The Rivière Jacques-Cartier Nord-Ouest is a 41.5-kilometre tributary of the Jacques-Cartier River, located in the unorganized territory of Lac-Jacques-Cartier within the La Côte-de-Beaupré Regional County Municipality in Quebec's Capitale-Nationale region. Its source is Brassoit Lake at an elevation of 781 metres, and it descends to its confluence with the Jacques-Cartier River at 340 metres. The river passes through Jacques-Cartier National Park and its main associated water body is Petit lac Jacques-Cartier.

The river is characterized by serious whitewater running through a substantial canyon upstream of its confluence with the Jacques-Cartier. The upper gorge contains significant rapids, and there is at least one waterfall on the upper river that may be unrunnable depending on conditions. The whitewater is consistently demanding throughout, with few easy sections — one rapid is described as probably the smallest of the trip, suggesting the overall gradient and difficulty are sustained. Portaging is required at certain points, and the forest along the banks is described as thick and difficult to move through, making portages arduous.

Access logistics are complex. The take-out is shared with the Taureau section of the Jacques-Cartier and is located at the confluence area. Driving to the put-in is possible but involves a long drive on roads that are not well-mapped. The more practical approach is to fly in from St. Raymond with Aviation Mauricie to a lake on the northern branch of the river above the gorges, making this effectively a fly-in wilderness run.

The river flows through a deep canyon with towering walls blanketed in thick boreal forest, and the confluence with the Jacques-Cartier occurs within the Jacques-Cartier gorge, an ancient cleft in the landscape. The overall character of the trip is a remote, committing wilderness run with sustained whitewater and limited bailout options.

The river surface is generally frozen from early December to late March, with safe travel on ice typically possible from late December to early March. This effectively limits the paddling season to the spring, summer, and fall months.