Northwest Territories: overview
If you long to see the Midnight Sun, make for these immense lands which cover 11 percent of Canada’s total surface and incorporate two of the 10 largest lakes in the world: Great Slave Lake and Great Bear Lake. There, the tundra resembles lush meadowland that becomes a vibrant carpet of yellow, red and orange in the fall. In Mackenzie District, in summer, when the temperatures climb to a comfortable 21°C (70°F), there is a multicoloured explosion of wild flowers. During fall and winter (late Aug–Mar), the sky comes alive with the brilliant display of the aurora borealis, or Northern Lights.
Places to visit in the Northwest Territories
Wood Buffalo National Park
The spectacular Wood Buffalo National Park was established in 1922 to preserve the bison in the area. Read more.
Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre
The territorial capital of Yellowknife is ?home to the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre, where you can find out about the customs of the Inuit of the Arctic and the Dene Indians of the Mackenzie Valley. The centre overlooks Frame Lake.
Nahanni National Park
On the Yukon border, Nahanni National Park is a Unesco World Heritage Site and is in the Deh Cho Region, also known as the Nahanni-Ram, in the vast and remote southwest corner of the NWT. The region was once home to a mysterious band of natives called Nahaa or Nahannis. Legends of wild mountain men, a white queen, evil spirits, lost maps, lost gold and headless men are myths that prevail to this day.
Bird enthusiasts are one group that hasn’t been deterred from venturing into the Deh Cho. Approximately 280 species of birds have been recorded here, including the threatened trumpeter swan. Visitors can also see impressive river gorges, underground caves and bubbling hot springs. Those who enjoy water travel can journey down the meandering South Nahanni River, one of the wildest rivers in Canada, until they arrive at Virginia Falls, which plunge 90m (295ft), almost twice that of Niagara Falls. Access to the park by road or air is from Fort Simpson.
Read more from the travel guide to Canada
