19 Day Lower Missinaibi River Adventure

Adventure Overview

Few rivers can match the power, beauty, and history of the Missinaibi River, one of Canada’s great waterways. From its source at Missinaibi Lake, the river rushes 520km North to James Bay over Precambrian granite, through bogs and marshes, and around spectacular waterfalls. We begin our adventure on this middle section of the Missinaibi River at a secluded bush road access point referred to as ‘Camp 95’.  Located a couple of days upstream of the town of Mattice, the halfway point on the river.  

We jump into the whitewater right away by navigating through Class II and III rapids and portaging around waterfalls, with the most incredible being Thunderhouse Falls, (referred by some clients as the 8th wonder of the world). This spectacular campsite is perched 150 feet above the canyon, where time is spent marveling at the natural beauty of Thunderhouse Falls.

Below the falls, the geology of the river changes from Canadian Shield, to the Hudson’s Bay Lowlands. At Bells Bay is where we bring in a float plane and say goodbye to paddlers that have only joined us for the Thunderhouse Falls Trip and welcome some new paddlers who will join for our Journey to the Northern Sky.

From here it is a downstream paddling with no more portages and gravel bar camping. We will explore gypsum caves, search for fossils, and navigate our canoes through fun swifts.   

We end our trip in the town of Moose Factory, where the Moose Cree people reside and one of the many towns around James Bay that were part of the fur trade and colonisation of Canada.  Our friends here will  show us around and introduce us to some of the local culture, and perhaps take a motor boat trip out to Ship Sands Island at the mouth of James Bay. Finally we will paddle over to the town of Moosonee, portage through the middle of town and board the Polar Bear Express for our journey home.  Join us for this once in a lifetime cultural experience.

We acknowledge that the Missinaibi and Moose Rivers flow through the traditional territories of the Cree and Moose Cree Nations and are recognized under the James Bay Treaty No.9, and that we are visitors to this land.

What's Included