Skip to main content

Find out more about the current wildfire and wildfire-related concerns in the NWT.

Home Story 10 Magical Moments under the Midnight Sun

10 Magical Moments Under the Midnight Sun

The passage of time is different under the midnight sun. There is magic in the air. Everything feels a little bit strange. Checking the forecast for the evening, you can’t help but notice there is no little moon icon showing for the “night ahead”. 

During summer in the Northwest Territories, when a day can literally last for weeks, you are in for your share of magical moments. Where else in the world can you start an adventure at midnight? 

Here is a snapshot of some of the unique experiences you might have under the midnight sun.

1. Tap into a seemingly inexhaustible energy reserve.

“Officially, the June sun set close to midnight and rose three hours later, but it never got dark. Dusk, yes. Between sunset and sunrise there was a soft sort of dusk and the street lights came on, but nobody needed them or noticed them. The constant light was like endless caffeine.” That’s how author Elizabeth Hay described these glorious summer days in her 2007 Giller Prize winning book Late Nights on Air, set in Yellowknife. 

In the Northwest Territories, be prepared to have an almost limitless reserve of energy in the summer. The sun rides high in the sky well into the evening, and in some places right through the night, and the body’s energy is continuously being recharged by our biggest star’s brilliant light. Guessing the time of day is much harder than you might think. All of the normal cues used to judge the hour are missing here. There’s the absence of darkness approaching, as the world outside teems with activity. Birds fly about. Foxes forage. Sailors take their boats out for a midnight sail on Yellowknife Bay and commuters go for a late-night drive down the Dempster Highway, far above the Arctic Circle, taking full advantage of all that the long summer days have to offer.

Here’s a tip: be sure to set the time stamp on your camera or you’ll have a hard time convincing friends of the time your picture was taken. 

2. Realize that fishing at dawn is a wee bit more challenging.

If you are the kind of fishing fanatic who likes to cast a line at dawn, you’ll have to be up mighty early in the NWT. Dawn breaks sometime between 2:30 am and 3:30 am in the southern NWT. Above the Arctic Circle, fishing at dawn is impossible because, well, dawn doesn’t really exist. In places like Inuvik, the sun is in the sky around the clock. 

On the upside, you can troll for giant, line-busting Lake Trout along Great Bear Lake or cast away for mighty Northern Pike, iridescent Arctic Grayling and delicious Whitefish from shore whenever you want, since  there is always enough daylight to set your hook. You really can fish all night long when the sun barely sets—or doesn’t set at all.

3. You don’t need to rely on your campfire to light the way.

There’s nothing quite like sharing the warmth of a campfire with close friends and family. It’s no different under the midnight sun, except the light given off by the fire is more ornamental than essential, with daylight still pouring down from overhead.

Roast marshmallows and cook hotdogs without fumbling around in the dark for sticks and knives and packages. And whether you’re deep in the wilderness on an epic paddling journey or spending the night at a territorial campground, bask in the glow of the smiling faces around you all night long. 

 

4. Start a round of golf around the time you’re usually going to bed.

Now here is where you can satisfy the urge to brag a little.

After you’ve had a quick stretch and decided which club to use to get off the first tee, go ahead and pull out your phone to snap a photo. Then, send a text to all of your friends south of 60, and let them know that you’re about to start a round of golf.

Sure, they won’t get the message until the following morning, because they’ve most likely fallen asleep long ago. But maybe as you tap in on the 18th green, you’ll get a buzz in your pocket, from a thoroughly confused friend, as they try to comprehend the time-stamp that accompanied your photo. That’s when you can tell them you just played the round of your life through the night, in one of the only places on Earth where that’s physically possible.

5. Go for a midnight swim.

No headlamp or flashlight needed. Whenever the feeling hits you, just follow the path of least resistance to water. This could be a well trodden forest trail to a pristine lake, a dash across a pebbled beach into the Arctic Ocean, a quick hop and a skip off a cabin dock, or an expert dive off the deck of a floating houseboat.

No matter the hour, there’s always enough light for a swim in the land of the midnight sun.

 

6. Sometimes, dinner jumps into the next day.

Another thing about the awesome midnight sun is how it can disrupt all of the body’s natural rhythms. When the sun is blazing night and day, it’s hard to stay on a strict schedule. Forget breakfast at 8 a.m., lunch at noon, and dinner at 6 p.m. It happens all of the time: you think about starting to cook that fresh fish you picked up earlier and you check the time to discover it’s actually 11 p.m. Whoops! Where did the day go?

Late meals, skipped meals… it’s all part of living under the midnight sun.

But be sure, the hungries will hit you at some point. You will work up an appetite with everything you’ll get up to during the longest days of the year.

7. Admire the sunset/sunrise for hours.

When the sun goes down—but not quite all the way down—before coming back up, do you call it a sunrise or sunset? Is it a setting sunrise? Or a sunsetrise? If you’re in Inuvik, or one of the other communities above the Arctic Circle, and the sun is spinning around the circumference of the sky, when does one day end and the next begin?

These are the otherworldly conversations you find you have when you stay up all day and all night. Meanwhile, you get one super-extended, unbelievably gorgeous sunset/rise to admire while you debate your points.

 

8. Fall asleep under the biggest star there is.

If by chance you have managed to maintain your circadian sleep-wake cycle through the days leading up to the solstice, you won’t exactly fall asleep under the stars up here.

But there’s something special about drifting away into la-la land as imperceptibly as the sky changes from dusk to twilight to dawn to day.

9. Hear the dawn chorus of birds.

There’s another missing cue to day and night around the Northwest Territories, and it draws birding enthusiasts to the NWT. You will hear the call of swallows and warblers throughout the evening and into the morning. Depending on where you are, the dusk chorus can carry on until as late as midnight, and the bird dawn chorus can start as early as 1:30 a.m. The birds, like the rest of us, take advantage of the long daylight hours and are continuously active. There’s nothing like walking back to a campsite, hotel or bed and breakfast to the rising sun and full birdsong in the wee hours of the morning. 

It’s unworldly, wholly surreal and absolutely magical. 

10. Completely lose all track of time.

It could be in the brief silence after the laughter around the fire dies down. Or when you get up to answer nature’s call.

You ask yourself: What time is it?

And then, after a moment, the question becomes: No, what day is it? Is it still yesterday? Is it already tomorrow?

You will have no idea. Until it dawns on you. Not knowing is part of the magic of the Midnight Sun.

Dreaming of Northern vistas? Explore all the ways to get out and witness the magnificent landscapes and majestic wildlife of the Northwest Territories

The Northwest Territories is home to some of the most pristine national parks in Canada. The humbling beauty and wild landscapes of the North are on full display. Read our guide to the 6 Canadian national parks in the NWT for a taste of what awaits you there.

With over 30 years of living in Yellowknife, we offer a variety of tourism experiences for our guests. We are......

Hearne Lake Lodge is a remote fly-in fishing lodge only 20-minute floatplane ride east of Yellowknife. To serve you better,......

Commercial air charter service providing air support for hikers on Canol Road, sightseeing in the beautiful Mackenzie Mountains, and fly-in fishing......

Creating Memories for a Lifetime Nonacho Lake Fishing Adventures offers trophy lake trout and northern pike fishing. Wildlife abounds at......

Best Northern Road Trip! Now you can drive all the way to the Arctic ocean linking Canada from coast to......

Destination NWT Limited is a tourism operator located in Yellowknife, Canada. DNWT specializes in outdoors adventures, aurora photography, and cultural experiences: Best rated Snowmobile Tour, winter gears included, exciting trail riding Aurora Tour in a Luxurious lakeside Lodge Unique Aurora tour while Ice Fishing indoors Full panoramic moonroof vehicle for Aurora Viewing DNWT’s tours allow […]...

DISCOVER A MOMENT THAT LASTS A LIFETIME. Aylmer Lake Lodge is located in Rocknest Bay, which is on the Barren......

Fly-in fishing lodge located 150 air miles (240 kms) south of Yellowknife. Full American Plan or unguided....

Comfortable lodge a 20 minute by floatplane ride from Yellowknife. Guided fishing for Lake Trout (to 34 lb), Arctic Grayling (to......

Book an adventure with us at Trail Blazer Tours for an unforgettable experience! Your adventure with us will create lasting......

With Bluefish Outfitting you’ll get an unforgettable trip of a lifetime. Bluefish Outfitting offers personalized, guided fishing trips and boat tours on......

Charter the bus, travel the North by road Your go-to solution for reliable and convenient ground transportation in the North! Shuttle Services Group Travel Sporting Events Corporate Events Out-of-Territory Trips School Trips Luggage Customized Itineraries Budget Friendly Rates and so much more!  ...

Remote private wilderness paradise on Little Doctor Lake, 100 km west of Fort Simpson. Accommodates 20 in cabins. Fishing, swimming,......

Great Slave Lake Tours offers winter and summer trips on Great Slave Lake, the ninth biggest lake in the world......

Tukto Lodge has been exceeding anglers’ expectations for more than fifty years. As the only fishing and eco-tourism lodge in......

One of the finest Pike and Lake Trout waters in North America, on the 60th Parallel. Enjoy luxurious private cabins......

Yellow Dog Lodge is a comfortable lodge with 3 private cabins for our guests. The lodge is a short (15 minute) floatplane ride from Yellowknife. Located on Duncan and Graham Lakes, the lodge is your hub for adventure. Choose from an additional 5 lakes for guided day trip excursions. Each lake is unique and offers unspoiled first class fishing. We are the only lodge that operates guided trips on each of these remote lakes located in the NWT taiga wilderness. Packaged trips feature superb sport fishing and safe outdoor adventure. The lakes and streams offer the finest Lake Trout, Northern Pike, Walleye and Arctic Grayling in the region. As an added bonus, our guests will enjoy the midnight sun and may even catch the northern lights later in the fall or early spring....

World Class Fishing Within Reach Yet Beyond Belief For 3 generations we have been honing the Kasba experience to be like no-other. Our level of hospitality, dedication to the fishery, and a legendary passion for the experience that permeates through our entire team is undeniably contagious. No matter what you’re looking for in your fishing […]...

Arctic Tours Canada is a Yellowknife based tour operating company that offer Aurora Hunting and Viewing tours, Yellowknife sightseeing tours,......

2 Seasons Adventures is a family-owned company. Our professional guides boast a lifetime of experience enjoying the unique lifestyle of......

Peterson’s Point Lake Lodge provides you access to known waters teeming with monster lake trout. Their current record is a......

Aurora Village – A Class of Its Own Aurora Village is a unique Aurora-viewing facility situated 25 minutes from downtown......

Book this entire cabin in the remote wilderness of the stunningly breath-taking, Mackenzie Mountains. This cabin is hands down the......

Our goal is to provide unique customized services for high-end customers. We excel at making personalized tours. You can see......

Fishing Charter based in Yellowknife offering specialized in Giant Northern Pike and Lake Trout. We have boats to operate either in the North and East arm....

Exceptional fishing on Gordon Lake, 100 km northeast of Yellowknife. Fish for Lake Trout, up to to 56 lbs! Fly in by......

Pehdzeh Ki First Nation is located in the community of Wrigley, Northwest Territories, Canada. We are a Designated Authority in......

Northstar Resort is a remote fishing lodge located on Thekulthili Lake, 95 miles (152 km) northeast of Fort Smith. Operates from......

Ena Lake Lodge is a one-of-a-kind, all-inclusive luxury fishing and outdoors experience in Northern Canada. Come and experience authentic fly-in......

Welcoming and friendly with a rustic charm and all modern conveniences, Grey Goose Lodge immediately catches your eye as you......

Fishing and Barrenlands wildlife photography, including migrating caribou, at the Obstruction Rapids in the central Barrenlands north of Yellowknife....

To truly experience the Northwest Territories, take your camping gear for a highway driving adventure! Long ribbons of road without......

Remote naturalist’s lodge snuggled in the Mackenzie Mountains, in the largest mountain wilderness in North America. Located along the Canol......

Fish for Trophy Lake Trout and Arctic Grayling at our all-inclusive lodge located in East Arm, Great Slave Lake. Fly......

Beaufort Sea Adventures is a family-owned and Indigenous-operated business, proudly offering Arctic experiences in Tuktoyaktuk. Our family lives and breathes the North, giving us a unique insight into the hidden gems that make Tuktoyaktuk truly special. We offer guests an authentic cultural immersion, sharing our Inuvialuit heritage, stories, and deep connection to the land and […]...

Born & raised in Inuvik, Northwest Territories our experienced lead guide Jimmy Kalinek is ready to help you discover the......

Outfitter offering sport hunts for trophy Dall’s sheep, Alaska/Yukon Moose, Mountain Caribou. We ensure that every detail of the hunt......

An Arctic Barrenlands trophy fishing adventure for the serious sportsman. Located on Lynx Lake (420 km east of Yellowknife) Lynx......

Call us about our exciting year-round packages and experience the best of the Dehcho region and Denendeh....

Providing culturally based tours of Tuktoyaktuk with an opportunity to dip your toes in the Arctic Ocean! Ask us about......

Summer and winter packages on the Taltson River. Drive out by snowmobile from Fort Resolution or fly out from Fort......

We offer: Nature and wildlife viewing Snowmobile tours Fishing tours Boat tours Polar bear and muskox hunts. Contact us for......

Family owned and operated tour company specializing in Arctic expedition cruising....