

• Go north to Amos. Turn right onto Hwy 109.

• Continue north on Hwy 109 from Amos to Matagami (183 km).

From Chibougamau, Quebec via Matagami:

• Travel west and south on Hwy 113 to Lebel-sur-Quevillon.

• From here you have two choices:

• (a) Travel north and west on bush roads R1000 and R1005 to Km 6 of the James Bay Road. If you don't know the way, it may be tricky to follow them correctly. These bush roads are used by logging trucks, are gravel, and are sometimes very rough (washboarding). To obtain services in Matagami, go south to km 0 of the James Bay Road. Or,

• (b) Continue south along Hwy 113 to Senneterre.

•      Turn left onto Hwy 386.

•      Continue west along Hwy 386 to Amos (joins Hwy 111 just east of Amos).

•      Turn right onto Hwy 109.

•      Continue north on Hwy 109 from Amos to Matagami (183 km).

From Chibougamau, Quebec via North Road:

• Go north about 15 km from Chibougamau on Hwy 167.

• Turn left onto the North Road (which is also bush road R1031).

Photo: Liam Gumley, Space Science and Engineering Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison