Looking to experience the wonders of the Nahanni, but pressed for time, or worried about your experience level? This expedition takes you to the heart of Nahanni National Park where you will paddle past dazzling mountain ranges, experience the Tufa Mounds at Rabbitkettle Lake and finish the trip at Náįlįcho (Virginia Falls). Eight days allows for some time to hike and explore the surrounding landscape, discovering what secrets the Nahanni may hold up its hidden valleys. This stretch of the Nahanni is calm and relaxing, and requires only basic canoeing skills to navigate. Experiencing the falls’ magic without having to make the 1.5km portage around them, and then face the class 2-3 rapids downstream! Join a wilderness experience like nowhere else on earth.
The Nahanni River is a Canadian icon, flowing through thousands of square kilometers of protected Mountain Wilderness. A UNSECO world heritage site, Nahanni National Park is one of the jewels of the Canadian national parks system. This is a landscape where moose, grizzly bears and caribou roam free of human impact, and where jagged mountains pierce the sky in every direction. And at the heart of Nahanni lies Virginia Falls, a massive waterfall taller than Niagara. This trip is a great opportunity to quickly see everything that you would want to see in Nahanni National Park.
Rabbitkettle Lake, the starting point for the trip, is a jewel like lake set against the dramatic backdrop of the “Cirque of the Unclimbables” Mountain Range. After finding your way to the river the swift current pulls you downstream through towering mountains.
Find a beautiful campsite at hell roaring creek, and soak in its crystal clear waters.
Explore ancient alluvial fans, Oxbow lakes with moose and waterfowl, before finally greeting Virginia Falls after a silent early morning paddle.
