Rivière de l'Enfer facts for kids

The Rivière de l'Enfer is a river in Quebec, Canada. Its name means "Hell's River" in English. This river flows into the eastern side of the Malbaie River.

It is located in a wild area called Lac-Pikauba. This area is part of the Charlevoix Regional County Municipality. The river also flows through two important natural areas: the Laurentides Wildlife Reserve and Grands-Jardins National Park.

The river valley is mostly used for forestry, which means cutting down trees. But it's also a place for recreational tourism, like hiking or fishing. Because of how high up it is, the river usually freezes over from late November to early March. It's generally safe to walk on the ice from early December to early April. The water level changes with the seasons and how much rain or snow falls. The biggest flood usually happens in April.

Where the River Starts and Ends

The Rivière de l'Enfer begins at a lake called Grand lac des Enfers. This lake is about 2.6 km (1.6 mi) long. It's shaped a bit like a banana with some large peninsulas sticking out. The lake is very high up, at about 950 m (3,120 ft) above sea level. It's surrounded by mountains, with tall cliffs on its north side.

Water flows into Grand lac des Enfers from other smaller lakes and streams. The river then flows out of the southwest part of this lake.

From Grand lac des Enfers, the Hell River flows for about 16.2 km (10.1 mi). As it flows, it drops about 230 m (750 ft) in height. Along its path, it collects water from several other streams and small lakes. It also passes through some rapids and a small lake called Bob Lake.

The Rivière de l'Enfer eventually flows into the Malbaie River. This meeting point is also in the Grands-Jardins National Park. From there, the Malbaie River continues for about 130.9 km (81.3 mi) until it empties into the St. Lawrence River near the town of La Malbaie.

Why It's Called "Hell's River"

The name "Hell" has been used for this river and a nearby mountain since the 1800s. The mountain has a deep crack or crevice, which might have made people think of the name "Hell." The river shares its name with the lake where it starts, Grand lac des Enfers.

The name "Rivière de l'Enfer" was officially approved on April 3, 1959. It was later formally added to the official list of place names in Quebec on December 5, 1968.

Related Places

• Charlevoix Regional County Municipality
• Lac-Pikauba, an unorganized territory
• Laurentides Wildlife Reserve
• Grands-Jardins National Park
• Grand lac des Enfers
• Malbaie River
• St. Lawrence River
• List of rivers of Quebec