It’s not quite summer until you stretch out on the beach and feel the hot sand between your toes.
The North is no exception – here’s the scoop on the best beaches in the Northwest Territories. (And yes, the NWT has beaches.)
The best beaches in the Northwest Territories this summer
Long Lake
On a hot summer afternoon, Yellowknife’s beach is the place to be. It has changing rooms, a nearby campground, a kitchen area, volleyball nets and more water-skiers than you can shake a lemonade at.
Yellowknifers like to make a day of it – and so can you. Hop on a bike and ride out to the beach on a road that locals call “the Airport Loop.” Once you arrive, there’s no better way to cool off than a dip in Long Lake.
And if you’re already camped out at Fred Henne Territorial Park, then you’re just a slip-and-slide away from all the fun.
Great Bear Lake
Believe it or not, Canada’s northernmost “Great Lake,” Great Bear, has plenty of sandy shoreline.
And since it straddles the Arctic Circle, you can enjoy the brilliant summer sunshine 24 hours per day. (Just think about that tan.)
Pine Lake
The finest beach and campground in Wood Buffalo National Park, Pine Lake features soothing sand and shallow, warm, aquamarine waters.
It’s the ideal place for your summer vacation – go for a swim or paddle a canoe and gawk at the park’s amazing wildlife. Rent a cabin at Pine Lake to take your relaxation to the next level.
Vale Island
On blazing hot days, Hay River’s beach draws almost as many travellers from the nearby campground as it does driftwood from the lake and its feeder waterways.
At the end of Vale Island, let the South Slave region’s most accessible beach be your starting point for interpretive hikes, cool dunks in Great Slave Lake, or epic, bruised-sky sunsets.
Whitebeach Point
A luscious expanse of white sand on the remote west coast of Great Slave, this is a favourite summer camping spot for sailors and pleasure boaters.
Even better, it backs onto busy bison territory near the Mackenzie Bison Sanctuary.
Little Doctor Lake
Fly in to Little Doctor Lake this summer and have a beach all to yourself.
This slice of paradise on the fringes of Nahanni National Park Reserve features a posh lodge, stunning alpine scenery, fine fishing – and a broad sandy beach where you’re encouraged to kick back and let all your worries float away.
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