Yellowknife and Great Slave Lake
Yellowknife, the capital of the Northwest Territories, is an isolated mining town built on gold and now sustained by diamonds—an outpost of civilization surrounded by a vast, austere landscape of rock and tundra and water—most notably, the enormous Great Slave Lake, on whose shore the city is built. Come for the wilderness and stay for the people, who know how to make their own fun in this raw country.
When to Go: Summer in the Northwest Territories is short and sweet. Folk on the Rocks, an outdoor music festival on Long Lake and the biggest event of the season, lands in mid-July. Due to its location, Yellowknife is blessed with spectacular views of the northern lights, best seen near the fall and spring equinoxes. March is when the city celebrates winter with a pair of festivals: the Long John Jamboree is a long-weekend event featuring ice fishing, helicopter rides, crafts, and kids’ activities; the monthlong Snowking Festival is held in a genuine snow castle on frozen Great Slave Lake and includes theater and musical performances, story slams, and film screenings.
How to Get Around: Downtown Yellowknife is compact and walkable, but you’ll want a rental car to explore more outlying areas. Heading further afield? You’ll probably need a floatplane.
Where to Stay: The Explorer Hotel, in downtown Yellowknife, is the go-to place to stay. But if you’re keen to visit Old Town, Brent Reaney, publisher of local magazine EDGE YK, offers another option: “Bayside Bed and Breakfast is comfortably furnished and does a great eggs Benedict,” Reaney says. “Its rare waterfront location is as great in summer as it is in winter.” Want to get out on Great Slave? The Plummer family helped pioneer fly-in fishing lodges in the north—they first landed back in 1938 where their Great Slave Lake lodge now sits.
Where to Eat or Drink: Yellowknife has a cluster of dining and drinking options, with most located downtown. Says Reaney: “Have a pint at the Black Knight (BK to the locals) and a plate of pan-fried pickerel at Bullock’s Bistro. In summer, hit Bullock’s early (even before five) to make sure you get a seat inside the cramped log cabin.”
What to Read or Watch Before You Go: The city draws television producers like flies: Ice Road Truckers and Ice Pilots NWT and the fictional drama Arctic Air have all filmed here. “Of the Y.K.-based reality shows, Ice Pilots NWT is probably the most accurate in terms of northern weather and people's experiences in the community,” Reaney says.
Helpful Link: Spectacular NWT
Fun Fact: Margot Kidder, of Superman’s Lois Lane fame, was born in Yellowknife.
Related Topics
You May Also Like
Go Further
Animals
- Cougar travels 1,000 miles in one of longest recorded treksCougar travels 1,000 miles in one of longest recorded treks
- Rare gray whale spotted in the Atlantic—and it's only the beginningRare gray whale spotted in the Atlantic—and it's only the beginning
- Why 'funga' is just as important as flora and faunaWhy 'funga' is just as important as flora and fauna
- Termite fossils prove mating hasn't changed in 38 million yearsTermite fossils prove mating hasn't changed in 38 million years
Environment
- Why the 2024 hurricane season could be especially activeWhy the 2024 hurricane season could be especially active
- Mushroom leather? The future of fashion is closer than you think.Mushroom leather? The future of fashion is closer than you think.
- This deadly fungus is hitchhiking its way across the worldThis deadly fungus is hitchhiking its way across the world
- Why 'funga' is just as important as flora and faunaWhy 'funga' is just as important as flora and fauna
- This exploding mine holds a treasure that may change the worldThis exploding mine holds a treasure that may change the world
History & Culture
- See the story of Jonah and the whale like never beforeSee the story of Jonah and the whale like never before
- This ancient mosaic offers extraordinary insights into the pastThis ancient mosaic offers extraordinary insights into the past
- These are the real dunes that inspired Dune—and you can visit themThese are the real dunes that inspired Dune—and you can visit them
- Meet the only woman privy to the plot to kill Julius CaesarMeet the only woman privy to the plot to kill Julius Caesar
Science
- Women’s bodies are understudied—but that’s starting to changeWomen’s bodies are understudied—but that’s starting to change
- Hundreds of tiny arachnids are likely on your face right nowHundreds of tiny arachnids are likely on your face right now
- What's worse than a hangover? Hangxiety. Here's why it happens.What's worse than a hangover? Hangxiety. Here's why it happens.
Travel
- A guide to Gdansk, Poland's regenerated maritime cityA guide to Gdansk, Poland's regenerated maritime city
- A taste of West Bengal, from curries to Kolkata street foodA taste of West Bengal, from curries to Kolkata street food