Drive the Wilderness on Our Highways

Driving the Northwest Territories is like going back in time. Your parents and grandparents talked about the open roads – well, here they are. There's far more scenery than traffic and there is real wilderness on either side of the road.

In summer, watch for sandhill cranes and eagles. Almost every pond has a family of ducks. Bison sometimes stop the traffic as they meander across the road. If you keep a sharp eye out, you might spot black bears peeking at you from the forest. On our Arctic highway, a caribou herd crossing the road is just a standard warning in the spring and fall weather roundup.

Our small communities usually have a snack bar or restaurant, and where there's a service station or truck stop, there's often excellent home-style cooking. Pack a picnic for the kids, and plan to stop at one of our exceptional day use parks or campgrounds.

Our parks and campgrounds are located at scenic spots beside powerful waterfalls, massive rivers and vast lakes. They offer opportunities for family hiking, boating, canoeing and fishing. For a complete list of territorial parks and day use sites visit www.iti.gov.nt.ca/tourismparks/parks.

We have eight highways (six major routes), covering the southern Northwest Territories and stretching across the Arctic circle almost to the Arctic ocean.

• Great Slave Gateway
• Frontier Route
• Ingraham Trail
• Wood Buffalo
• Dempster Highway
• Waterfalls Route / Deh Cho Connection