Great adventures and pristine wilderness are waiting to be discovered in the Northwest Territories! The region in Canada’s far north is characterized by spectacular nature, great wildlife and the fascinating culture of the Inuit.
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Road-Tripping through the wilds
With its miles of roads through the North’s solitude, the Northwest Territories are a true road tripper’s paradise! Legendary roads like the Deh Cho Waterfall Route, the Dempster Highway or the fairly new Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk-Highway to the Arctic Ocean can either be explored by rental car or by motorhome.
Toe-Dipping in the Arctic Ocean
The youngest highway in the Northwest Territories doesn't have an official name yet, so it's pragmatically named after its starting and ending points: the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway is the only road that leads to the Arctic Ocean year-round. No trip to the Western Arctic would be complete until you’ve dipped your toe (or your whole body, if you dare!) in the Arctic Ocean. Make sure that you bold deed is documented – pictures or it never happened!
Paddling Paradise
The wild river ways of the Northwest Territories are a true Eldorado for canoeist and kayakers! In many regions there are guided tours that vary in length and difficulty, but all promise great adventure. Paddling season is from mid-June to mid-September.
Aurora Capital of the World
Due to its geographical location directly beneath the Earth’s band of maximum Auroral activity – the “Auroral oval”-, its crystal-clear nights and ultra-low humidity, the Northwest Territories are the world’s Northern Lights mecca! The spectacular light show takes place here on an average of 240 nights per year - from late August to early April. This is extraordinary, because elsewhere the Aurora Borealis is a pure winter phenomenon.
Favorite Places:
The North has a magical attraction and Yellowknife is the laid-back capital of the Northwest Territories. With its 19,000 residents from over 90 nations, it has plenty of exciting stories to tell - all year round! In its historic Old Town, you can still feel the gold rush spirit, not least due to the region’s abundance of diamond mines. The many houseboats and float planes add to the sense of adventure.
Virginia Falls in spectacular Nahanni National Park are the North’s signature waterfalls! They are almost twice as high as the famous Niagara Falls in Ontario and can only be visited by floatplane departing from Fort Simpson.
The Dempster Highway ranks among the most beautiful panoramic roads in the world. It begins behind Dawson City in Yukon and then twists and turns as an all-weather gravel road for more than 730 km through the mountains to Inuvik in the Northwest Territories, far beyond the Arctic Circle. Driving the Dempster is definitely the most fun you can have while sitting down!
With an area as large as Switzerland, Wood Buffalo National Park is the largest national park in Canada. Its name says is all, because it was founded in 1922 to protect the last wood buffalos in the region. Today, some 6,000 bison still live in the park making it the world’s largest free-ranging group. Binoculars at hand?
Further information on the Northwest Territories can be found at www.spectacularnwt.com.