Manicouagan Crater

An asteroid roughly five kilometres across struck here about two hundred and fourteen million years ago, leaving a crater around one hundred kilometres wide; erosion and later flooding for hydroelectricity turned it into an annular lake with René-Levasseur Island at the centre, the second largest lake island in the world. The ring is so distinct that astronauts photograph it routinely and it is called the eye of Quebec. Mount Babel on the island is the rebound peak from the impact. Route 389 runs north past the Daniel-Johnson dam, the largest multiple-arch and buttress dam in the world, and continues to Labrador.

Highlights

• The ring lake - a circular reservoir around a central island.
• René-Levasseur Island - the second largest lake island on earth.
• The Daniel-Johnson dam - the world's largest multiple-arch buttress dam.
• Mount Babel - the central rebound peak of the impact structure.

When to go

June to September; Route 389 has long gravel sections and winter driving is serious with no services for hundreds of kilometres. The ring shape is only fully visible from the air or a map.

Practical notes

From the ground the crater looks like an ordinary lake; the shape needs an aerial view. Route 389 is rough, remote and hard on vehicles, with fuel stops far apart. Services are minimal.

Nearby

Baie-Comeau lies south; Labrador is north on the same road.

Key facts