It’s better in the Barrenlands

East of Great Slave is a regal, lonesome realm – the treeless zone of the Barrens, legendary for paddling, fishing and wildlife viewing. Here, rivers flow clear, herds of caribou stretch to the far horizon, and wolves survey their empire from atop ancient outcrops, impervious to human visitors.  

The Barrenlands give birth to icy rivers that jostle through the rock-ribbed landscape, bound for the far Arctic. You’ve heard rumours of these waterways: the Thelon, Coppermine, Burnside, Dubawnt and Back. Reached by floatplane from Yellowknife, paddling them involves weeks of adventure – and provides a lifetime of stories.  

Here, the forest dwindles to sticks and the Subarctic and Arctic collide. The beasts of the Barrens are a strange mash-up of the polar and the boreal: Muskoxen and moose, caribou and grizzlies, beavers and wolverines, ptarmigans and geese. For wildlife-watchers, this place is a strange paradise, intriguing to behold.  

Think autumn colours are pretty in New England? Then you’ve gotta see the Barrenlands in August and September. Imagine a landscape of infinite crimson, as a million delicate flowers explode into colour and berries erupt on every bush. Photographers make pilgrimages here every year, to capture this radiant spectacle. You can join them, on tours or independent adventures.

Thriving at the cusp of the Barrenlands, placid Wekweètì is one of the North’s most scenic communities. The tiny Tłįchǫ settlement huddles among sandy eskers and tiny pines not far from the treeline – our closest community to the caribou country northeast of Great Slave Lake. 

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Delta Ice Roads From January to April, ice roads connect Aklavik and Tuktoyaktuk to Inuvik, Northwest Territories. Visitors can rent a vehicle and drive the winding river and stream route to Aklavik. For a wildly different sense of place, it is still...

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Built around 1880, this single-storey log church, complete with a gable roof and wooden steeple, is one of the oldest standing buildings in the Northwest Territories. It is located on the former Hudson's Bay lot in the historic centre of the community....

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The Hay River Mission is a National Historic Site on the Hay River (K'atlodeeche) Dene Reserve. Established in the late 19th century, the site consists of St. Peter’s Anglican Church, Ste. Anne’s Roman Catholic Church, remains of a rectory, and associated...

Built in the early 1930s as a blacksmith shop, this single-storey log building was originally situated on what is now the Giant Mine property. After being moved to its current location near City Hall it became a tourist information centre...

Built in 1946 on the waterfront in Old Town, this City of Yellowknife Heritage Site was the city's first permanent floatplane base. Many aviation pioneers once worked out of this building, including Stan McMillan and Max Ward. In earlier years, the large...

Located at 7 Otto Drive on Latham Island, this log cabin is one of Yellowknife's oldest surviving buildings. Built in 1938 as a private residence, the city's Bank of Toronto branch opened here six years later. Allan Lambert, former president and...

Donated on behalf of Pope Pius XI in the 1930s, the schooner Our Lady of Lourdes sailed the Beaufort Sea for decades, delivering supplies to far-flung Catholic missions and carrying Inuvialuit children to Cathloic residential schools. Since 1982 the...

This seven-kilometre loop around Frame Lake is the recreation trail for activity in the heart of the capital. While the eastern half is paved and passes by residential neighbourhoods, the western half consists of boardwalks over muskeg and wayfinding over...

Foot bridges over streams and gullies on town walking trails are constructed of huge driftwood logs from southern forests. The logs, salvaged along the Mackenzie River, are woven into the supports for some unique and attractive bridges designed by local resident and...

Established in 1970 to stimulate employment in Fort McPherson, this community-based enterprise combines local traditional skills with current manufacturing and production methods to craft a wide selection of products, from canvas tents to...

Built in 1936, this one-and-a-half storey squared-log dwelling overlooks the Papal Flats in Fort Simpson. An excellent example of Metis architecture, it is located at the southern edge of the original Hudson’s Bay Company compound and is an...

On the flats at the southwestern end of Fort Simpson Island, for centuries Dene gathered at this site during their seasonal rounds to allocate land use, arrange marriages, resolve disputes, hold puberty rites, undertake ceremonies of healing and thanksgiving...

​The Lafferty House is a one-and-a-half storey squared-log dwelling built circa 1929,  located at the north end of the village of Fort Simpson, close to the waterfront. It was built by the Laffertys, a proud Metis family who have been in the Fort Simpson...

The Old Log School House was the first school in Yellowknife. It was built in 1937 by prominent Yellowknife pioneers Ray G. 'Red' McPhie and 'Sleepy Jim' McDonald. Originally used as a mining kitchen and bunkhouse, it became a one-room schoolhouse in 1939,...

Perched on a pillar near the entrance to town, the yellow and blue Bristol Freighter airplane greets visitors to Yellowknife, reminding them of the region's vital aviation history. Bush planes such as this one fed the development of the town, bringing...

Direclty across HIghway 3 from the Northern Frontier Visitor Centre, this easy two-kilometre loop explores the shoreline of a small marshy lake in the heart of a Yellowknife residential neighbourhood. Despite its urban location, Niven Lake is rich in...

One of the most diverse, historic, offbeat neighbourhoods in Canada, Old Town is the beating heart of Yellowknife. Here, where the Precambrain Shield juts into Great Slave Lake, goldseekers 80 years ago pioneered what was to become the North's greatest settlement....

On the shores of Frame Lake in front of City Hall, this grassy park is Yellowknife's favourite gathering place. In summer, musical performances are common at the waterfront ampitheatre, and various attractions – the museum, the visitor centre, Firewood Studio, a...

The closest thing to whitewater on the mighty Mackenzie River, this fast-flowing section occurs a few kilometres upstream from Fort Good Hope where the river is choked between 40-metre-high limestone cliffs.

Legendary prospector Albert Faille spent his life hutning for gold in the Nahanni Mountains. Each spring from the 1950s until his death in 1973 he journeyed up the Liard and Nahanni rivers from his home in Fort Simpson, portaging around the...

This municipal campground is located about four kilometres along the access road to Fort Liard. It's next to a small lake, and offers a kitchen shelter and several campsites.

On September 20, 1987, on the flats where the Mackenzie and Liard Rivers flow together above Fort Simpson, as many as 4,000 people – mostly Dene – gathered to welcome Pope John Paul II. It was the first time any pope had ever visited an Aboriginal community. His...

The oldest and certainly the most ornate place of worship in the North, this tiny cathedral crowns a bluff overlooking the Mackenzie River in Fort Good Hope. Built starting in 1865 by Oblate missionaries – including the famed Father Émile Petitot –­ the church from the...

In the depths of December, 1931, an enigmatic loner calling himself Albert Johnson shot and injured a policeman near the Rat River, not far from Aklavik. He then led authorities on a two-month goose-chase that was broadcast via radio around the world. As the sign...

Towering 400 metres above Tulita, sacred Bear Rock is said to be where Yamoria, the great law-giver of Dene lore, confronted a gang of giant beavers that had been drowning hunters. Yamoria killed three of the beavers and draped their vast pelts on Bear Rock – forming...

Here, on this rectangular peninsula jutting northward into Great Slave Lake, the Northern fur-trade got its foothold. Parks Canada has designated this 8.8-hectare expanse – long the site of a Hudson Bay Company post – as a national historic site. It and other trading...

Swim at Long Lake’s sandy beach. Camp, picnic, canoe or enjoy the amenities and attractions of nearby Yellowknife. Hike the four-kilometre Prospector’s Trail, highlighting the gold-bearing geology of the area. Or follow the Jackfish and Frame Lake trail system, leading...

Located on Vale Island in Hay River, (follow the signs; it’s about 10 kilometres past the information centre), this park offers fantastic swimming on the sandy shores of Great Slave Lake, unique views of barges and fishing vessels plying the waters, and great...

Midway between Fort Simpson and Fort Liard on the Liard Trail, Blackstone Territorial Park boasts stunning mountain views and a prime location on the Liard River, downstream from its confluence with the South Nahanni. This is an excellent starting...

This popular park and campground are located at the junction of Highway 1 and the Trout River (Sambaa Deh in the Slavey language). The river was a traditional transportation route before and during the fur trade. The falls forced travellers to portage around...

Located in the heart of Inuvik, this park offers 19 powered and eight non-powered sites, and convenient access to the town’s attractions. The park is situated on a bluff overlooking the east branch of the Mackenzie River, with a view of the Richardson Mountains....

Just outside Inuvik, this park features an observation tower with excellent views of the surrounding scenery and prime bird-watching. Watch for falcons, eagles and ducks, our summer residents. There is an abundance of cranberries, blueberries and cloudberries that...

This park is perched on a cliff overlooking the Peel River and surrounded by stands of white birch and white spruce trees. It's an ideal place to unwind for a few nights on the long journey up or down the Dempster. The visitor centre offers a fascinating glimpse of the...

On the banks of the Mackenzie River in Norman Wells, MacKinnon Territorial Park offers a great view of the Mackenzie Mountains and is a perfect stop for river-trippers. There are eight non-powered campsites, washrooms, firewood, a picnic area and a playground...

Join us for an unforgettable experience on the mighty Mackenzie River. Day trips are available for a full or half day. Exceptional nature and wildlife viewing, fishing, hiking and historical tours are available. We will stop at Green Island and Ghost Island to hear...