Yellowknife and the Ingraham Trail Archives

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A family walking on Niven Lake Trail in Yellowknife

Tucked behind the Chateau Nova and Explorer Hotels, this easy two-kilometre loop explores the shoreline of a small marshy lake in the heart of a Yellowknife residential neighbourhood. The short 35-minute walk is a popular destination for trail runners, walkers, and wildlife. Despite the nearby houses, Niven is full of beavers, muskrats, waterfowl and also great urban birdwatching opportunities. The trail features benches and several viewing platforms, plus a floating pontoon bridge over the water. Open year-round, and equally gorgeous in all seasons.

Mackenzie Bison Sanctuary

This big, boreal wildlife reserve is home to Canada’s northernmost population of bison, also called wood buffalo, and is located just east of the community of Fort Providence.

The free-roaming Mackenzie Herd wanders through these protected 10,000 square kilometres. Long ago these mighty bison stampeded all over Alberta, northern British Columbia and much of the Northwest Territories. But hunting and disease nearly wiped out the NWT’s bison population. In 1963, 18 of the remaining animals were relocated to this newly created reserve and the species was given official protection. The herd recovered to some 2,400 in the 1980s, though has since declined to around 850 animals.

Roadside parks in the area – including North Arm and Chan Lake – provide an opportunity to stretch your legs and explore the sanctuary’s flora and landscape. One of the best ways to view the Mackenzie Herd, though, is simply travelling along Highway 3. Lumbering bison grazing along the side of the road is an almost inevitable sight for travellers in summer. Drivers should also be ready for unexpected delays from the massive animals lazily crossing – or snoozing – on the highway.

Be alert and aware of bison when driving on NWT roads, especially at night. While you can take pictures from inside your car, do not approach or feed bison at any time.

North Arm Territorial Park Day Use Area

Stop and rest on the picturesque shores of Great Slave Lake at this roadside park, a favorite stop for locals and visitors travelling the highway. Take some photos or simply relax with a picnic. But be sure to look around you – the scenery abruptly changes here from rolling, well-treed Mackenzie lowlands to the granite of the Canadian shield. This is also a prime waterfowl nesting area.

The park, located off of Highway 3 near Behchokǫ̀, offers washrooms, a kitchen shelter and a boat launch.

Houseboat Bay

It began in the early 1980s when one or two families built their own houseboats out of old river barges on the waters off of Old Town. This colourful community has grown over the years into a kaleidoscope of brilliant designs representing a one-of-a-kind Northern attraction brimming with frontier spirit.

The houseboats are lived in year-round by Yellowknife residents, who commute by canoe in the summer or walk, ski or drive on the ice in the winter. You can view the wonderful homes via boat tours when the bay is open or stroll over on the ice in winter, but please respect the homeowners’ privacy.

Chan Lake Territorial Park Day Use Area

Approximately halfway between Fort Providence and Behchokǫ̀, this is the perfect spot for a picturesque picnic in the heart of bison country.

The Chan Lake Territorial Park Day Use Area is located at the northern end of the Mackenzie Bison Sanctuary. Stop for a visit while travelling the Yellowknife Highway and watch for bison and sandhill cranes right from the roadside.

This day-use park offers picnic tables, a kitchen shelter and washroom facilities. Open during the summer from May to September.

Yellowknife River Territorial Park Day Use Area

Located on the Yellowknife River, the park is a perfect place to enjoy a picnic or fishing. There are washrooms here, a picnic area and playground, trails and a boat launch. For the more adventurous, boat up the river and into the string of lakes it connects to; or head into Back Bay and Yellowknife Bay on Great Slave Lake.

Cameron River Crossing Territorial Park Day Use Area

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.

Legislative Assembly Building of the Northwest Territories

NWT Legislative Assembly chamber in Yellowknife

Perched on the shores of Yellowknife’s Frame Lake, the territorial assembly building is the centre of political power for the Northwest Territories.

Inside this architectural gem, members from each of the territory’s 19 ridings serve in a unique consensus government that is studied and admired the world over. It is essentially a parliament led by a permanent minority; members elect a premier, seven Cabinet ministers and a Speaker from their own ranks. It has become a landmark and a symbol of a stable, responsible government that is close to the people it serves (the average riding has just over 2,300 residents).

As one of Canada’s youngest legislatures, the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories changed frequently in its early years. The government of the NWT was based in Ottawa for decades before officially moving to Yellowknife in 1967. Members were added and the Assembly’s responsibilities grew, but it was without a permanent home until 1993 when the current building was completed. The Legislative Assembling building’s circular shape represents the NWT’s consensus style of governing, and the materials used in its architecture are meant to complement the natural landscape around it.

Take a guided tour is highly recommended and you’ll get a peek at the stately assembly chamber and its polar bear hide; the diamond-tipped territorial mace; artworks by Group of Seven master A.Y. Jackson; intricate, ornate carvings by Northern artists; plus exhibits capturing the dynamic political evolution of the Northwest Territories. The great hall is open to the public and regularly used for concerts, events, and even weddings.

Address: 4517 – 48th Street, Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9

Phone: (867) 669-2200

Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre

The Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre (PWNHC) has it all—from airplanes and gold-mining memorabilia to ancient archeological artifacts and a Dene moose hide boat.

Journey through the PWNHC and explore its art galleries/artwork, and culture and heritage objects from across the NWT.

The PWNHC is much more than just a museum; It houses over 75,000 objects in its collection, along with 350,000 photos, maps and rare books preserved in the archives. It’s a community space, a cultural centre and an important supporter of the arts. The Centre hosts a wide variety of exhibits and public programming with a quick turnaround.

Visit www.pwnhc.ca to learn more about available tours, and what programs are available.

Open Tuesday to Sunday 10 am to 5 pm, closed Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

Located within walking distance of downtown Yellowknife.

Contact Information:

4750 48th Street | P.O. Box 1320
Yellowknife, NT X1A 2L9 Canada
Tel: 867-767-9347 ext. 71472

Reid Lake Territorial Park

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.

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