Bison straight out of the Wild West. Waterfalls that shake the earth. Canada’s wildest whitewater playground. And a lake that’s like a sea.

In the midst of the ferocious Slave River Rapids, they’re an unlikely sight – the world’s northernmost colony of white pelicans, nesting on protected islands and fishing in the foaming waves. You can sneak a peek at them from the shore, just a few hundred metres from downtown Fort Smith.

What in the world? Drive down a forested side-road off Highway 5 and suddenly you’ll appear at an overlook where a shimmering, pearly desert sprawls before you. A quick hike downhill will bring you to the bizarre Salt Plains of Wood Buffalo National Park, where saline minerals leach from an ancient seabed, turning the world white and crystalline.

Often, nature mesmerizes us with its stillness – but sometimes, it stuns us with its might. Such is the case where the honey-brown Hay River crashes into a limestone gorge, forming raucous 10-storey-high Alexandra Falls and then, a few metres downstream, the ornate cascade of Louise Falls.

Beaches aren’t exactly the first thing you’d expect when you visit the rugged northern landscape, but really, it makes sense: Where Great Slave Lake pummels its limestone shoreline, a vast sandscape is produced. Easy on the eyes and sweet to the soul, the beach reaches for miles – perfect for strolling and bonfires.