Introducing Northwest Territories

The Northwest Territories (NWT) is a big old humbling hinterland – a barely peopled sprawl of water and woods, bisected by the Arctic Circle, flanked to the west by sawtoothed summits and trailing off poleward in a scattering of bleak isles. This is Canada’s least-known frontier, overlooked in favor of icy, iconic Nunavut and the grand, romantic Yukon. But the NWT’s secrets are worth sussing out. It’s rugged, accessible and largely aboriginal – a potent combo found nowhere else in Canada.

With a population density that would give Manhattan just three residents, there’s plenty of room here to get lost for a while. Canoeing, kayaking, fishing and hiking are all fantastic, and there are some exemplary tours. Hardcore adventurers can go it alone in the backcountry, following epic paddling routes such as the Nahanni and Mackenzie trekking the 372km Canol Heritage Trail. In winter, the weather turns Siberian – but the bugs bugger off, the northern lights ignite and well-bundled skiers and dogsledders glide through the surreal wilds.

The place is riddled with critters. Bison abound around Great Slave Lake and Wood Buffalo National Park, and there are ample moose, bear and caribou, plus exotic birds such as white pelicans and whooping cranes. Even the towns are a bit untamed. The Euro-Canadian population displays a colorful streak of pioneer iconoclasm, and ancestral traditions are alive and kicking for the indigenous residents. Visiting here is like going back in time: issues that elsewhere were resolved eons ago – such as land ownership – are questions still vital in the North.