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Northwest Territories

Circle the North

The Pilsons take us northward through the remarkable Northwest Territories

by Duane And Lynda Pilson

If the fast, hectic pace of modern living is getting you down and you’d like to retreat to a place of beautiful scenery, magnificent waterfalls, clean air, unspoiled wilderness, abundant wildlife, fantastic fishing and friendly people, then point your RV north and travel the Deh Cho Connection.

The Deh Cho Connection is made up of the Mackenzie Highway, the Liard Highway and a small portion of the Alaska Highway between Fort Nelson, B.C., and Dawson Creek, B.C. This route (1,800 kilometres) presents a mix of wilderness adventure with all the amenities of modern civilization. Just remember, though, that a trip on the Deh Cho (Dene for big river, in reference to the Mackenzie River) would be incomplete without side trips to Fort Smith, Yellowknife and Fort Simpson.

There are two access points to this highway to adventure: either at Mile 0 on the Mackenzie Highway at Grimshaw in Alberta, or at Mile 0 at Dawson Creek on the Alaska Highway. The Deh Cho Connection will take you into a small portion of the 1.17 million square kilometres that comprise the Northwest Territories, giving you a glimpse of what the North has to offer.

For this journey of adventure, we will start at Mile 0 of the Mackenzie Highway at Grimshaw. From Grimshaw, you’ll find yourself travelling along Highway 35 through the lush, fertile farmland of the Peace River Country only to pass through wooded sections then on to lush farmland again. One thing you’ll notice is the lack of fencing. The landscape goes on and on just as it must have looked to the early settlers who travelled this route during its settlement. Here you’ll find the start of a good two-lane paved road that will take you all the way to the Mackenzie River Crossing and on up to Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories. En route you will visit the communities of Dixonville, Manning and High Level; stop and discover the historical highlights of these places as you travel through.

Leaving High Level and continuing northward on paved Highway 35, you’ll pass the Dene communities of Meander River, Paddle River, Steen River and Indian Cabins before arriving at the 60th Parallel Visitors Centre, where you can pick up your official North of 60 certificate.

A world of northern wonder

At this point, you’ll be following the Hay River, travelling on N.W.T.’s paved Highway 1, which is part of the scenic Waterfalls Route, with your first stop being Twin Falls Gorge Territorial Park. The park features the stunning 34-metre-high and 33-metre-wide Alexandra Falls, named after Princess Alexandra, followed by the 15-metre-high, three-tiered Louise Falls. Here you will see some of the most impressive scenery on your journey as you watch the chocolate brown-coloured waters cascade over the falls, dropping impressively into a 52-metre gorge. The walkways, groomed trails and viewpoints provide great views of the picturesque falls, gorge and river.

The next community you’ll come to on your northern pilgrimage will be Enterprise, population 80, where you’ll turn onto N.W.T.’s paved Highway 2 as you continue on to the community of Hay River, population 3,600. Hay River is situated on the south shore of the second largest lake lying wholly within Canada—Great Slave Lake. The lake is blessed with a beautiful sandy beach providing an awesome view of Great Slave Lake, with no land in sight on the horizon. Make sure to stop at the Hay River Visitors Centre and get information on what to do and see here.

After your visit to Hay River, drive south on Highway 2 and east on paved Highway 5, and head for Fort Smith and Fort Resolution. The final leg of your trip to Fort Smith will be on a chip-sealed road. This shouldn’t be viewed as a problem—just slow down and enjoy the lovely scenery and you might even see a buffalo or two.

A place of mystery and history

Your next stop will be at the Angus Fire Tower, where you can see a spectacular example of karst—one of many sinkholes created by the dissolving action of water on water-soluble rock characterized by the presence of sinkholes and disappearing streams. While in Fort Smith, visit the tourist info centre and learn about the history of the region and what there is to see. Tour Mission Historic Park, visit the Northern Life Museum, view the Slave Rapids Monument and drop in to the headquarters for Wood Buffalo National Park.

After leaving Fort Smith and heading back to Hay River, stop and take a walk through the Little Buffalo Falls Territorial Park. When you return to the junction of highways 5 and 2, turn south and return to Enterprise, where you’ll turn north on Highway 1 heading towards the Mackenzie River Ferry, a free ferry that crosses the mighty Mackenzie River.

Once on the north side of the Mackenzie, Highway 3 continues north past Fort Providence through the Mackenzie Bison Sanctuary. Keep your eyes peeled: you never know when you’ll come upon some of the approximately 4,000 free-ranging Mackenzie wood bison crossing the highway. As you travel farther north on Highway 3 you’ll come to the Dene settlement of Beh-choko. From here the terrain will change to open bodies of water with lots of lily pads and Precambrian rock outcroppings on both sides of the highway.

At the end of Highway 3 is the modern city of Yellowknife, population 18,000. Yellowknife has lots to see and do, so take the time to enjoy everything that the city has to offer. To complete the journey, head south through Fort Simpson, Fort Liard, Fort Nelson, Fort St. John and Dawson Creek.

This site is part of the Koocanusa Publication Inc network.