9 reasons the mighty Mackenzie is Canada's coolest waterway
It’s the King of Rivers that surges through centuries and courses through a culture.
It links mountain and sea. Past and future. Man and beast.
And when you gaze upon it, or ride its mighty currents, its spirit will flow through you, too.
Here are 9 reasons the Mackenzie is Canada’s coolest waterway:
The original superhighway
Up here, it is called the Deh Cho – the great river. For the Dene of the Northwest Territories, since time immemorial, it has been a superhighway, grocery store, internet, and church.
Even today, this is the river that weaves the North together. It is the longest waterway in Canada, at the heart of an ecosystem and worldview. Hunters and fishermen still travel its channels. Fish throng its depths. Moose and muskoxen tread its banks. Communities flank its shores. And cargo-barges and ice-roads traverse it, bridging vast distances and different worlds.
A history of trade
In 1789 the river was descended by Alexander Mackenzie of the Northwest Company, who was seeking a passage to the Pacific. It took him to the Arctic instead, so he cursed it as “The River of Disappointment.” Yet his journey was, in a sense, a success. Within years, trading posts lined the banks of the waterway.
A paddle for the ages
Modern-day voyageurs still paddle the river from source to sea. Starting at Great Slave Lake, it takes four to six weeks to canoe or kayak the 1738-kilometre length of the Mackenzie. En route, paddlers will encounter 10 idyllic communities, countless fishing and hunting camps, a hotsprings, a couple of rapids, a famous canyon, and more pure wilderness than you ever knew existed on Earth.
The North's biggest bridge
Amazingly, over its entire course the Mackenzie River is straddled by just one bridge – the Deh Cho Bridge at Fort Providence. Completed in 2012, the $202-million structure stretches more than a kilometre from shore to shore, making it by far the longest bridge in Northern Canada. It has cattle grates on the north side to prevent wild wood bison from wandering onto the span. At mid-river the bridge is 100 feet above the water, allowing barges and other large vessels to pass beneath. Due to the extreme weather of the Northwest Territories, the bridge expands and contracts as much 47 inches between summer and winter.
Fun and free ferry rides
Elsewhere, road travellers cross the Mackenzie aboard seasonal car ferries. For those driving Highway 1 toward Wrigley, the M.V. Johnny Berens provides service over the river at Camsell Bend. The M.V. Louis Cardinal, meanwhile, carries Dempster HIghway traffic across the Mackenzie at Tsiigehtchic. Both ferries run from “break up,” usually in late May or early June, until “freeze up” in late October.
The river becomes a road
In winter, the Mackenzie becomes a frozen thoroughfare, paved with ice four feet thick. Portions of the Mackenzie Valley Winter Road run directly atop the river, providing access to riverside communities such as Tulita, Norman Wells and Fort Good Hope which are only accessible by floatplane in the summer months. In the Mackenzie Delta, meanwhile, an ice road links Inuvik to Aklavik.
Days that don't end
Not far from Fort Good Hope, the Mackenzie transects the Arctic Circle. Here, on the summer solstice, you can stay up all night watching the sun not set. As you follow the river even further north, the period of summer daylight gets longer and longer. At Tuktoyaktuk, where the Mackenzie pours into the Arctic Ocean, the sun spins in the sky for more than two months in a row, never setting for this entire period.
A source of black gold
The Mackenzie is a bounty of modern riches. North of the confluence of the Bear River, Alexander Mackenzie noticed an oily sheen leaching from the shore. More than 100 years later, drillers hit black gold – the Northwest Territories’ first resource boom. Today the oil still flows, with pumpjacks built on manmade islands pulling petroleum from deep beneath the currents. The operation provides employment for hundreds of people at Norman Wells, one of the largest communities in the Mackenzie Valley.
A story that continues to unfold
However, it is the Mackenzie’s timeless riches that visitors will likley cherish the most. All along the waterway, famous landmarks resonate with Dene spirituality, history and lore. Pictured above is the Edhaa National Historic Site on the flats of Fort Simpson Island, where for centuries Dene gathered during their seasonal rounds to allocate land-use, arrange marriages, resolve disputes, undertake ceremonies of healing and thanksgiving, and trade goods and knowledge.
Want to learn more about the mighty Mackenzie River? Check out the riverside communities of the Dehcho, Sahtu and Western Arctic regions, or look into paddling opportunities in the Northwest Territories.
Intriguing tales from Canada's Northwest Territories
Book an adventure with us at Trail Blazer Tours for an unforgettable experience! Your adventure with us will create lasting......
For over 30 years, Canoe North Adventures has made it our mission to create spectacular memories for life, and to show......
Your Dene Connection in Yellowknife. B. Dene Adventures is a Traditional Dene Culture Camp business which teaches the Dene way......
We are the Łı́ı́dlı̨́ı̨́ Kų́ę́ got’ine. People of the community of Łı́ı́dlı̨́ı̨́ Kų́ę́, “the place where rivers come together”, in......
Tundra North Travel is an Inuit company based in Inuvik, Northwest Territories that was established with the dream of being......
Red Cliff Adventures has a traditional camp that is located in Lutsel K’e, on the shores of the East Arm,......
At Nahanni River Adventures we outfit and guide canoe and raft trips on Canada’s renowned South Nahanni River and a select......
Simpson Air (and its predecessor) is the oldest continuously-operated flying service in the Mackenzie Valley, established in the early 1960s.......
Canoe North, located in Hay River, Northwest Territories offers kayak and canoe rentals and sales. We can set you up for a......
What began as a “part time fishing lodge” has now become a “full time Aurora Wilderness Lodge” open year round......
For a Great Northern Experience! Yellowknife Outdoor Adventures offers a variety of day trips ranging from 2 to 10 hours......
With Bluefish Outfitting you’ll get an unforgettable trip of a lifetime. Bluefish Outfitting offers personalized, guided fishing trips and boat tours on......
We are an Inuvialuit owned and operated family business, run by locals Enoch and Amanda Pokiak, based in Inuvik in the Western......
100% Indigenous owned! We are the world’s first Aurora Hunting tour company, we know Aurora. Learn about Aurora, why Yellowknife is the......
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......
Come experience world-class Aurora Borealis viewing in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada. We are the only guides in the Northwest Territories......
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 […]...
Extend your trip to Fort Simpson with a visit to our Dene Camp, K’iyeli. We have options available for an......
For over 50 years, Black Feather has had the opportunity to operate canoe, hiking and sea kayaking expeditions throughout the......
Northern and Remote Wilderness Adventures Ltd. (NARWAL) is a small, friendly, majority Aboriginal owned and operated family business. Our reputation......
Unplug from the commonplace with our Northwest Territories canoe and kayak expeditions. We specialize in true wilderness adventures to the......
“Unforgettable remote fishing experience” We are the only lodge located on this fly-in only lake. With only 8 guests per......
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....
2 Seasons Adventures is a family-owned company. Our professional guides boast a lifetime of experience enjoying the unique lifestyle of......
Create your own story. We offer a variety of services to make your Sahtu adventure a reality! We offer everything from......
Pehdzeh Ki First Nation is located in the community of Wrigley, Northwest Territories, Canada. We are a Designated Authority in......
Boat tours in the wildlife-rich Slave River delta and fishing at Taltson Big Pike Lodge....
To truly experience the Northwest Territories, take your camping gear for a highway driving adventure! Long ribbons of road without......
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......
Offering Cultural tours, sport fishing, canoeing and snowmobile tours. Contact us for more information....
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....
Boat tours of the Mackenzie River Delta from Inuvik to Aklavik, Red Mountain and Husky Channel. Contact us for more......
Old Town Paddle & Co. are the most northern Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) outfitter in Canada....
We offer: Nature and wildlife viewing Snowmobile tours Fishing tours Boat tours Polar bear and muskox hunts. Contact us for......
We run a small all-inclusive lodge that can handle ten people at a time. From this lodge we organize hunting......
Family owned and operated tour company specializing in Arctic expedition cruising....
We offer the following: Boat & Fishing tours Community & Cultural tours Dog sled tours Snowmobile / ATV tours Polar......
