The 10 Best Nature & Parks in Yellowknife, Canada

Located along the Ingraham trail, east of Yellowknife. Reid Lake Territorial Park boasts 74 non-powered campsites (including 11 tent pads), fishing, swimming, canoeing, hiking, bird watching and wildlife viewing, this is a great place to camp and enjoy the outdoors. It is also an excellent base camp for power boating or extended canoe trips into the surrounding lake systems. Book ahead if you would like to camp at the park the sites fill up during the summer months.

Prelude Lake is a water lover’s dream. The largest developed park on the Ingraham Trail, it has numerous facilities to enjoy and 79 campsites to choose from (67 non-powered and 12 tent pads). There is a sandy beach where you can enjoy a wide range of water activities: swimming, canoeing, wind surfing and water skiing. The park’s trail system offers a short stroll to a panoramic view or a longer, interpretive hike. You have to book ahead for this park, it is very popular with the locals and sites fill up during the summer months.

Cameron River Falls Hiking Trail is located just 47 km east of Yellowknife, along the Ingraham Trail. The Cameron Falls Trail and Day Use Area are within the Hidden Lake Territorial Park. Upon entry to the Park there is a small parking lot with washroom facilities and the hike along a the well-marked trail to Cameron Falls takes about 20 minutes. In winter the falls are frozen right over. In spring, melt-waters roar under the ice. Attractions & Points of Interest: It is possible to hike upstream from Cameron Falls to the Cameron River Ramparts Waterfalls, a distance of 8 or 9 km. The trail is not well developed, but the river is relatively easy to follow and the route is obvious. If you choose to follow the north (far) side of the river, there is a foot bridge at Cameron Falls, which also offers access into the rest of Hidden Lake Park. The park offers access for canoeists to the Lower Cameron River Canoe Route, one of the Ingraham Trail Canoe Routes.

Hidden Lake is one of three Natural Environment parks in the NWT. Back-country camping is permitted; however there are no facilities and visitors are expected to bring out what they take in. Hidden Lake is one of the most beautiful lakes along the Ingraham Trail (NWT Hwy 4) and on a sunny day the lake appears aquamarine in colour. There are two day use areas, by which to access the park, Powder Point and Cameron Falls. The Powder Point Day Use Area offers access by canoe to the east arm of Prelude Lake and thence to Hidden Lake; the Cameron Falls Trail is a pleasant short hike through the forest to Cameron Falls. Above the falls, a bridge provides access by foot into Hidden Lake Park. There are two abandoned gold mines (from the 1940's) within hiking distance of Hidden Lake. The first is on the southeast side of the lake, a quick walk in from the shoreline. The second is on Thompson Lake, a difficult two hour hike in from the most northerly bay of Hidden Lake.

Fred Henne Territorial Park is conveniently located at the edge of the city, with 62 powered sites, 39 non-powered sites and 12 tent pads; this is the North’s biggest Park. At the Park you camp, picnic, canoe, swim or simply enjoy the amenities and attractions of Yellowknife, located away. Make sure you take the time to hike the 4 km/2.5 mile Prospector’s Trail, and notice the gold bearing geology along the way. Across the highway from the park, a hiking trail leads through a wilderness area to connect to a trail system winding around Yellowknife lakes and linking different parts of the city. Stop in at the Park Gatehouse before and inquire about guided tours. Yellowknife is only a short drive down Highway 3, with shopping , restaurants, several hotels and all of the modern amenities.

Located on the Yellowknife River, the park is a perfect place to enjoy a picnic or fishing. For the more adventurous, boat up the river and into the string of lakes it connects to; or downstream into Back Bay and Yellowknife Bay on Great Slave Lake.