Outaouais

Vérendrye River

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About

The Guide des Parcours represents La Vérendrye's comprehensive route collection spanning from beginner-friendly lake circuits to expert-level whitewater challenges with Class V rapids. This extensive system features over 800km of maintained routes traversing rivers, reservoirs, and 4,000 scenic lakes with varying difficulty from Class I to Class V rapids. The network includes 37 portages totaling significant distances and 17 designated campsites strategically placed throughout the reserve. Best suited for experienced paddlers seeking multi-day adventures, these routes offer unparalleled variety in Quebec's boreal wilderness with options ranging from 2-15 day expeditions accessing some of North America's most remote paddling experiences.

Highlights

800km of routesClass I-V rapidsMulti-day expeditionsDiverse difficulty levelsProfessional management
Best season: May-September

The rapids this document describes

The document describes 51. The map shows 0, because it only places rapids a national survey publishes a coordinate for. The two counts measure different things.

RapidClassPortageSurveyor's note
rapids on Circuit 11classe I R1yes3 rapides de classe I, 1 seuil
[Circuit 15 rapids]classe I R1yes3 rapides de classe I
[Circuit 15 rapids]classe II R2yes1 rapide de classe II
[Circuit 15 rapids]classe II-III R2-3yes1 rapide de classe II-III
[Circuit 16 rapids]classe I R1yes5 rapides de classe I
[Circuit 16 rapids]classe I-II R1-2yes1 rapide de classe I-II
[Circuit 16 rapids]classe II R2yes3 rapides de classe II
[Circuit 16 rapids]classe II-S R2yes1 rapide de classe II-S
[Circuit 16 rapids]classe III R3yes1 rapide de classe III
[Circuit 16 rapids]classe III-IV R3-4yes1 rapide de classe III-IV (contre courant)
Section 1 rapidsRI-RII, 1 RIII-III, 1 RIII-IV, I RV-VI, 1 SIII-IV R1-6yes4 portages pour 570 mètres (2.3% de la longueur du circuit), 1 portage pour 300 mètres (1.2% de la longueur du circuit)
Section 2 rapids2 eaux-vives, 18 RI, 1 RI-II, 21 RII, 5 RII-III, 4 RIII, 2 RIV, 3RV, 1 RV-VI, 1 SIII, 1 SIII-IV, 1 SIV, 2 SV, 1 chute R1-6yes13 portages pour 3930 mètres (5.6% de la longueur du circuit), 4 portages pour 1100 mètres (1.6% de la longueur du circuit)
infranchissableinfranchissableyesCircuit 30 - 1 infranchissable
infranchissableinfranchissableyesCircuit 33 - 1 infranchissable
majèresmajèresyesCircuit 33 - 4 majères
infranchissableyes1 infranchissable
classe I R11 rapide de classe I
classe II R23 rapides de classe II
classe II-III R2-31 rapide de classe II-III
classe I R1yes1 rapide de classe I
classe V R5yes1 rapide de classe V
Classe I et II R1-2yesPlusieurs rapides de classe I et II pour les amateurs d'eau vive
[Section 1 rapids summary]2 classe I, 1 classe II, 2 classe III R1-3yesSection 1 contains multiple rapids of varying difficulty
[Section 2 rapids summary]6 classe I, 1 classe I-II, 4 classe II, 7 classe II-III, 1 classe III, 3 classe IV, 1 classe V R1-5yesSection 2 contains numerous rapids including challenging class IV and V rapids, plus 1 chute, 1 fort courant, 1 seuil
Rapids en remontéeClass I R1yesLe circuit est à contre-courant sur 31 km, cependant, le courant est perceptible sur 10 km et peut être difficile à remonter par eau haute. 2 eaux vives (marche à gué), 1 rapide de classe I, 1 barrage de castor
Rapids en descenteClass I to Class V R1-5yes1 maigre, 3 rapides de classe I, 2 rapides de classe II-III, 1 rapide de classe IV, 1 rapide de classe V, 4 seuils, 2 chutes
[unnamed rapids in Section 3]6 rapides de classe I R1yes
[unnamed rapids in Section 3]1 rapide de classe I-II R1-2yes
[unnamed rapids in Section 3]3 rapides de classe II R2yes
[unnamed rapids in Section 3]8 rapides de classe II-III R2-3yes
[unnamed rapids in Section 3]1 rapide de classe III R3yes
[unnamed rapids in Section 3]2 rapides de classe IV R4yes
[unnamed rapids in Section 3]1 rapide de classe V R5yes
[unnamed rapids in Section 1]1 rapide de classe I et un maigre R1yeson doit remonter à gué
[unnamed rapids in Section 4]1 rapide de classe I R1yesqu'on doit remonter à gué
Class I rapidsCIyes6 rapides de classe I
Class II rapidsCIIyes3 rapides de classe II
Class I-II rapidCI-IIyes1 rapide de classe I-II
Class IV rapidCIVyes1 rapide de classe IV
Chute BigChuteyes rive gauche1 chute
3 rapides classe I R1
1 rapide classe II R2
1 rapide classe III R3
2 rapides classe IV R4
1 rapide classe V R5
1 rapide classe I R1Circuit 77
[unnamed]eau vive EV1 eau vive
[unnamed]classe I R11 rapide de classe I
[unnamed]classe II R23 rapides de classe II
[unnamed]seuils2 seuils
[unnamed]infranchissableyes1 infranchissable

This table publishes no position for any rapid. Where a surveyor's note mentions a kilometre, those are their words quoted as written, and the figure was read off a scanned map: use it to follow their description, not to navigate. Most of these surveys were written in French.

Surveyed by Réserve Faunique, 2003-08. ParcoursVerendrye2002.pdf

The portages this document describes

The document describes 37 portage(s).

PortageLengthBankNotes
Circuit 10 portage410 m1,7% de la longueur du circuit
Circuit 11 portages group 1the source recorded 680 m as a total across several portages, so it does not describe this one3 portages qui totalisent 680 m (2% de la longueur du circuit)
Circuit 11 portages group 2the source recorded 315 m as a total across several portages, so it does not describe this one2 portages qui totalisent 315 m (0,9% de la longueur du circuit)
Circuit 15 portagesthe source recorded 740 m as a total across several portages, so it does not describe this one8 portages qui totalisent 740 m (1,6% de la longueur du circuit)
Circuit 15 additional portagesthe source recorded 245 m as a total across several portages, so it does not describe this one2 portages qui totalisent 245 m (0,5% de la longueur du circuit)
Circuit 16 main portagesthe source recorded 5245 m as a total across several portages, so it does not describe this one16 portages qui totalisent 5245 m (6,3% de la longueur du circuit)
Circuit 16 additional portagesthe source recorded 445 m as a total across several portages, so it does not describe this one4 portages qui totalisent 445 m (0,5% de la longueur du circuit)
Section 1 portagesthe source recorded 570 m as a total across several portages, so it does not describe this one4 portages, 2.3% de la longueur du circuit
Section 1 additional portage300 m1.2% de la longueur du circuit
Section 2 portagesthe source recorded 3930 m as a total across several portages, so it does not describe this one13 portages, 5.6% de la longueur du circuit
Section 2 additional portagesthe source recorded 1100 m as a total across several portages, so it does not describe this one4 portages, 1.6% de la longueur du circuit
Circuit 30 - 8 portages qui totalisent 1,5 km (3,3% de la longueur du circuit)the source recorded 1500 m as a total across several portages, so it does not describe this one8 portages total
Circuit 33 - 10 portages qui totalisent 3,43 km (4,5% de la longueur du circuit)the source recorded 3430 m as a total across several portages, so it does not describe this one10 portages total
Circuit 33 - 4 portages qui totalisent 190m (0,6% de la longueur du circuit)the source recorded 190 m as a total across several portages, so it does not describe this one4 portages subset
5 portages totaling 635m (1.4% of circuit length)the source recorded 635 m as a total across several portages, so it does not describe this oneReprésentent 1,4% de la longueur de circuit
1 portage de 100m (0.2% of circuit length)100 mReprésente 0,2% de la longueur du circuit
7 portages totaling 1.6 km (2.4% of circuit length)the source recorded 1600 m as a total across several portages, so it does not describe this oneReprésentent 2,4% de la longueur du circuit
2 portages totaling 185 m (0.3% of circuit length)the source recorded 185 m as a total across several portages, so it does not describe this oneReprésentent 0,3% de la longueur du circuit
6 portages totalisent 2,6 km (Circuit 37)the source recorded 2600 m as a total across several portages, so it does not describe this one3,7% de la longueur de circuit
1 portage (Circuit 37)250 m0,4% de la longueur du circuit
5 portages (Circuit 49 Section 2)the source recorded 985 m as a total across several portages, so it does not describe this one1,5% de la longueur de la section
Section 1 portagesthe source recorded 190 m as a total across several portages, so it does not describe this one2 portages qui totalisent 190m (0.2% de la longueur totale du circuit)
Section 2 portages - Relevée par eau hautethe source recorded 980 m as a total across several portages, so it does not describe this one6 portages qui totalisent 980 m (1.4% de la longueur du circuit). 9 portages qui totalisent 895 m (1.3% de la longueur du circuit)
18 portages qui totalisent 2.9 km (4% de la longueur du circuit)the source recorded 2900 m as a total across several portages, so it does not describe this oneCertains portages de la rivière Canimiti peuvent être noyés par eau haute
3 portages qui totalisent 645 m (1% de la longueur du circuit)the source recorded 645 m as a total across several portages, so it does not describe this one
Des portages sont existants pour 3 rapides rencontrésnot statedSection 1
Des portages sont existants pour les rapides rencontrés sauf pour 1 eau-vive et 1 rapide de classe Inot statedSection 4
Circuit 64 - 2 portages totaling 230mthe source recorded 230 m as a total across several portages, so it does not describe this one0.7% de la longueur du circuit
Circuit 64 - 8 portages totaling 1.0 kmthe source recorded 1000 m as a total across several portages, so it does not describe this one3% de la longueur du circuit
Circuit 70 - 3 portages totaling 385 metresthe source recorded 385 m as a total across several portages, so it does not describe this one0.8% de la longueur du circuit
Portage du côté gauche de la route avant le 2e pontnot statedrive gauche
Circuit 73 - 6 portages totaling 1.7 km (1.5% of circuit length)the source recorded 1700 m as a total across several portages, so it does not describe this one
Circuit 73 - 2 portages totaling 210 m (0.18% of circuit length)the source recorded 210 m as a total across several portages, so it does not describe this one
Circuit 77 - 13 portages totaling 4.5 km (5.4% of circuit length)the source recorded 4500 m as a total across several portages, so it does not describe this one
Circuit 77 - 1 portage of 135 m (0.2% of circuit length)135 m
3 portages totalling 1.1 km (2% of circuit length)the source recorded 1100 m as a total across several portages, so it does not describe this one
3 portages totalling 580 m (1% of circuit length)the source recorded 580 m as a total across several portages, so it does not describe this one

The campsites this document describes

The document describes 17 campsite(s).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difficulty level of Vérendrye River?

Vérendrye River is rated Advanced. Whitewater ratings are not exact: grades change with water level and season. Verify current conditions locally before you paddle.

When is the best time to canoe Vérendrye River?

The best time is May-September.

Where is Vérendrye River located?

Vérendrye River is located in the Outaouais region of Canada.

View interactive map View original PDF map

Sources

cartespleinair.org (2002 route guide, in French) · paddlingmag.com · sepaq.com · brandononthego.ca · myccr.com

Conditions change with water level and season. Grades and positions are for planning, not navigation. Verify locally before you paddle. Terms of use

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