Canoeing the Cameron River to Yellowknife
The Northwest Territories offers some of the best canoeing in Canada. But almost all of the canoe routes require an expensive float plane ride. I wanted to do something that didn’t cost a lot. With some help from Gary at Overlander Sports I put together an itinerary that only required a one hour van shuttle from Yellowknife to KM 55 on the Ingraham Trail (also known as Highway 4). The plan was to spend four nights and five days canoeing the Cameron River from just above the Cameron River Ramparts all the way back to Yellowknife.
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We launched on the Cameron River about half a kilometre above the Cameron River Ramparts. There’s nothing like a portage within minutes of launching to question whether you made the right decision to canoe this part of the Cameron River. But within 25 minutes we were on the water again. And the Ramparts were well worth seeing.
It was back in the canoe for a short paddle until we reached another short set of rapids. They were way too shallow to paddle but it was a quick portage to get by them.
Cameron Falls takeout
From there it was 6.7 kilometres to reach the Cameron Falls takeout – which is on river right before the pedestrian bridge. Miss it at your peril.
After Cameron Falls it was a short paddle to where we made camp, on a headland before the rapids into Prelude Lake.
A worthwhile detour to Hidden Lake Territorial Park
The weather was so perfect and we figured we had the time, so we made a 24 hour detour to Hidden Lake Territorial Park. Access was via two portages, the first of which was close to the campsite pictured above.
The 24 hours in the park was one of the highlights of our summer.
Day three canoeing the Cameron River
Our third day out took us from Hidden Lake, along the full length of Prelude Lake (about 19 kilometres) to a fantastic campsite on River Lake. Prelude Lake is big and when the winds blow up, you could get easily get wind-bound for a day.
We had to pull over very quickly and find a place to put up our tent, as we encountered a huge thunderstorm, one we heard later had knocked out the power in Yellowknife.
From Prelude Lake you follow a slow flowing, peaceful river into River Lake. At the southwest end of River Lake there are numerous campsites on rocky points.
A tough paddle on Prosperous Lake
After a smoky night, one where we went to bed with our face covered with a towel, we woke to big winds. We knew it was going to be a tough day ahead as we had the sometimes treacherous, Prosperous Lake to paddle.
To get there we did two short portages around two waterfalls, followed by a paddle around an un-named lake.
On our arrival at Prosperous Lake all we could see were whitecaps in the distance. Common sense took over and once again we put up the tent in the middle of the day – and had a three hour nap waiting for the wind to abate. It did eventually so we hurried out to take advantage of the relative calm.
Prosperous Lake has a huge reach so once we turned the corner out of the calm, we were back into whitecaps. Still, this time we continued with John doing his damnedest to steer a course.
Tartan Rapids
Another hour of hard canoeing put us at the Tartan Rapids – with signs of civilization once again. They were easy to portage and I was in no mood for trying to get the perfect line to get through them in a canoe.
After the Tartan Rapids portage we were on the Yellowknife River. The paddling was easy but it was at least an hour until we found a campsite. The one we stayed at was okay though it lacked the scenic quality of the others we’d enjoyed on the trip.
Canoeing into Yellowknife, NWT
Our final day of canoeing the Cameron River was easy from our campsite on the Yellowknife River until we got through Yellowknife Bay. Then we had a repeat performance with the wind. I counted strokes to keep my mind from thinking about flipping the canoe with a full load.
It was absolutely wonderful to see the Yellowknife skyline. We literally paddled to a residential community where we pre-arranged a canoe drop.
After unloading the canoe we picked up our bags and walked a few kilometres into downtown Yellowknife. It’s not often you can do that on a canoe trip.
Canoeing the Cameron River requires the right mix of skills
Despite a few super hard days of canoeing the Cameron River, I loved this paddling trip and highly recommend it if you have the right mix of skills. Portaging skills should be good and you must be comfortable paddling on big lakes if you want to do the full canoe trip from the Cameron River Ramparts to Yellowknife.
There is the option of pulling out at Powder Point on Prelude Lake and organizing a return shuttle. And there’s a pullout where you can get picked up, so you don’t have to paddle any of Great Slave Lake.
A few things to take canoeing the Cameron River
If you get into trouble, it would be helpful to have a Garmin InReach Mini 2.
I recommend Gear Aid tenacious tape should you have any of your camping equipment malfunction. The last thing you need is insects getting into your tent through a hole.
A waterproof map case is hugely helpful.
Neoprene paddling gloves are a lifesaver on cold, windy days.
Asolar charger power bank is useful if you’re using your phone for photos and video.
Where to stay in Yellowknife after canoeing the Cameron River
Look for a mix of B&B’s and hotels in Yellowknife.
Hacho House is a B&B with a sauna and shared kitchen. It’s rated exceptional.
Aurora Bayside Inn has views of the lake and an in-house restaurant. It’s rated fabulous.
Great Slave Lakeside Bed and Breakfast offers a balcony with lake views, a patio, and outdoor fireplace. It’s rated as exceptional.
Rent canoes and gear in Yellowknife
In 2025, you can rent canoes from Overlander Sports but you have to rent for a minimum of a week. You can also rent barrels. Camping is free and the shuttle service will run you approximately $1/kilometre but you must pay for their return trip.
Further reading on canoeing in Canada
- Reindeer Lake Canoe Trip in Saskatchewan
- A Canoe Trip on the Churchill River, Saskatchewan
- A Canoeing Trip on the Remote Mountain River, NWT
- A Once in a Lifetime Keele River Canoeing Experience
- Powell Forest Canoe Route – The Full Experience
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Hi,
Great article. And very beautiful images included in the post. I liked it. Thanks for sharing the images.
@Vinod Thanks so much for stopping by. It is truly a river worth canoeing.
Wow, what an adventure! I’m really craving my own canoe/kayak adventure now!
@Alexx This one was a treat and so easy to do. I have an ever growing wish list of others I’d like to do.
What an adventure! Your travels continue to inspire me 🙂 Thanks for sharing.
I am in awe at every beautiful, postcard-worthy photo you took on this trip. Absolutely stunning scenery and what a great way to slowly see them. I’ve only been on one canoe trip but my husband did all the work 🙂 I think I need to start somewhere a bit smaller than this. Love those sunset and reflection shots!
What an incredibly beautiful country we live in! I have never been on a canoe trip – I think I will have to start with one that’s a lot easier than this. So many beautiful photos but I love the one with the inukshuk wearing a cap!
@Lisa Part of this trip was easy but it certainly had it’s challenges on the big lakes. Thanks for the great comment and hope you can make it up to this part of the world one day.
Wow, this is some of the most stunning scenery I have seen in any of your posts,which is saying a lot. Very similar to Quetico, but even more beautiful. Makes me want to jump in a canoe and paddle all the way to Yellowknife.
@Ted Go for it. You could be there within a three months -maybe. It’s an exceptional place and remarkably easy to access. I was spoiled with all the great canoeing I did this past summer.
Those rapids are seriously incredible, and I LOVE that you can see the grasses as you paddle over, so breathtaking! I haven’t done much canoeing in my life (I need to fix that!) I did go canoeing as part of a botany class I took back in college, and my friend and I got stuck in the middle of the lake in the middle of a thunderstorm!;-)
@Jess Thunderstorms and canoes are not a great mix – and perhaps that’s why you haven’t been back. There are lots of canoeing trips that aren’t hard to do and those are the ones I’d recommend starting with.
Stunning, beautiful shots as always but you know what caught my eye? Your shoes! I did order us similar pairs after you wrote about them and we’ve had them with us in Greece and local trips as well. . .glad to see you wearing yours!! 😉
@Jackie I’ve worn my KEENS a ton this summer – but haven’t worn them out. I find they’re lightweight o carry as well.