Everything in the Northwest Territories feels bigger, broader, and bolder. Whether you are looking for an ultra remote adventure, or you want to be able to grab a coffee from Tim Horton’s and watch the northern lights all night, NWT is the place to be.
Tiffany and I have made two trips up to Yellowknife, once around the winter solstice and once around the summer solstice. Yellowknife’s high latitude (just over 62°) means that the winters are super dark and the summers are super light. If you can handle the cold, this makes winter the perfect time to view the northern lights.
Another great way to experience the NWT is on an epic road trip, which I did a few years ago with a friend who was moving from Yellowknife to Calgary. NWT is a big territory with a ton of natural wonders throughout. Just driving from Yellowknife to the Alberta border takes a full day, and is comprised of dense boreal forest (keep your eyes peeled for buffalo) and unexpected waterfalls. For real, some of the most massive waterfalls I’ve ever seen are in NWT, and I had never even heard of any of them before I drove through.
Speaking of road trips, the NWT is also home to Tuktoyaktuk, which is a small hamlet on the Arctic Ocean. Incredibly, it is accessible by road. To give you a sense of the scale of Canada from north to south, it takes about 45 hours of driving to reach Tuktoyaktuk from Vancouver, and it’s a pretty straight shot north. That’s twice as long it takes to drive the United States from top to bottom.
In many ways, Northern Canada showcases the best of who we are. The resourcefulness, the friendliness and hospitality. It exists here in a way that feels more genuine. Being up north makes me feel more human somehow. Yellowknife is a hard place to leave, which must be why so many people don’t. I still apply for the occasional job up there once in awhile.
There is a lure to the north, and one of these days I might just follow it for good. Here are some posts to help inspire your own Northwest Territories adventure:
