Rouge River (Seven Sisters)

Big-water rafting and sportyaks an hour from Montréal.

The Rouge drops off the Laurentians toward the Ottawa River through the Seven Sisters, a run of class III–IV rapids and one of the best-known rafting rivers in the East. Riverside bases have campsites, cabins, pools and bars, and guides run rafts and inflatable sportyaks from late April to October. Spring is big and cold; by midsummer the rapids ease to class II–III.

At a glance

River

185 km from Lac Rouge to the Ottawa River

Classic run

8 km through the Seven Sisters

Rapids

Class III–IV in spring, II–III by summer

Family section

Class I–II, ages 6+

Bases

Riverside campgrounds with cabins

Good for

Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced

What’s here

• Whitewater
• Guided tours

Rentals, guides and shops

• New World Rafting (Rafting Nouveau Monde)

  Half-day, full-day and family rafting, sportyaks and weekend packages, with a riverside campground, pool and restaurant.

• Propulsion Rafting

  Classic, half-day and soft rafting, sportyaks and self-guided catarafts from a base camp just above the first Seven Sisters rapid.

Where to stay

• cabinNew World cabin tents

  Rustic four-person cabin tents and campsites at the rafting base, with shared washrooms, hot tubs and bars.

  On the river
• cabinPropulsion cabins

  New cabins for 2 to 8 people in the woods by the base camp, each with a fire pit.

  On the river
• hotelFairmont Le Château Montebello

  Huge log château resort on the Ottawa River.

  30 min drive

Nearby

• Parc Omega · 30 min drive

  Drive-through wildlife park with elk, bison, wolves and bears.

• Carillon Canal National Historic Site · 25 min drive

  Historic canal and lock on the Ottawa River.

• Rafting-base pools and bars · On the river

  Both outfitters’ bases have food, bars and pools for the rest of the day.

Getting there

• Montréal-Trudeau International (YUL) · about 1 hr 15 min drive
• Montréal · about 1.25 hr
• Ottawa · about 1.25 hr

Directions in Google Maps