June 26 - July 7, 2025
163 km (102 miles)
$16,550 CAD + 5% gst
12 Days
Canoe
Intermediate
Yellowknife, NWT
This 163 km long canoe trip on the Clarke River and The-lew-dezeth (Thelon River) lies inside the Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary and almost dead-centre in the Barren Lands (mainland tundra). This sanctuary is the most remote location on the North American continent and was the last significant part of the continent to be “explored” by Europeans (1899 and 1900). The Clarke is a small to medium-sized tributary of the Thelon and is according to Alex Hall, “the most beautiful river in the Barren Lands”.
Canoe Arctic Inc. made the first descent of the Clarke River in 1986. Late-owner Alex Hall had paddled the route every year since then until 2017.
The Clarke River has always been one of Alex Hall’s best kept secrets. It flows through a deep, lush, little valley, spattered with clumps of big white spruce trees and flanked on either side by miles of big, treeless tundra hills. There are spectacular monster eskers, huge sand hills and sand dunes, and even some badlands. Clear-water feeder creeks gush into the Clarke through narrow canyons and over waterfalls. And on the river itself are sandstone cliffs and canyons in places, guarded by peregrine falcons. There are lots of fast and easily runnable rapids and probably more peregrine falcons than anywhere else on the tundra.
The Thelon River country boasts open tundra views and good wildlife viewing. There are several tundra wolves dens on this route, nestled into the sides of striking sand eskers. Moose are a common sight on this trip, as well as red fox, arctic hare, weasel, and otters. This area was an old Muskoxen stronghold where they survived the slaughters elsewhere in North America of the late 1800s and early 1900s in the Thelon Game Sanctuary. In 2019, a herd of muskox forded the Clarke River in front our campsite and ran through our camp!
This is also a wonderful trip for birds, including jaegers, merlins, bald eagles, osprey, many species of ducks, large numbers of moulting Canada geese, and several species of loons.
You’ll also find good fishing on this route in a few places, especially in the uppermost Clarke River. Lake Trout and Arctic Grayling are found on both the Clarke and Thelon Rivers.
The Barren Lands are the largest wilderness left in North America. At some one-half million square miles, they are twice the size of Alberta or Texas. Hundreds of rivers and hundreds of thousands of lakes are still unnamed. Almost dead centre in the Barrenlands lies the Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary and its oasis, which makes this location the most remote place on the North American continent, and as remote as any location on the high arctic islands of Canada. The nearest communities to our canoe route are also hundreds of miles away in every direction.
There are also many archaeological sites on the Clarke and Thelon rivers where ancient hunters waited for the Beverly caribou herd to cross these rivers on their summer migration. It is illegal to remove any of this material so we will take only photos and leave them as they lay. We’ll also visit late in our trip John Hornby’s cabin, and graves. Hornby, his 18 year old nephew, and another young man died of starvation here in the winter of 1927. The three graves, marked by crosses, are beside the cabin.
If you are interested in joining this trip, call us at 1 (867) 445 4512 for more information about our guided Clarke and Thelon River canoe adventure through the Barren Lands in Canada!
Looking for a canoe trip on the Thelon with less whitewater? Check out our Upper Thelon River trip!
Appreciate the vegetarian options. Great tents.
We'll start this canoe trip on the Clarke River, where we will land in our float plane on Day 1. We will not likely travel far, if at all, on the first day of this trip. We'll set up camp and begin to take in our beautiful wilderness surroundings. During this evening and others on this trip, participants will have plenty of time to pursue their interests whether they be photography, fishing, hiking, birding, swimming or just taking a nap.
As we descend the Clarke River, we notice it's more like a mountain river than a barrenlands river. There are many Class I-II rapids that are fun to run. The Clarke River flows through rugged, scenic country that just begs you to go exploring. The hiking is wonderful with panoramic vistas everywhere you look. For the most part, the Clarke winds through a narrow, steep-sided valley with scattered clumps of spruce. Beyond the lip of the Clarke valley the tundra rolls on, seemingly forever. Approaching the Clarke's junction with the Thelon, stands of spruce trees become larger and more frequent.
The Thelon is a big, shallow, clear-water river with a strong current but very few rapids. It's the largest river on the tundra, by far the easiest to canoe, and easily the most magnificent. The country along the Thelon differs markedly from the Clarke. It's a much larger river in a much broader valley. The scale of the country is huge! You feel very small and insignificant in this big landscape that keeps changing every day. The Thelon Oasis is legendary as a wildlife paradise, long known to Chipewyan Dene as "God's country" as "the birthplace of animals" and when the world as created as "the place where God began". For Alex Hall, he considers it Eden.
Our float plane arrives around noon to take us back to Yellowknife. We say goodbye to this highly unique place of rich wildlife. Back in Yellowknife, we meet up for a farewell dinner and cold beers (after hot showers)!
– Charter flight from Yellowknife to the Clarke River, return from the Thelon River
– Shuttles from the airport when in Yellowknife, NWT
– Certified guides with a maximum ratio of 5:1
– Expedition canoes
– Paddle, lifejacket, and helmet
– Group gear for each expedition (tarp, kitchen equipment, utensils, water filtration, etc)
– Expedition first aid kit and canoe repair kit
– Emergency satellite phone, two-way radios for guide staff
– Expedition tents by Mountain Hardware
– hearty and nutritious meals including snacks while on trip
– Group will be limited to 10 participants + 2 guides
– Off-river accommodations in Yellowknife
– Commercial flights to and from Yellowknife
– Personal gear including drybag, sleeping bag, sleeping pad (avaliable for rent)
– Meals in Yellowknife before and after the trip (Day 1 Breakfast and Day 12 Dinner)
– Gratuity for guides
– Wine or spirits
– Insurance including evacuation, medical and trip cancellation
– Northwest Territories fishing licence available online
Really good. We’ve fine-tuned a delicious, nutritious and well-balanced backcountry menu of unique and tasty dishes from years of expedition tripping – and look forward to sharing it with you. Our flexible menu can accommodate vegetarian and gluten-free preferences, and will be tailored in advance for participants on each trip. Guests are always welcome to join guides in cooking and learn to cook our authentic, backcountry recipes.
Breakfast will include fresh fruit and a main course, like eggs and bacon or blueberry pancakes. Lunch features locally-smoked sausages, fruit, hummus, salads, breads and naan with a spread of cheese, jams, and a variety of nut butters. Dinner will offer an hors d’oeuvres, main course, and dessert! Snacking will take place throughout the day.
“Five-star campsites, with gourmet meals included” – Dave S, USA
You bet!
For trips in the Northwest Territories, we are proud show off our local fresh fish recipes.
Jackpine Paddle is excited to offer Barren Ground Coffee on all of our paddling tours. Barren Ground Coffee locally-roasts fair trade and organic speciality coffee, 5 kilos at a time, on a beautiful craft roaster in Old Town, Yellowknife. Thanks to our partners at Barren Ground Coffee, we look forward to serving you the freshest roasted coffee in the Northwest Territories.
“We picked wild blueberries to top of the cheesecake” – Sophia D, Canada.
While paddling experience is an asset, this trip is suitable for whitewater canoe beginners – with the support of our experienced guides.
The Clarke is a swift-flowing and evenly-graded river that is braided and shallow in many places. There are many dozens of Class I to II rapids on the Clarke that are fun to run. There are also three or four more difficult rapids that we’ll line or wade our canoes short distances. So whitewater experience is certainly as asset but not a prerequisite. However participants should be good flat-water canoeists, particularly when in the stern.
“Our guide was always thinking, keeping the abilities of his clients in the forefront” – Kim M, USA
A detailed personal clothing and gear checklist , specific to your trip,
will be emailed to you in a registration email.
Check out the Youtube videos below with our tips and advice for packing your gear and personal clothes:
Essential Gear – Packing Tips for a Canoe or Kayak Trip
Clothes & Outwear – Packing Tips for a Canoe or Kayak Trip
Before you register for an expedition, please ensure each participant for whom you will be submitting a deposit payment (including yourself) has carefully reviewed the following:
– our Safety & Risk Awareness webpage
– information on your trip webpage (inclusions, exclusions, dates, etc)
– our Liability Waiver
Once you have reviewed the information above and you are comfortable with proceeding, we require a 10% deposit of the trip fee and online booking form completed, done through the “Book Now” button on the trip webpage.
Your trip deposit is fully refundable up to 90 days prior to your expedition start date. On this date, your remaining trip fees are due and all payments become non-refundable.
Once your expedition is within 90 days of departure we are unable to offer a refund for any reason if you cancel your participation.
Please read carefully: Should your expedition departure have to be cancelled, postponed or altered by a force majeure (including but not limited to: weather, poor visibility, or mechanical breakdown causing delayed or cancelled charter flights or helicopter journeys, fire, flood, pandemic, highway closures, community evacuations, ongoing or newly introduced travel ban or government statement), Jackpine Paddle and its partner operators are not obligated to provide a refund or offer alternative travel services.
We strongly encourage you to purchase:
1) Emergency Medical/Evacuation Insurance,
2) Trip Interruption Insurance and
3) Trip Cancellation Insurance -so that you are covered in the event of an unexpected change of plans.
To review our complete Terms & Conditions for Booking, Payment, and Cancellation – please click here.
Yellowknife is served by direct flights from southern hubs such as Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver with Air Canada, Westjet and Canadian North.
Age is a mindset, and canoeing is an activity that is truly for everyone. Age is not important. What counts is your spirit and that you are reasonably fit. We have had people paddle with us in their early nineties.
tundra swan, red-throated loon, common loon,
long-tailed jaeger, parasitic jaeger, Arctic tern, herring gull, American Robin, Northern Pintail, long-tailed duck (oldsquaws), scaups, bald eagle, willow ptarmigan, various sandpipers, common raven, rough-legged hawk, merlin, gyrfalcon, peregrine falcon, American golden plover, cliff
swallow, northern shrike. white-footed goose, common merganser, white-crowned sparrow, fox sparrow, lapland longspur, golden eagle, semipalmated plover
If you are a single paddler, you are more than welcome to join us on one of our trips.
There are additional fees if you opt for a solo tent, or local accommodations when provided – as these are based on double-occupancy.
Our trips typically have 2-3 guests who are traveling alone, so you will have the opportunity to meet and paddle with other like-minded individuals. Our guides are skilled at organizing paddling partners based on skill level and personality, ensuring that each trip is safe and enjoyable for all.
One of the best parts of our guided trips is the chance to meet and get to know other paddlers. We hope to see you on one of our trips soon.
If you have questions, we are happy to answer them!
You can get in touch with us at the bottom of this page, or at info@jackpinepaddle.com.
To check out our detailed Getting Started trip planning resource, click here!
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