Big Rivers

Historically, the Dene travelled up the Yellowknife River from Great Slave Lake and crossed the height of land near Snare Lake to the Coppermine River on the way to the Barrenlands. Sir John Franklin was saved from starvation by the Dene near Snare Lake in 1820. Today, Wekweeti, accessible by air, is the closest community to this historic route.

Popular Northern Frontier canoe routes include the Camsell, Cameron, Yellowknife, Beaulieu, Hanbury and Snowdrift rivers, all draining into or connecting to Great Slave Lake. (atlas.nrca.gc.ca)

The Back and the Coppermine rivers rise in Northern Frontier Country and travel 800 kilometres or more to the Arctic. The Thelon also rises in Northern Frontier and makes its way east to Hudson Bay.