Less-travelled than Hidden Lake Territorial Park, which lies further downstream on the Cameron River, the Cameron River Crossing Territorial Park is nonetheless a fantastic getaway off the Ingraham Trail.
The park offers paddlers access to the Lower Cameron River Canoe Route, and is only a short distance to the marvelous Cameron River Rampart Falls.
This day-use area features washrooms, a picnic area, a lookout, trails and amazing fishing.
Stop at this scenic pullout just south of Fort McPherson, off the Dempster Highway, and gaze out at all the beauty of the Mackenzie Delta – including the transcendent Peel River and the megalithic Richardson Mountains.
The Richardson Mountains parallel the northernmost part of the Yukon/NWT border. The mountain range, which rises to an elevation of 1.2 kilometres, was named in 1825 by Sir John Franklin after his surgeon, naturalist and co-Arctic explorer friend, Sir John Richardson.
It’s a great berry picking area, and is home to Dall’s sheep, moose, Arctic wolves and the occasional grizzly bear. One of the largest herds of barren-ground caribou, the Porcupine herd, migrates into the northeastern Richardson Mountains in early July.
The day-use area here features several interpretive panels detailing the region’s history and ecology, along with a boardwalk that leads to a must-see lookout.
This small but resilient day use park, which boasts the magnificent 17-metre McNallie Creek Falls, was affected by the wildfires of 2023. The park is currently undergoing restoration efforts to return it to its former splendor. We look forward to welcoming visitors and residents next season to enjoy this stunning roadside gem once again
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 number of natural wonders of the Mackenzie Delta region: limestone cliffs, rare Arctic plant communities, migratory bird staging areas, and Campbell Lake, an excellent example of a reversing delta.
Located just outside of Inuvik, Jàk Territorial Park features an observation tower with excellent views of the surrounding scenery and prime bird-watching opportunities. Watch out for hoary redpolls, bald eagles, yellow-billed loons, and more summer residents of these northern skies.
Jàk comes from the Gwich’in word for “berry,” and true to its name there is an abundance of tasty local berries growing in the park, including wild cranberries, blueberries and cloudberries.
The campground offers six powered and 32 non-powered sites, along with washrooms and showers, drinking water, a kitchen shelter, picnic area, trails, interpretive displays and attentive staff. Camping reservations at Jàk Territorial Park can be made online.
Situated along the Ingraham Trail, about 61 kilometres east of Yellowknife, is this excellent basecamp for fishing, swimming, canoeing, hiking, bird-watching, wildlife viewing, and power boating. Basically, if there’s a summer experience worth having in the NWT, you can find it at Reid Lake.
The park’s short 0.70-kilometre hiking trail runs from the campgrounds to the beautiful shore of Reid Lake, passing over Shield rock deeply scored by glaciers and colourful patches of wild berries. Watch for eagles, whiskeyjacks and ravens along your route.
The campground itself features 65 non-powered campsites and 11 tent pads, along with washrooms, drinking water, firewood, a kitchen shelter, picnic areas and a playground.
Reid Lake Territorial Park is also a great launching point for extended canoe trips into the surrounding lake systems. From here, canoeists can access the Lower Cameron River, canoe routes to Jennejohn Lake, and more.
One of the most scenic trails in the Yellowknife area loops over granite hills and through woodlands as part of this popular vacation spot for NWT residents. The largest developed park on the Ingraham Trail, Prelude Lake Territorial Park offers a variety of facilities, including a sandy beach for swimming, a dock and boat launch, and boat rentals.
Prelude Lake itself is about 16 kilometres long and stretches east and west, forming part of the Cameron River system. There are several islands, and many pleasant places to fish for trout and pike here. There are also two magnificent trails in the park: one a short stroll to a panoramic view; and one a longer, interpretive hike.
Panoramic Trail offers an easy, well-marked half-kilometre walk (much of it on boardwalks) to two lookout points that provide splendid views of Prelude Lake. You can access this trail either from the boat launch parking area near the beach, or from the parking lot located between the boat launch and the campsites.
The Nature Trail forms a loop, passing through several natural zones that vary from loose sand to bedrock to muskeg and swamp, with an equally varied array of inhabitants. Follow a series of informative signs along the way, with pictures of some of the creatures that you may see, including squirrels, ruffed grouse, whiskey jacks, snowshoe hares and crossbills.
Prelude Lake Territorial Park is located 29 kilometres east of Yellowknife. Turn left onto the Prelude Lake access road from the Ingraham Trail and drive past the campground to the day-use area. There are 79 campsites to choose from – 67 non-powered and 12 tent sites. Be sure to pick up a trail guide when you arrive, available at the campground office.
Make the trip to see Lady Evelyn Falls Territorial Park, a road-accessible destination just outside the little village of Kakisa, even if you don’t plan to camp overnight. The Kakisa River is a warm and boulder-strewn waterway with many lovely spots for wading and swimming. The fishing is also excellent – Northern Pike, Pickerel and Arctic Grayling can be caught by casting small spoons into the pools at the base of the falls.
But Lady Evelyn Falls is really the star attraction. It occurs where the Kakisa River jumps off an ancient coral reef, forming a crescent-shaped, 17-metre-high curtain of spray. A staircase leads into the gorge at the base of the falls.
There are 23 powered campsites in the territorial park, plus washrooms and showers, a kitchen shelter, drinking water, firewood, interpretive displays and helpful staff. 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.
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 facing the waterfall, where the Cameron River tumbles 17 metres down a slanting stone face. From here, you can continue upstream, where a bridge permits access to the far side, with excellent picnicking, fishing and (on hot days!) swimming at the base of the falls.
Gaze upon the mighty Sambaa Deh Gorge, which gapes where the Trout River slices through thick spruce woodlands, not far from the community of Jean Marie River. Most visitors stop here to photograph the roadside falls, where the river surges through a limestone slot and over a dazzling drop, but there’s plenty more to see if you follow the network of trails that trace the canyon rim.
Take a stroll 1.5-kilometres upstream and you’ll arrive at the beautiful Coral Falls, named for the numerous coral fossils still found in the area. Coral is a sweeter, shyer waterfall than Sambaa Deh Falls, and one that you’ll likely have all to yourself. Downstream, meanwhile, the path will take you down to the water, where you’ll find stellar fishing for Arctic Grayling and Pickerel. Please take care, because the rocks may be slippery when wet, and there are no fences.
Both the falls and trails are found within Sambaa Deh Falls Territorial Park, a must-see for any visitors that’s located at the junction of Highway 1 and the Trout River. This river was a traditional transportation route before and during the fur trade. The falls forced travellers to portage around this dangerous stretch of water.
Today, the park and campground contains hiking and walking trails, a viewing platform overlooking the gorge and 20 non-powered camping sites with washroom facilities.
Sambaa Deh Falls, gorge, trails, and Territorial Park are all located along Highway 1 between Fort Providence and Fort Simpson.