Grand Rapids is found 427.4 kilometres (265.6 mi) from the mouth of the Athabasca River, Alberta, Canada.
In the channel is an island, where the Hudson's Bay Company built a tramway to transport the outfits for all the northern posts.
[4] "In 1989, the Athabasca River was designated a Canadian Heritage River for its importance to the fur trade and the construction of railways and roads opening up the Canadian West, as well as for its natural heritage.
"[5] Grand Rapids Wildland Provincial Park in the Rapids Reach of the Athabasca River upstream from Ft. McMurray is a critical moose wintering range.
Scenic, with "numerous rapids, rock outcrops and slump blocks...the river is deeply incised for the entire length of the park, in places exceeding 150 metres."