Feel the salt of the earth

Sure, Wood Buffalo National Park, near Fort Smith, has plenty of buffalo. But there’s a lot more to it. One of the most intriguing attractions, just off Highway 5, is the famous Salt Plains, where visitors can trek across a vast sparkling-white field, formed by saline water burbling from deep in the Earth. The crystalline landscape supports unique species of salt-tolerant plants, and attracts animals that use the area as a salt-lick.

This park is perched on a cliff overlooking the Peel River and surrounded by stands of white birch and white spruce trees. It's an ideal place to unwind for a few nights on the long journey up or down the Dempster. The visitor centre offers a fascinating glimpse of the life of the Gwich’in Dene...

Ja'k Territorial Park

Just outside Inuvik, this park features an observation tower with excellent views of the surrounding scenery and prime bird-watching. Watch for falcons, eagles and ducks, our summer residents. There is an abundance of cranberries, blueberries and cloudberries that give the park its name. The...

MacKinnon Territorial Park

On the banks of the Mackenzie River in Norman Wells, MacKinnon Territorial Park offers a great view of the Mackenzie Mountains and is a perfect stop for river-trippers. There are eight non-powered campsites, washrooms, firewood, a picnic area and a playground.

Saoyú-ʔehdacho National Historic Site

Two peninsulas on Great Bear, covering 5,565 square kilometers, were designated as a national historic site in 2009. At that time, Parks Canada and the community of Délįne signed a first-of-its-kind deal where the sites – called Saoyú (saw-you-eh), or Grizzly Bear...

Deh Cho Bridge

The Deh Cho Bridge near Fort Providence is the only bridge to straddle Canada’s biggest river, the Mackenzie. It's twice as long as any other bridge in Northern Canada. It was also the costliest piece of infrastructure in territorial history, with a price tag of $202 million. RIsing...

The Lost Patrol graves

The graves of the infamous "Lost Patrol" lie beside St. Matthew's Anglican Church in Fort McPherson, and pay homage to one of the most tragic episodes in Northern history.

The Igloo Church

Possibly the North’s most iconic, most photographed structure, the Our Lady of Victory church in downtown Inuvik is a bleach-white cylinder capped by a silvery dome, imitating the Inuvialuit snow-houses of old. The inside features paintings by local artist Mona Thrasher.

The Papal Site

On the floodplain where the Liard River flows into the great Mackenzie, Pope John Paul II held mass for the Indigenous people of Canada nearly three decades ago. Thousands gathered as the world turned its eyes toward the Northwest Territories. Today the scenic site hosts community events,...

Mackenzie Bison Sanctuary

This big boreal reserve protects Canada’s northernmost population of wood buffalo, which are almost inevitably seen browsing along Highway 3. Roadside parks in the area – including North Arm and Chan Lake – provide an opportunity to stretch your legs and explore the area’s flora and landscape.

Houseboat Bay

The North's most colourful neighbourhood bobs on the waves of Great Slave Lake, just offshore of Old Town. Rent a kayak or paddleboard to explore this floating community – or bunk down at the houseboat bed-and-breakfast.

Wildcat Cafe

The North's iconic eatery, the log-cabin Wildcat is where the world comes to dine. You'll find that the ambience is rustic, the food is divine, the deck is bathed in sunshine, the beer is crisp and your fellow patrons are a wild array: Northerners and visitors both, gathered around communal...

Nááts’ihch’oh National Park

Nááts’ihch’oh National Park Nááts’ihch’oh, meaning “the mountain that’s sharp like a porcupine,” is named for a spine-like peak long sacred to the region’s First Nations. Nááts’ihch’oh is the Northwest Territories’ newest national park, officially created in 2014 in...

Thaidene Nëné National Park

Meaning “Land of the Ancestors,” Thaidene Nëné is a park-in-waiting, slated for federal and territorial protection in the next few years. The park will guard the glorious East Arm of Great Slave Lake – 27,000 square kilometres of spectacular and pristine waterways, ...

Hay River Heritage Centre

Located in Hay River’s Old Town, this museum occupies the community’s former Hudson’s Bay store, built in 1948. In it, you’ll find displays showcasing the various eras of the town’s history, as well as exhibits on Métis and K’atl’odeeche Dene culture.

Dene Cultural Institute

Located in a distinctive log-and-stone building on the main road of the Katlodeeche Reserve across from the town of Hay River, Yamozha Kue (a.k.a. the Dene Cultural Institute) lets you trade in your shoes for beaded moccasins and take a tour of Dene art and history. The gift shop sells crafts...

Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly Building

Perched on the shores of Yellowknife's Frame Lake, the igloo-shaped territorial assembly building is the North’s centre of power. Take a tour and you’ll get a peek at the stately assembly chamber; the ornate, diamond-tipped territorial mace; artworks by Group of Seven master A.Y. Jackson...

Norman Wells Historical Centre

Norman Wells lovingly curated history museum showcases the multifaceted events that shaped this region. Colourful military vehicles from the building of the legendary Canol Road sit bumper-to-bumper in the yard, while inside you’ll find memorabilia from the oil-boom nearly a century ago,...

Colville Lake Museum

The most quaint museum in the Northwest Territories, this hand-built log structure in tiny Colville Lake features paintings by famed local priest, pilot, and town-founder Bern Will Brown, as well as the North’s first snowmobile.

Northern Life Museum and Cultural Centre

In the heart of Fort Smith, this must-see museum showcases the area’s First Nations, Métis and Euro-Canadian heritage. It boasts a collection of some 10,000 items, including local man Frank Conibear’s famous trap, which revolutionized fur-harvesting, and the stuffed body of Canus, a whooping...

Gwich'in Territorial Campground

Enjoy the spectacular shoreline of Campbell Lake, try your luck fishing, hike in search of unique rocks and fossils, or hit the beach for a swim above the Arctic Circle. There are just a few of the options available at Gwich'in Territorial Campground, about 30 kilometres south of Inuvik on the...

Fort Simpson Territorial Park

This idyllic park overlooks the confluence of the Mackenzie and Liard rivers, yet is within walking distance of the centre of town. The adjoining Papal Site commemorates the 1987 visit of Pope John Paul ll. This is a great location for bird-watching, while the nearby community...

Little Buffalo River Crossing Territorial Park

Located on the scenic Buffalo River about 20 kilometres shy of Fort Resolution, this placid campground features 20 campsites, washrooms, a kitchen shleter and picnic area, firewood, a boat launch, and excellent fishing.

Blackstone Territorial Park

Between Fort Liard and Fort Simpson on the Liard Trail, Blackstone Territorial Park boasts stunning mountain views and a prime location on the Liard River, downstream from its confluence with the South Nahanni. This is an excellent starting or ending point for canoeists, boaters...

Reid Lake Territorial Park

Reid Lake is also an excellent base for fishing, swimming, canoeing, hiking, bird watching, wildlife viewing, power boating, and for extended canoe trips into the surrounding lake systems. From here, canoeists can access the Lower Cameron River, canoe routes to Jennejohn...

Prelude Lake Territorial Park

The largest developed park on the Ingraham Trail, Prelude Lake Territorial Park offers a variety of facilities. There are trails,a sandy beach for swimming, a dock and boat launch, and boat rentals. The island-filled lake, about 16 kilometers long, forms part of the Cameron River system and...

Fred Henne Territorial Park

Swim at Long Lake’s sandy beach. Camp, picnic, canoe or enjoy the amenities and attractions of nearby Yellowknife. Hike the four-kilometre Prospector’s Trail, highlighting the gold-bearing geology of the area. Or follow the Jackfish and Frame Lake trail system, leading you through...

Little Buffalo River Falls Territorial Park

This picturesque spot features six non-powered campsites. The area was devastated by a forest fire in 1981; nearly 40 years later it is now an ideal spot to observe how nature replenishes the land. Relax by the small waterfall, launch your canoe in the gorge below, and enjoy the...

Fort Providence Territorial Park

Enjoy great fishing, bison and bird watching, and take advantage of the services available in nearby historic Fort Providence, featuring visitor services, tours, fishing, groceries, a motel and restaurant. The campground is on the north bank of the Mackenzie River, only two kilometres off...

Hay River Territorial Park

Located on Vale Island in Hay River, (follow the signs; it’s about 10 kilometres past the information centre), this park offers fantastic swimming on the sandy shores of Great Slave Lake, unique views of barges and fishing vessels plying the waters, and great opportunities to fish for...

Sambaa Deh Falls Territorial Park

This popular park and campground are located at the junction of Highway 1 and the Trout River (Sambaa Deh in the Slavey language). The river was a traditional transportation route before and during the fur trade. The falls forced travellers to portage around this dangerous stretch of...

Queen Elizabeth Territorial Park

Located just outside Fort Smith, this large, lushly wooded campground features 17 powered campsites, showers and washrooms, a kitchen shelter, firewood, a playground, and a walking trail leading to great views of the Slave River Rapids.

Twin Falls Gorge Territorial Park

This park is what we call a "destination park," and with good reason. The sights to be seen are spectacular, the camping facilities excellent, the peace and tranquility are another world. The park has three main areas, located between the Mackenzie Highway and the Hay River, and linked...

Lady Evelyn Falls Territorial Park

Make the trip to see the falls, even if you do not plan to camp overnight. From the Mackenzie Highway, an access road leads 6.8 kilometres south to the park. From the parking lot, a short trail leads to Lady Evelyn Falls. The falls form a giant curtain of water as the Kakisa River spills...

Cameron Falls

For a pretty little hike through classic Northern shield-country, drive 45 kilometres east of Yellowknife to the Cameron Falls Trail. The path twists through evergreen forests, across boardwalks and over undulating outcrops until, 20 minutes later, you arrive atop a lookout...

Sambaa Deh Trails

A must-see attraction on highway 1 from Fort Providence to Fort Simpson, the Sambaa Deh Gorge gapes where the Trout River slices through thick spruce woodlands not far from the community of Jean Marie River. Most visitors photograph the roadside falls, where the river...

Twin Falls Gorge Trail

Following the rim of the gorgeous Hay River canyon, the easy Twin Falls Gorge trail begins at the community of Enterprise and leads south for eight kilometres through luxuriant boreal forest. Along the way you'll enjoy interpretive signage, great views of the yawning limestone chasm...

Frame Lake Trail

Forming a seven-kilometre loop around the shores of Frame Lake in the heart of Yellowknife, the city's favourite walking trail has a little of everything. The eastern half of the loop is a paved, sedate urban path, leading you past architectural marvels such as the territorial legislative...

Salt Plains

What in the world? Just west of Fort Smith in Wood Buffalo National Park lies a shimmering, pearly desert, stretching to the far horizon. A quick hike downhill will bring you to the bizarre Salt Plains, where saline minerals leach from an ancient seabed, turning the...

Canol Trail

There's hiking, and then there's the Canol. Possibly North America's most rigorous backpacking trail, this 355-kilometre trek follows the route of a defunct military road that once transected the Mackenzie Mountains. Tackling it is an exercise in self-sufficiency and endurance:...

Ibyuk Pingo

Erupting from the pancake-flat tundra just outside the community of Tuktoyaktuk, this bulbous, ice-filled mound is the second-largest "pingo" on Earth. Called Ibyuk, it's 1,000 feet wide at its base and rises to the height of a 15-storey building, making its summit a scenic and...

Fort Providence Territorial Campground

Perched on the banks of the Mackenzie, this placid, timber-shrouded campground is an ideal basecamp for fishing the big river and exploring the town of Fort Providence, three kilometres downstream. You’ll find powered campsites, potable water, showers, picnic tables, fire grates – and incredible...

Dory Point Day Use Area

For roadtrippers, this is an ideal spot to stretch your legs, lay out a picnic and enjoy your first glimpse of the big Mackenzie River as it begins its 1,750-kilometre odyssey to the Arctic Ocean. Situated just a few kilometres shy of the Dehcho Bridge and the community of Fort Providence, Dory...

Louise Falls

A four-kilometre dayhike downriver from Alexandra Falls or upriver from Enterprise, this tiered, 15-metre-high cataract in the Hay River Canyon can be viewed from one of the finest (and most popular) campgrounds in the Northwest Territories.

Alexandra Falls

A mandatory stop on the drive North of Sixty, this booming, 10-storey spillover on the Hay River is the centerpiece of Twin Falls Gorge Territorial Park, not far from Enterprise. Shockingly, in 2003, an American daredevil kayaked the falls – and lived.

Cameron Falls

About 45 minutes by road east of Yellowknife, a short, scenic trail leads over the undulating outcrops to 17-metre Cameron Falls. Here, the Cameron River takes a tumble en route to Great Slave Lake. A bridge straddles the river, allowing picknickers to access the placid bank on the far...

Sambaa Deh Falls

Roaring directly beneath the Mackenzie Highway not far from the community of Jean Marie River, flashy, splashy Sambaa Deh Falls gets deserved attention from motorists. And here's a bonus: Take a stroll upstream and you’ll come to Coral Falls, a sweeter, shyer falls that...

Lady Evelyn Falls

So perfect it seems planned, this road-accessible cascade is just outside the little village of Kakisa. It occurs where the Kakisa River jumps off an ancient coral reef, forming a crescent-shaped, 17-metre-high curtain of spray.

Whatı̀ Waterfall

Stunning Whatı̀ Waterfall features two thundering spillways with fine grayling fishing in the rapids below. It's accessible by road from Whatı̀.

Hay River Beach

On blazing hot days, Hay River’s driftwoody beach draws travellers from the nearby campground – some of whom are bold enough to dunk themselves in Great Slave’s cool water.

Pine Lake Beach

The finest beach and campground in Wood Buffalo National Park, Pine Lake features soothing sand and shallow, warm, aquamarine waters, ideal for swimming or paddling when you're tired of gawking at the park's amazing wildlife.

Long Lake Beach

Weekends in late summer, Yellowknife’s beach is peachy, with changing rooms, a campground, a kitchen area, volleyball and more water-skiers than you can shake a beer at.

Road’s End Golf Club

Built in 2009, Inuvik's Road’s End Golf Club boasts a grassy, 250-yard driving range and a three-hole course. Keep an eye out for ravens as you swing – the course once had to close when the sneaky birds made off with all the golf balls.

Ptarmigan Ridge Golf Course

Located next Norman Wells' Heritage Hotel near the banks of the Mackenzie River, the grassy, evergreen-lined Ptarmigan Ridge course offers the only golfing in the Sahtu region, with four holes – soon to be expanded to six.

Seven Spruce Golf Course

Within easy walking distance of downtown Fort Simpson, the Seven Spruce Golf Course in features rolling, grassy fairways and a laid-back vibe. Rent clubs and tackle the sun-soaked nine-hole course or put up your feet in the clubhouse for a relaxing afternoon.

Ulukhaktok Golf Course

With artificial greens atop the tundra, Ulukhaktok is the coolest place you’ll play golf. The town’s nine-hole course if the world’s northernmost, and the annual Billy Joss Open draws visiting celebrity golfers. Word to the wise: Let the muskoxen play through.

Yellowknife Golf Club

Eighteen holes. Sand fairways. Grassy putting greens. Jackpines, bedrock and ravens. It’s safe to say you’ll never play golf anywhere like the Yellowknife Golf Club – especially if you come for the Midnight Sun Golf Tournament, which tees off on the summer solstice every year.

Hay River Golf Club

This manicured nine-hole course follows the curvaceous contours of Hay River’s namesake river. Grassy and aspen-shrouded, it’s a duffer’s delight. There’s also a driving range and a beautiful log clubhouse with a deck overlooking the water – a great place to spend the afternoon even if golf...

Tuktut Nogait National Park

Tuktut Nogait National Park Tuktut Nogait, meaning “young caribou,” is one of Canada’s least visited parks, protecting the calving grounds of the 68,000-strong Bluenose caribou herd near the shores of the Northwest Passage. Most visitors experience the park while...

Nááts’ihch’oh National Park Reserve

Nááts’ihch’oh, named for a sacred mountain in its midst, is our newest park. Tucked against the Yukon border, it guards the headwaters of both the Nahanni and the Natla/Keele river systems. Paddlers can traverse the South Nahanni’s “rock garden,” featuring 50km of continuous rapids, or try the less...

Slave River Rapids

For most of its length the broad Slave River plods over the boreal plains, sliding listlessly toward Great Slave Lake. But at the point where it hits the Northwest Territories border, it is suddenly stirred by the Canadian Shield and detonates into a maelstrom. Beginning at Fort Fitzgerald and...

Twin Falls Gorge Territorial Park

One of the most popular parks in the Northwest Territories, Twin Falls boasts a wealth of attractions. The park, 75 kilometres north of the Alberta border, stretches along the rim of Twin Falls Gorge, encompassing 32-metre-high Alexnadra Falls, where the Hay River plunges into a deep...

Hay River Gorge

Just a few dozen metres from the heart of Enterprise, the earth falls away and a gaping chasm yawns. This is the Twin Falls Gorge, a Grand Canyon in miniature. Here, sheer limestone walls glitter like shimmering sand, while the rim is lined with a dark wall of evergreens. Hundreds of feet below,...

Explore the Natural Wonders of Nahanni National Park

Nahanni National Park Reserve/ Naha Dehe is an outstanding example of northern adventure rivers, vast canyons, sheer granite spires and vast alpine plateaus. Dall’s sheep, mountain goats, woodland caribou, wolves, black bears, grizzlies and trumpeter swans all find refuge in Nahanni. The park, with...

Delta Ice Roads

Delta Ice Roads From January to April, ice roads connect Aklavik and Tuktoyaktuk to Inuvik, Northwest Territories. Visitors can rent a vehicle and drive the winding river and stream route to Aklavik. For a wildly different sense of place, it is still possible to drive on the Mackenzie...

Pingos

Pingos at Tuktoyaktuk Some 1350 pingos (ice-cored hills) dot the coastline near Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories. The largest, Ibyuk Pingo, is 16 stories high - a real landmark on the flat coastal plain. For centuries pingos have been used by Inuvialuit for navigation and as lookout points...

The Ingraham Trail

The Ingraham Trail The Ingraham Trail stretches 70 kilometers east of Yellowknife threading together over a dozen lakes. There are picnic spots, hiking trails, campgrounds and boat launches all along the highway. It is terrific fishing, hiking, boating and canoeing country. ...

Canol Project

Canol Project History The Norman Wells Historical Centre offers an exciting introduction to the Canol Project. This was a wartime effort by the Canadian and American governments to supply oil to Alaska from the oil fields at Norman Wells, Northwest Territories. 30,000 troops from the...

The Ramparts

The Ramparts on the Mackenzie Hire a guide in Fort Good Hope, Northwest Territories, to take you upriver to see the Ramparts, called Fee Yee, the towering, crestellated limestone cliffs that squeeze the huge volume of the Mackenzie River into a swirling chute. Traditonal Sahtu stories tell...

Cirque of the Unclimbables

Cirque of the Unclimbables A challenge for world class mountaineers, the Cirque is located in the Ragged Range, near Glacier Lake, Northwest Territories. The Cirque's most famous peak – a must for every serious climber - is the Lotus Flower Tower, featured in Fifty Classic Climbs in North...

Ram Plateau and Area

Ram Plateau and Area There's dramatic hiking available to those who fly out to the Ram Plateau in Nahanni National Park Reserve in the Northwest Territories. There are grassy plains, scenic canyons 1200 to 1800 m deep, hoodoo and karst formations and exposed fossils. The north end of...

NIHTAK DAY USE AREA

You'll find washrooms and a boat launch at this Dempster Highway day-use area.

Pilots' Monument

Yellowknife's most popular lookout rises above Old Town, providing a stupendous view over Great Slave Lake, Back Bay and the northern reaches of the city. The monument is high up on "The Rock," and is accessed via a winding staircase to the top. It is dedicated to the bush pilots and...

Historical Aviation Museum

Located at the North-Wright dock on DOT Lake, you'll find two log buildings here – one the original North-Wright base, and one built by Canoe North Adventures as a shelter for canoeists in transit. In addition, there are small buildings once used by the four airlines that operated in...

NORTH ARM TERRITORIAL PARK DAY USE AREA

Enjoy a break from driving at this roadside park, offering washrooms, a kitchen shelter and a boat launch. Stop and rest on the picturesque shores of Great Slave Lake to take photos or simply to relax with a picnic. Be sure to look around you – the scenery abruptly changes here from...

POWDER POINT TERRITORIAL PARK DAY USE AREA

Powder Point Day Use Area is located within Hidden Lake Territorial Park on the Ingraham Trail, a little more than 45 kilometres east of Yellowknife on the eastern arm of Prelude Lake. Powder Point offers access to both the the Lower Cameron River Canoe Route and the Powder Point Canoe Route....

KAKISA RIVER TERRITORIAL PARK

Take a break to enjoy a picnic or spend the afternoon fishing (in season) along the fast-moving Kakisa River. Watch for trophy Grayling. Great Slave Lake is home to the current world record Arctic Grayling, and one of the Grayling's favourite spawning tributaries is the Kakisa River. Hike...

PONTOON LAKE TERRITORIAL PARK

On the Ingraham Trail, this park features washrooms, a picnic area, trails and a boat launch.

Gwich'in Territorial Park

The Dempster Highway serves as a boundary for this 8,800-hectare park, which includes two campgrounds (Vadzaih Van Tshik Campground and Gwich’in Territorial Campground), two day-use areas (Ehjuu NJik and Nihtak) and Tithegeh Chii Vitaii Lookout. The park is home to a...

Back Bay Cemetery

Back Bay Cemetery, a City of Yellowknife Heritage Site, consists of 35 gravesites from 1936-46. The cemetery is located along the waterfront in Jackfish Draw, adjacent to Back Bay, on Great Slave Lake. It was Yellowknife's first graveyard, associated with many pioneering...

The Old Anglican Church

Built around 1880, this single-storey log church, complete with a gable roof and wooden steeple, is one of the oldest standing buildings in the Northwest Territories. It is located on the former Hudson's Bay lot in the historic centre of the community. The dovetailed log...

Knut Lang’s Place

The trading post known as Knut Lang’s Place is on the Peel Channel of the Mackenzie Delta, about 48 kilometres upstream from Aklavik. The post was built in the 1930s and includes includes standing log buildings, some with sod roofs. It was built by independent trader Knut...

Hay River Mission Sites

The Hay River Mission is a National Historic Site on the Hay River (K'atlodeeche) Dene Reserve. Established in the late 19th century, the site consists of St. Peter’s Anglican Church, Ste. Anne’s Roman Catholic Church, remains of a rectory, and associated cemeteries containing spirit...

Fireweed Studio

Built in the early 1930s as a blacksmith shop, this single-storey log building was originally situated on what is now the Giant Mine property. After being moved to its current location near City Hall it became a tourist information centre (1978-1992), and, now, an...

Canadian Pacific Float Base

Built in 1946 on the waterfront in Old Town, this City of Yellowknife Heritage Site was the city's first permanent floatplane base. Many aviation pioneers once worked out of this building, including Stan McMillan and Max Ward. In earlier years, the large hall was also used for social...

Bank of Toronto Building

Located at 7 Otto Drive on Latham Island, this log cabin is one of Yellowknife's oldest surviving buildings. Built in 1938 as a private residence, the city's Bank of Toronto branch opened here six years later. Allan Lambert, former president and chairman of the Toronto Dominion...

The Old Hudson Bay Warehouse

The Hudson Bay Warehouse in Old Town was built in 1945 to store retail goods imported by river from the south to feed, clothe and support the miners who established Yellowknife.

Our Lady of Lourdes schooner

Donated on behalf of Pope Pius XI in the 1930s, the schooner Our Lady of Lourdes sailed the Beaufort Sea for decades, delivering supplies to far-flung Catholic missions and carrying Inuvialuit children to Cathloic residential schools. Since 1982 the vessel has sat on display...

Traditional Sod House

Built with sawn drift logs covered with sod clumps for insulation, this popular visitor attraction is a recreation of a traditional Inuvialuit dwelling.

Frame Lake Trail

This seven-kilometre loop around Frame Lake is the recreation trail for activity in the heart of the capital. While the eastern half is paved and passes by residential neighbourhoods, the western half consists of boardwalks over muskeg and wayfinding over rolling, forested-shrouded...

Log Bridges

Foot bridges over streams and gullies on town walking trails are constructed of huge driftwood logs from southern forests. The logs, salvaged along the Mackenzie River, are woven into the supports for some unique and attractive bridges designed by local resident and outfitter Rick Muyers.

Fort McPherson Tent and Canvas Shop

Established in 1970 to stimulate employment in Fort McPherson, this community-based enterprise combines local traditional skills with current manufacturing and production methods to craft a wide selection of products, from canvas tents to cordura nylon travel bags to...

McPherson House

Built in 1936, this one-and-a-half storey squared-log dwelling overlooks the Papal Flats in Fort Simpson. An excellent example of Metis architecture, it is located at the southern edge of the original Hudson’s Bay Company compound and is an icon of the fur-trade ...

Ehdaa National Historic Site

On the flats at the southwestern end of Fort Simpson Island, for centuries Dene gathered at this site during their seasonal rounds to allocate land use, arrange marriages, resolve disputes, hold puberty rites, undertake ceremonies of healing and thanksgiving, and trade goods and ...

Lafferty House

The Lafferty House is a one-and-a-half storey squared-log dwelling built circa 1929, located at the north end of the village of Fort Simpson, close to the waterfront. It was built by the Laffertys, a proud Metis family who have been in the Fort Simpson area since 1790 and were...

Old Log School House

The Old Log School House was the first school in Yellowknife. It was built in 1937 by prominent Yellowknife pioneers Ray G. 'Red' McPhie and 'Sleepy Jim' McDonald. Originally used as a mining kitchen and bunkhouse, it became a one-room schoolhouse in 1939, where Mildred Hall presided...

Bristol Freighter

Perched on a pillar near the entrance to town, the yellow and blue Bristol Freighter airplane greets visitors to Yellowknife, reminding them of the region's vital aviation history. Bush planes such as this one fed the development of the town, bringing people and supplies before...

Niven Lake Trail

Direclty across HIghway 3 from the Northern Frontier Visitor Centre, this easy two-kilometre loop explores the shoreline of a small marshy lake in the heart of a Yellowknife residential neighbourhood. Despite its urban location, Niven Lake is rich in wildlife, with beavers, muskrats...

Old Town

One of the most diverse, historic, offbeat neighbourhoods in Canada, Old Town is the beating heart of Yellowknife. Here, where the Precambrain Shield juts into Great Slave Lake, goldseekers 80 years ago pioneered what was to become the North's greatest settlement. Today the area is an intriguing...

Somba K'e Park

On the shores of Frame Lake in front of City Hall, this grassy park is Yellowknife's favourite gathering place. In summer, musical performances are common at the waterfront ampitheatre, and various attractions – the museum, the visitor centre, Firewood Studio, a towering drum-dance sculpture, etc...

The Ramparts

The closest thing to whitewater on the mighty Mackenzie River, this fast-flowing section occurs a few kilometres upstream from Fort Good Hope where the river is choked between 40-metre-high limestone cliffs.

Albert Faille's Cabin

Legendary prospector Albert Faille spent his life hutning for gold in the Nahanni Mountains. Each spring from the 1950s until his death in 1973 he journeyed up the Liard and Nahanni rivers from his home in Fort Simpson, portaging around the great Virginia Falls and...

HAY LAKES CAMPGROUND

This municipal campground is located about four kilometres along the access road to Fort Liard. It's next to a small lake, and offers a kitchen shelter and several campsites.

The Papal Site

On September 20, 1987, on the flats where the Mackenzie and Liard Rivers flow together above Fort Simpson, as many as 4,000 people – mostly Dene – gathered to welcome Pope John Paul II. It was the first time any pope had ever visited an Aboriginal community. His Holiness, wearing a caribou-skin...

Our Lady of Good Hope Church

The oldest and certainly the most ornate place of worship in the North, this tiny cathedral crowns a bluff overlooking the Mackenzie River in Fort Good Hope. Built starting in 1865 by Oblate missionaries – including the famed Father Émile Petitot – the church from the outside is whitewashed, steep...

The Mad Trapper’s Grave

In the depths of December, 1931, an enigmatic loner calling himself Albert Johnson shot and injured a policeman near the Rat River, not far from Aklavik. He then led authorities on a two-month goose-chase that was broadcast via radio around the world. As the sign beside his grave says, “With...

Bear Rock

Towering 400 metres above Tulita, sacred Bear Rock is said to be where Yamoria, the great law-giver of Dene lore, confronted a gang of giant beavers that had been drowning hunters. Yamoria killed three of the beavers and draped their vast pelts on Bear Rock – forming three dark circles that...

Fort Resolution National Historic Site

Here, on this rectangular peninsula jutting northward into Great Slave Lake, the Northern fur-trade got its foothold. Parks Canada has designated this 8.8-hectare expanse – long the site of a Hudson Bay Company post – as a national historic site. It and other trading posts in the region began...

Feel the salt of the earth

Feel the salt of the earth

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