The Malbaie River in the Charlevoix region empties into the Saint Lawrence River at La Malbaie. Until 1985 the river was used to transport logs downstream. It flows through a steep valley known as Les Hautes Gorges. A sugar maple and American elm forest grows in the gorge and has remained largely undisturbed for hundreds of years. Its course successively crosses Grands-Jardins National Park, Laurentides Wildlife Reserve, Zec des Martres, Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie National Park and Zec du Lac-au-Sable. It winds first towards the north-east, towards the east, then towards the south-east, in a narrow and deep glacial valley, for 161 kilometers and a drop of 820 meters. Its course forms a semicircle stretching towards the north and completely encircling in its center the hydrographic slope of the Rivière du Gouffre. For example, there is a distance of between the mouth of the rivières des Martres and the mouth of a stream flowing on the east bank of the upper part of the Malbaie River; at the height of this imaginary line, the course of the Malbaie river stretches north to. While there is a distance of between the mouth of the Malbaie river and the mouth of the Petite rivière Malbaie which flows onto the east bank of the upper part the Malbaie River; at the height of this imaginary line, the course of the Malbaie river stretches north to.Its watershed and that of the rivière du Gouffre form the Charlevoix Biosphere Reserve. Le Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie National Park is home to Eastern Canada's tallest rock-faced cliffs. Designated a national park in 2000, the 233-km2 Hautes-Gorges is the centrepiece of the UNESCO Charlevoix biosphere reserve.
Geography
"Little Tristan Lake" is the "head lake" of the Malbaie River hydrographic slope. It is located in a swampy area in a small valley of mountains. It discharges to the north where water flows through swamps to Tristan Lake that flows through its full length from south to north. The landfill continues for north to Gamache Lake, which crosses the stream from south to north for. This last lake has a large central island. From Gamache Lake, the waters flow north for to the outlet of Lamfort Lake. From there, the Malbaie River descends for to Fradette Lake, which flows through to its full length. Lake Frenette receives by the north-west the waters of lakes Carroll, Milton and Brunette. From the mouth of Fradette Lake, the river flows northeast to Lake Malbaie. The current of the Malbaie River crosses this lake from south to north for. The Malbaie Lake outlet is located to the north. Upper course of the Malbaie River downstream of Malbaie Lake
towards the north by collecting the outlet of Lac Saulmer, then branching east, until the outlet of a series of lakes including Lac à Jack, Lac Fronsac and Petit Lac à Jack;
towards the north-east by collecting the outlet from the Lac des Sixty-Six, then towards the north, until the confluence of the Jardin River;
towards the north by collecting the discharge of Lake Duberger, until the confluence of the L'Enfer River;
to the north by collecting the discharge from Pigeon Lake, then bending towards the northeast at the end of the segment, until the confluence of the Petite rivière Malbaie ;
towards the north bending towards the northwest at the end of the segment up to a bend corresponding to the confluence of the Chemin des Canots River ;
to the north, forming some coils up to the Barley river ;
towards the north by collecting the Cold stream and the Cow's stream, forming a loop towards the northeast and an S, to the confluence of the rivière à la Cruche ;
Intermediate course of the Malbaie river downstream of the Cruche River
towards the north, forming a large curve towards the east, up to the outlet of the lake;
towards the northwest by collecting the Cran Rouge stream up to a bend in the river;
north-east to Caribou stream ;
northeasterly to ruisseau à John ;
to the east in a deep valley by collecting the discharge from Lac Plat, then forming a loop towards the south, to a stream ;
towards the east in a deep valley crossing a few rapids at the start of the segment, collecting the North stream and Scott stream, until at a bend in the river;
to the south in a deep valley crossing the “Les Eaux-Mortes” section and a widening of the river, up to the rivière des Martres ;
Lower course of the Malbaie river downstream of the Martres river
towards the south-east until the Ruisseau des Érables ;
east to the Larouche stream, then northeast to the Pont stream ;
to the east, then south, passing to the east of a mountain, collecting the Cold stream, to the Foulon stream ;
towards the south by forming a loop towards the west at the end of the segment, up to the Rouillé stream ;
by forming a hook towards the north, then towards the east, the south-east and finally the east, until the brook of the Americans ;
Lower course of the Malbaie river downstream from the ruisseau des Americans
to the south, forming a large curve towards the east, collecting the stream of Beavers, up to the stream of Pied des Monts ;
towards the south-east by collecting the outlet of Long Lake, then towards the northeast by winding, until the outlet of Lake Nairne ;
towards the east by forming a big loop towards the north, until the confluence of the Snigole River which flows in the middle of a dam lake ;
to the east by crossing a small dam, up to the confluence of the Jacob ;
to the east, forming large loops in the town of La Malbaie, until the confluence of the Comporté River ;
In 1608, Samuel de Champlain named this stream "Rivière Platte" or "Malle Baye". After the English conquest, the seigneuries of Mount Murray and Murray Bay, so that the English have long named this river Murray River. With time, the Malbaie river finally prevails. Champlain calls the bay "Malbaie" in the sense of bad because of the fact that at low tide the latter dries up and the boats run aground. As for "Murray", he owes his name to James Murray, first governor of province of Quebec, which conceded two seigneuries at the mouth of the river.
