Fort Smith will capture your sense of awe and adventure with its beauty, culture and sheer size of the landscape. With a choose-your-own-adventure style list of things to do you will enjoy all this community has to offer!
Five Reasons to Visit Fort Smith
1. Play on the edge of the Slave River
Hike down to the private sandy beaches and sun-heated rocks at Mountain Rapids. Go for a swim and enjoy an afternoon picnic. The water is warm in the calm bays and the days are long. Look for the most northerly colony of nesting white pelicans feeding in the rapids. Keep an eye out for some of Fort Smith’s most colourful beasts; white water kayakers! They often spend long hours paddling and playing in the rapids.
2. Listen to the drum at a traditional hand games tournament
Immerse yourself in the fun and excitement of this traditional Dene team event where locals show off their skills and wit. Try to figure out the strategy to winning. Feel the pulse of the drum beating and the energy of the participants as they signal and point. After a day of games, join the locals for some traditional food and northern conversation at the community feast, organized by the local Salt River First Nation.
3. Experience Wood Buffalo National Park
Be sure to visit the Salt Plains and look out at the vastness of the plains that almost look as if they were sprinkled with snow in the middle of summer. Taste and touch the salt crystals. Look for animal tracks from bison, wolves, bears and more! Drive out to Pine Lake and enjoy the rustic style and cozy comfort of cottage living with a lakeside view. Relax in your own peaceful setting at these historic patrol cabins. Options for hiking, biking, paddling, swimming and dark sky gazing are all close by.
4. Stargaze during the Thebacha & Wood Buffalo Dark Sky Festival
Watch homemade rockets streak into the sky. See what science experiments Professor Quark is cooking up. Gaze up at the stars in Wood Buffalo National Park, the worlds largest Dark Sky Preserve, during the Thebacha and Wood Buffalo Dark Sky Festival. Listen to well-known guest speakers. Join us for northern Canada’s largest celebration of space and science, whether you’re an amateur stargazer or a seasoned astronomer. The festival is held in late August.
5. Float your boat at the Slave River Paddlefest
This is the premiere paddling event of the summer! Enjoy the thrill of the moving water as it pulsates past you on the rocks or under your boat! There are tonnes of opportunities to watch the experts perform jaw-dropping skills, participate in certified paddling clinics, or just play in the warm water. Paddlefest is a family friendly weekend of pure fun with whatever floats your boat: kayaks, canoes, rafts, stand-up-paddle boards and on-shore viewing!
867-872-3605 – Town of Fort Smith Visitor Information
867-872-7960 – Wood Buffalo National Park Visitor Information
E-mail: townoffortsmith@fortsmith.ca
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