The highway curves northeast to pass through the communities of Feronia and later Redbridge and Balsam Creek, after which it enters thick wilderness dominated by the Canadian Shield and Boreal Forest, with few residences or services outside of communities. It meanders northward, meeting the northern end of Highway 533, which travels south to Mattawa, approximately two-thirds of the distance between North Bay and the Quebec border. For the remainder of the highway, the route passes through isolated forests, travelling north, then curving east towards the Ottawa River. It passes through the community of Eldee before turning north alongside the river, following it up through Thorne. North of Thorne, the highway turns east and crosses the river into Quebec, becoming Route 101 and entering Témiscaming.