Northwest Territories Information
The Northwest Territories, made up of 1.17 million square kilometers of forests, mountains and tundra threaded by wild, clean rivers feeding thousands of pristine lakes is populated by over 40,000 people. The Northwest Territories encompasses 8 regions: Western Arctic, Mackenzie Heartland, Dehcho, Nahanni Country, Northern Frontier, Yellowknife, Great Slave Gateway, and Wood Buffalo. Some must-sees are: Melville, Sachs Harbour, Inuvik, Déline, Yellowknife, Fort Simpson, Hay River, and Fort Resolution.
Something fun for everyone is Banks Island. Here, you can embark on archaeological digs, where stone tools and weapons as well as bones from the Pre-Dorset culture c. 2000-1500 BC were found, some of them decorated with cult and mythological scratch-drawings. Also on Banks Island, Aulavik National Park sits with its numerous musk-oxen. During the summer the park is home to a large population of Canada's snow geese. The park attracts explorers interested in hiking/backpacking or paddling the Thomsen River.
Nahanni National Park is another favorite. Situated in the Mackenzie Mountains, the park covers a large portion of the lovely valley carved out by the South Nahanni River. The Virginia Falls of the South Nahanni River are twice as high as the Niagara Falls, plunging 295 feet (90 meters) into a cauldron of foam encircled by rocks. The canoeist is led to the rim of the cataract, where there is a beautiful view of this natural spectacle. |
