Six quirky, must-take photos in the Northwest Territories

The Northwest Territories is certainly photogenic.

From extreme seasons and landscapes to unforgettably unique experiences and traditions, the Spectacular NWT provides an endless source of inspiration to even the most amateur of shutterbugs.

Looking for a few suggestions before you point and click? Here are six unreal snapshots to take in the Northwest Territories.

Throughout the winter, the NWT’s great lakes and wild rivers freeze over. 

Because Northerners are a resourceful bunch, we put these frozen waterways to good use, transforming them into ice roads. 

You’ll find these temporary highways across the Northwest Territories. An ice road connects Aklavik with Inuvik, as well as many Sahtu communities along the frozen Mackenzie River. Ice roads link Nahanni Butte and Sambaa K’e up to the Dehcho region’s highway network and draws motorists to Dettah from Yellowknife over Yellowknife Bay.

Find a clear patch and then watch for oncoming cars. Stare deep down at the lake or river below, judging how thick the ice is by the cracks, and then strike a pose for a selfie as you walk—or sprawl out—on the water.

It’s true, it does get cold here in the winter. But when the temperature dips to -25C or lower, that just provides ample opportunity to get creative. 

How? Leave a banana out overnight. Once it freezes solid, use it to hammer in a nail. Better yet, boil some water, launch it in an arc overhead and watch it immediately—and magically—become a cloud of ice. Or to get really ambitious, grab a box of noodles and go outdoors. Now, pinch a generous mouthful between chopsticks and carefully hold them in place for a few moments until they freeze. Then just let go and walk away for a gravity-defying scene.

The imagination is the only thing that can get in your way.

Those lucky enough to celebrate Inuvialuit Day in Inuvik on June 5 are blown away by the blanket toss, where residents—and even some visitors—get the rare opportunity to take flight. Where else can one take a selfie as someone flies above you in the background?

A drive through the southern regions of the Northwest Territories brings you through bison country, giving you the chance to take close-up photos of some of the world’s largest land animals from the safety of your vehicle.

It’s the journey, not the destination.

But when you reach the end of the road—that line where you literally cannot drive any further, where the continent abruptly stops and becomes the sea—you will want to commemorate this moment. Reflect on all that you’ve seen and then snap a photo in Tuktoyaktuk, at the top of the world.

In a land as expansive and majestic as the NWT, the size and grandeur of your photos can get lost without a point of reference. The giant teepee on the Fort Simpson Papal Grounds Flats will look all the more spectacular when you’re dwarfed in comparison to it.