Bison straight out of the Wild West. Waterfalls that shake the earth. Canada’s wildest whitewater playground. And a lake that’s like a sea.
![Lousie falls in the NWT](https://specnwt.s3.ca-central-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/10005218/gnwt_sommerhalder_025.jpg)
In the South Slave, here's what not to miss ...
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Pelicans at the Rapids of the Drowned
In the midst of the ferocious Slave River Rapids, they’re an unlikely sight – the world’s northernmost colony of white pelicans, nesting on protected islands and fishing in the foaming waves. You can sneak a peek at them from the shore, just a few hundred metres from downtown Fort Smith.
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The Salt Plains
What in the world? Drive down a forested side-road off Highway 5 and suddenly you’ll appear at an overlook where a shimmering, pearly desert sprawls before you. A quick hike downhill will bring you to the bizarre Salt Plains of Wood Buffalo National Park, where saline minerals leach from an ancient seabed, turning the world white and crystalline.
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Louise and Alexandra Falls
Often, nature mesmerizes us with its stillness – but sometimes, it stuns us with its might. Such is the case where the honey-brown Hay River crashes into a limestone gorge, forming raucous 10-storey-high Alexandra Falls and then, a few metres downstream, the ornate cascade of Louise Falls.
![Beach in Hay River NWT](https://specnwt.s3.ca-central-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/10005221/nwt_2011_-50-b.jpg)
Hay River Beach
Beaches aren’t exactly the first thing you’d expect when you visit the rugged northern landscape, but really, it makes sense: Where Great Slave Lake pummels its limestone shoreline, a vast sandscape is produced. Easy on the eyes and sweet to the soul, the beach reaches for miles – perfect for strolling and bonfires.