2025: June 21-28 or Aug 31 - Sept 7
130 km (81 miles)
$3,600 CAD + 5% GST
8 days
Sea Kayak
Novice to Intermediate
Yellowknife, NWT
North America’s deepest lake is brimming with romance and mystery. That’s especially true when “heaven’s own lightshow” begins. Our sea kayak expedition on the North Arm of Tinde’e (Great Slave Lake) is planned to take advantage of autumn Aurora season. As you tip your head back in awe to catch the glittering lights dancing across the sky, we’ll show you the best of our spectacular Aurora. The North Arm lies directly in the magnetic “Aurora Belt”, which means it’s one of the most reliable places on earth to spot the northern lights.
If you thought the Aurora was only a wintertime phenomenon, think again. At the tail end of the Northern summer, the skies begin to darken – and the “lights” burst into view. The North Arm of Great Slave Lake, home to thousands of remote islands and feisty pike offers a remote and unique paddling adventure for Aurora chasers. It’s true this sea kayak excursion will put the Aurora on display like no other tour. Unlike motorized tour operators who stick to the roads, we are able to paddle deep into remote wilderness far away from any artificial lights.
Culture, wildlife and landscape round out the other highlights of this kayak excursion in Canada. You’ll have a chance to disconnect from the digital world as you paddle through the wide-open water vistas of traditional Tłįchǫ Territory. Referred to by the Tłįchǫ people as Dinàgà Wek ’èhodì, the North Arm has powerful, historical, spiritual and cultural significance. It is a home; a place of legends, sharing, teaching and learning.
The numerous channels and bays of the North Arm are important habitat for breeding birds, and each year attract more than 100,000 northbound migrating waterbirds. You’ll find a stunning variety of birds, such as bald eagles, gulls, terns, ducks, swans and geese. It’s also home to moose, black bears, bison, wolves, and tons of world-class trophy pike.
From a paddler’s perspective, the North Arm is a paradise of unexplored islands of glacier carved, Precambrian rock. It’s a wilderness odyssey of narrow channels we’ll navigate with expedition-grade sea kayaks. This North Arm Great Slave Lake sea kayak adventure is an unforgettable wilderness experience!
Contact Jackpine Paddle at (867) 445 4512 to learn more about our wonderful kayak excursions!
Looking for another kayak trip on Great Slave Lake? Check out our trip on the East Arm of Great Slave Lake.
This trip can also be run as a custom or private canoe trip. If that interests you, please inquire.
The trip with Jackpine Paddle went really great. I really enjoyed every bit of it and had good experience.
In the morning, we head out from the capital city of the Northwest Territories, Yellowknife. Our shuttle takes us down the road to "Frank's Channel". From there we will launch into Great Slave Lake and begin our 130 km paddle back to Yellowknife.
Camping each night on the many islands of the North Arm, we make our way around the historic Old Fort Rae towards the spectacular area known as Trout Rock.
After a 10 km section of exposed shore, we tuck back into the cover of the thousands of islands in the North Arm. Water clarity improves as we paddle east, through the remote and beautiful wilderness of Great Slave Lake.
It's a feeling of accomplishment as we paddle back into Yellowknife Bay. The colourful houseboats and a Jackpine Paddle shuttle meet us at the main dock. After hot showers, we meet for dinner, cold beer and final farewells!
– Road shuttle to launch site (Frank’s Channel).
– Shuttles from the airport when in Yellowknife
– Certified guides with a maximum ratio of 5:1
– Expedition kayaks
– Paddle and lifejacket
– 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 tent (based on double occupancy – extra fee for solo)
– Hearty and nutritious meals including snacks while on trip
– Group will be limited to 8 participants + 2 guides
– Off-lake accommodations in Yellowknife
– Commercial flights to 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 8 Dinner)
– Gratuity for guides
– Wine or spirits
– Insurance including evacuation, medical and trip cancellation
– Northwest Territories fishing licence available online
– Drysuits (mandatory, but available for rent)
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!
We are proud show off our local fresh fish recipes while on trip. There is great pike (jackfish) fishing along our route.
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.
The North Arm is a remote location, so previous paddling experience is required. Participants should have experience on overnight kayak trips before joining. We can be exposed to wind and waves on this trip but are generally sheltered by islands. If you are unsure of your suitability for this trip – please contact our office.
“Our guide was always thinking, keeping the abilities of his clients in the forefront” – Kim M, USA
It’s easy to fly to the Northwest Territories. There are direct jet flights to Yellowknife from Calgary (2 hours), Edmonton (1.5 hours), Ottawa (4 hours) and Whitehorse (1.5 hours).
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.
Age is a mindset, and kayaking is an activity that is truly for everyone. Age is not important. What counts is your spirit and that you are reasonably fit for your age. We have had people paddle with us in their early nineties.
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.
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!
62°52’N 105°31’W
It’s better in the Barrenlands – a remote and otherworldly zone of glacial eskers, rock-ribbed hills, and artifacts from the Chipewyan and Caribou Inuit cultures. You’ll find a treeless expanse legendary for paddling, fishing and wildlife viewing.
62°09’N 111°52’W
The fabled East Arm is perhaps the most grandiose region of Great Slake Lake, and for good reason. It features clear waters, deep bays with tall, stark red cliffs, and world-class fishing.
69°51’N 126°56’W
The Arctic Circle is a line of lore and legend – and the Western Arctic is one of the few places in Canada where you can reach it by river. You can watch the sun spin itself dizzy in the sky, never falling below the horizon. You’ve now crossed into the true polar zone, a mythic region only a fraction of the travellers on Earth have ever entered.
62°59’N 129°01’W
The Mackenzie Mountains may offer the greatest whitewater canoeing left on Earth – an endless oasis of remote, rugged uplands, cut through by glacial rivers and bustling with mountain sheep, caribou, moose and other creatures untouched by the modern age.
