The Nahanni to Dehcho driving route is your great circle tour of Canada's northern frontier.
This drive takes you from Fort Liard, through Nahanni Butte, leading you to small communities like Jean Marie River, Kakiska, and spanning all the way to the Alberta border! Stop in Fort Simpson along the way, which can be accessed by ferry or ice road depending on the season to take a flight to the Nahanni National Park Reserve. The epic road trip adventure takes its name from the Mackenzie River, which is known as the Deh Cho or “Big River”. All along the highway, historic landmarks, the South Nahanni river and wild parks beckon you to make roadside stops to take in the amazing and powerful landscapes of the North.
The pinnacle of this road trip is a side trip to the Nahanni National Park Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Nahanni National Park Reserve can be accessed by float plane through the town of Fort Simpson, a cradle of Indigenous culture and traditions.
Unlike any other landscape, Nahanni National Park Reserve is a natural phenom sliced by great waters and freckled with peaks. A main feature of the Nahanni is the absolutely epic Virginia Falls (known traditionally as Náįlįcho), whose rapids surge over a drop twice the height of Niagara Falls. A trip to Nahanni isn’t complete without a guided tour down the river by raft, canoe or kayak with one of the professional river outfitters in the area.
The Nahanni to Dehcho driving route is a fantastic tour through the southwestern parts of the territory, with unlimited potential to delve deep into the North’s culture, landscapes, and adventures. Once you’ve driven this route, you’ll have a brand new understanding of Canada’s remote North.
