Nahanni: The Ultimate Summer staycation
From mountains and boreal forests to the Arctic tundra and whitewater rapids, the North has no shortage of adventures waiting for you. Even those who’ve lived here their whole lives have a hard time seeing it all, which makes an NWT staycation the perfect opportunity to experience everything that makes this territory so unique.
That’s what Kaitlyn Vician did last summer. She and 13 of her closest friends embraced the uncertainty of 2020 with an epic NWT staycation, paddling and hiking their way through the Nahanni National Park Reserve.
The once-in-a-lifetime trip by this tight-knit group of Northerners—many of whom have known each other since kindergarten—was actually planned prior to most travel options outside the territory being shut down. But those restrictions worked out just fine for Vician and her besties to get out and explore their own backyard.
“How could you live here your whole life and not do a paddling trip in the Nahanni?” asks the born-and-raised Yellowknifer.
Preparation began with a whitewater training course in Hay River and Kakisa, organized by Jackpine Paddle. Though she’s practically grown up in canoes, Vician didn’t have much whitewater experience and says the training came in handy once they were on their own.
“I would 100 per cent recommend doing a whitewater course if you’ve never done whitewater before,” she says with a laugh.
The group started their journey in Fort Simpson, having rented gear from Black Feather Adventures, and staying at the Mackenzie Rest Inn before flying into the national park reserve with South Nahanni Airways. Half of the group, though, actually started a couple of weeks earlier, eager to take on the more challenging rapids of Broken Skull River.
“It was so amazing and everything we hoped it would be,” says Aimee Guile, an experienced paddler who was on that first leg of the expedition. “We were right on the edge of our comfort zone.”
Vician and her other friends joined with Guile’s group at Rabbitkettle Lake, as they took on the South Nahanni River. The group camped by the awe-inspiring Virginia Falls, hiked up Sunblood Mountain, scaled The Gate (to the Lord of the Rings soundtrack, of course) and wandered around the water pools behind Lafferty’s Creek.
Standing next to the clear blue waves of Glacier Lake, in the shadow of the Cirque of the Unclimbables, brought such joy, says Guile, at a time when everything in the world felt up in the air.
“In those moments, all you can feel is happiness.”
Spending three weeks in nature with your closest friends, that’s always going to be memorable. But doing so in your own home territory makes it even more special.
“It’s easy to use your vacation to go somewhere else, but really there’s so much in our backyards here to explore and to experience,” says Guile. “You could paddle a different river every year for who knows how long and never have the same experience twice… There’s no reason to leave. We’re pretty lucky here.”
Of course you don’t have to spend a month-long trip paddling through the Nahanni to enjoy its breathtaking scenery. There are day trips to Virginia Falls and flightseeing tours from above from folks like Air Tindi and Simpson Air.
Regardless of how you get out and see it, now is the perfect time to explore the land around you with the people you love. There’s no better way to spend a summer.
Related Stories
Intriguing tales from Canada's Northwest Territories
Activities
Activities
Activities
Activities
Activities
Activities
Activities
Activities
Activities
Activities
Activities
Activities
Activities
Activities
Activities
Spectacular river journeys on Canada’s most iconic rivers. Travel with expert guides by raft or canoe and immerse yourself in......
What began as a “part time fishing lodge” has now become a “full time Aurora Wilderness Lodge” open year round......
For over 30 years, Canoe North Adventures has made it our mission to create spectacular memories for life, and to show......
We are the Łı́ı́dlı̨́ı̨́ Kų́ę́ got’ine. People of the community of Łı́ı́dlı̨́ı̨́ Kų́ę́, “the place where rivers come together”, in......
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......
Remote private wilderness paradise on Little Doctor Lake, 100 km west of Fort Simpson. Accommodates 20 in cabins. Fishing, swimming,......
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 […]...
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....
Create your own story. We offer a variety of services to make your Sahtu adventure a reality! We offer everything from......
To truly experience the Northwest Territories, take your camping gear for a highway driving adventure! Long ribbons of road without......
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....
Old Town Paddle & Co. are the most northern Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) outfitter in Canada....