Mid-June to Mid-September
360 km
See our "Rentals" Page
7-14 days
Canoe
Self-Guided
Fort Simpson
The Nahɂa Dehé (Nahanni River) is an iconic Canadian wilderness canoeing experience. As the most popular river in the Northwest Territories, around 600 paddlers go down the Nahanni River each year. It is recommended to book your spot at the campgrounds along the river in advance with Parks Canada, as these can book up early. Similar to Algonquin Park and the Bowron Lakes Loop, it is not uncommon to see other canoe groups as you paddle down the Nahanni River during peak season (July 1 – August 15).
If you are looking for a guided trip on a northern river that is more off-the-beaten-track, check out our spectacular canoe adventures on the Keele River and the Natla River! These remote rivers flow out of the Mackenzie Mountains just north of Nahanni National Park Reserve.
While we do not offer guided trips on the Nahanni River, we support paddlers with the logistics and gear rentals to explore this river on their own. As your northern canoe experts, we would be pleased to help with you with custom canoe training, food packing, and shuttles to get you to your adventure.
For our Nahanni services, we are proud to be in partnership with Liidlii Kue First Nation. LKFN represents the Liidlii Kue got’ine people in the community of Liidlii Kue (Fort Simpson) or “the place where rivers come together”. Support for our canoe rental & shuttle services will help to create benefits for LKFN and support a local tourism economy.
Take advantage of our Risk-Free Covid Cancellation Policy and Flexible Re-Booking Policy + Reduced deposits!
For rates on gear rentals and shuttles, check out our RENTALS page!
Check out our Top 10 Tips for a Canoe Adventure on the Nahanni River.
Please call us at 1-867-445-4512 for more information!
Dan, PB, Jack and Marcus really put a lot of time and effort into making sure our course was an extremely memorable, fun and safe experience for us all. The rivers chosen by Dan and PB for the course made for a great experience, and were the ideal place for practicing ferries, eddies, and rescues. PB and Marcus were great instructors and we had a blast with them throughout the weekend. PB had both suggestions for us to improve as a group as well and individualized tips on where we could improve. Both he and Marcus kept the energy and morale of the group high and kept us laughing and engaged during the course.
They taught our group of varying skills paddling techniques, river rescues, ferrying, and how to approach new rapids. The guides were a lot of fun and made us feel safe and comfortable while facing the unknown. They went above and beyond and were very accommodating. It was a great experience and I left feeling confident in myself and my group.
I have left them all feeling more confident in my skills. I now use those skills to further enjoy all that the NWT have to offer, from day trips on lakes around Yellowknife to mutli-week river excursions. If you're looking to gain confidence in a canoe and you've come to the right place.
Arrive in Yellowknife (you can use points on Westjet & Air Canada to get here!). Participate in a hands-on 2-day whitewater canoe for your group to warm-up and tune-up for your Nahanni River canoe trip (optional).
Shuttle down the Mackenzie Highway from Yellowknife to Fort Simpson (about 8 hours). Stop at highlights along the way and explore our secret spots!
Depart Fort Simpson in your air charter bush plane and start your canoe trip of a lifetime on the Nahanni River. Trips can be anywhere from 7 to 21 days depending on your starting location, whitewater skills, and schedule. Consult us for trip planning assistance at 867-445-4512.
With our assistance, jump on a boat shuttle and/or road shuttle to return to Fort Simpson from the bottom of the Nahanni River. Then back to Yellowknife to end the adventure.
You will need to book your arrival days with Parks Canada at Virginia Falls and register for your canoe trip dates. There can be high demand in peak season (July to mid-August) so we recommend starting your bookings and planning ASAP. We have limited rental equipment available and a 25% deposit will secure your dates.
We recommend you get in touch with us as soon as you can. We are happy to assist with your trip in any way we can as your northern canoe experts!
Yes, you’ll need to book and arrange these flights on your own. Check out Simpson Air and South Nahanni Airways.
Simpson Air has smaller planes that are suitable for smaller groups (2-4 persons), while South Nahanni Airways has a Twin Otter that fits 6 paddlers + canoes. Depending on your group size you may need to mix and match between companies and planes.
We are able to drop off your canoes and rental gear at Simpson Air or South Nahanni Airways. This will help make your logistics that much easier!
Both. We are based out of Yellowknife and the bulk of our equipment is stored there. In this way, we can welcome you upon arrival in Yellowknife and offers shuttles down to Fort Simpson.
If you are headed directly to Fort Simpson and prefer to pick-up your equipment there – that works too! We have a partnership with Liidlii Kue First Nations in Fort Simpson to store and manage canoes and other rental equipment.
We are excited to be a partner of Liidlii Kue First Nations and your canoe rental will support local jobs in the northern outdoor adventure industry.
We can provide you with a detailed clothing and gear list to assist with your own trip preparations.
62°52’N 105°31’W
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62°09’N 111°52’W
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62°59’N 129°01’W
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