Nahanni River Canoe Trips and Whitewater Kayaking
By Michael J McGrath

The Nahanni River is the most breathlessly beautiful wilderness paddling and kayaking river in all of Canada. Located on the border between the Yukon Territories and the Northwest Territories in Canada's northern reaches, the South Nahanni River, as it is properly referred to, is usually accessed by air charter from Fort Simpson.

Recreational opportunities abound in the Nahanni National Park Reserve and surrounding areas. Canoeing, rafting and kayaking are by far the most popular activities. Along with the exhilarating white-water rapids, lengthy stretches of flat water offer many unique viewing and photographic opportunities.

The seasonal fluctuations in water flow make early July to late August the ideal time to plan your trip down the South Nahanni River. The changing weather and chance of violent summer storms make it well advised to seek out an experienced Nahanni guide for your trip. You should also build some flexibility into your travel plans as the weather can often impact the time it takes to travel the river and even air access.
There are various canoeing, rafting and kayaking trips for both experienced and novice visitors to the South Nahanni River. A couple of the best trips include:

• A 14 day family-oriented canoe trip from Rabbitkettle Lake along the entire length of Nahanni National Park Reserve to Nahanni Butte. This trip is designed for a leisurely pace with lots of time to fish and explore with your children. This trip is offered by Black Feather, ( http://www.nahanniriver.ca/canoe/canoe_nahannifamily.htm ) a very reputable wilderness adventure company, during the first two weeks in August.

• For avid white-water canoeists, Canadian River Expeditions / Nahanni River Adventures ( http://nahanni.com/trips/twoweeknahanni ) offers another 14 day trip from Rabbitkettle Lake to Nahanni Butte through several stretches of Class III white-water and 3 to 7 hours of daily paddling. This canoeing adventure is considered a classic for the adventurous paddler.

Whether you are inspired by the spectacular and ever changing northern lights, giant glaciers wrapped around alpine peaks or Peregrine Falcons, Musk Ox and Grizzlies or are attracted by the colourful names of its mountain ranges like Sunblood Mountain, Painted Canyon, Deadmen Valley, Headless Creek or Funeral Range, you will not be disappointed by the Nahanni River.

Mike McGrath writes about wilderness travel for CanadaWilderness.com. For more details and photos on canoeing, kayaking or whitewater trips to the Nahanni or other rivers and lakes be sure to check out http://canadawilderness.com/articles/canoeing-nahanni-river. CanadaWilderness.com is Canada's leading directory of wilderness outfitters and guides, adventure tour operators and wilderness lodges. For more Canadian wilderness travel ideas go to http://canadawilderness.com.

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