South Slave

Gateway to the wild frontier

Welcome to where adventure begins. The South Slave is a place of big waters, big wildlife, wide open spaces and welcoming residents. This is the gateway to the NWT’s wild frontier.

Here you’ll find the southern end of the gleaming Great Slave Lake, Canada’s northernmost freshwater fishery and the gushing Slave River, where top-ranked paddlers compete amid some of the best rapids in the world. 

The South Slave is also a land of wilderness, where the North’s iconic animals roam free — especially the wandering herds of bison, endangered whooping cranes and revered wolves who all make their home in Wood Buffalo National Park.

Finally, here you'll find big-hearted people, living vibrant lives in the gateway community of Enterprise, the bustling port community of Hay River (terminus of Canada’s most remote railway) and the charming town of Fort Smith.  Visit welcoming Indigenous communities such as beautiful Kakisa, lakeside Fort Resolution and Fort Providence, where more than a few bison can also be found strolling the streets.