Yellowknife sits on the shores of Great Slave Lake – the 10th largest lake in the world and the deepest in North America. It takes its name from the Slavey First Nations, who've lived on its shores for millennia, and it has played a crucial part in the fur trade by the Hudson Trading Company. These days, it's a water-sports hub, a favorite of canoeists and a take-off and landing strip for floatplanes.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre
2.03 MILES
Acting as NWT's historical and cultural archive, this well-laid-out museum overlooks Frame Lake. Expertly assembled displays address natural history,…
21.08 MILES
At Hidden Lake Territorial Park you'll find the attractive Cameron Falls, reachable via a 15-minute walk through forest and over rocks.
1.97 MILES
In the impressive, igloo-shaped Legislative Assembly, you can learn about the territory's aboriginal-style government by joining their free hour-long tour…
1.09 MILES
Many living people are older than Yellowknife but, despite the fact the Old Town only dates from the mid-1930s, its ramshackle streets wedged between Back…
Yellowknife Cultural Crossroads
1.3 MILES
On a huge boulder by the road there's a striking work of art: a soaring eagle, a whirl of colorful handprints and the skeletal outline of a tipi. In front…
2.09 MILES
A great place to buy your diamond bling, this gallery also provides a good overview of diamond mining in Canada's frigid north. The accompanying video…
27.88 MILES
At Reid Lake, 61km from Yellowknife, you can swim, canoe or fish. The campground has a beach, boat ramp and walking trail, plus campsites on the ridge…
15.17 MILES
There are two short nature trails at Prelude Lake, as well as a large and busy, full-service campground, boat rentals and activities for children.
Nearby Yellowknife attractions
1.06 MILES
Perched atop 'The Rock,' a large outcrop in the middle of the Old Town, this simple needle pays homage to the gutsy bush pilots who opened up the NWT a…
1.09 MILES
Many living people are older than Yellowknife but, despite the fact the Old Town only dates from the mid-1930s, its ramshackle streets wedged between Back…
3. Yellowknife Cultural Crossroads
1.3 MILES
On a huge boulder by the road there's a striking work of art: a soaring eagle, a whirl of colorful handprints and the skeletal outline of a tipi. In front…
1.47 MILES
Named by prospectors who had gone stone-broke (ragged ass), this road was immortalized in a song and album by Tom Cochrane, himself the son of a bush…
1.97 MILES
In the impressive, igloo-shaped Legislative Assembly, you can learn about the territory's aboriginal-style government by joining their free hour-long tour…
6. Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre
2.03 MILES
Acting as NWT's historical and cultural archive, this well-laid-out museum overlooks Frame Lake. Expertly assembled displays address natural history,…
2.09 MILES
A great place to buy your diamond bling, this gallery also provides a good overview of diamond mining in Canada's frigid north. The accompanying video…
2.36 MILES
Overlooking the airport, this Bristol freighter, once operated by Wardair, became the first ever plane to land at the North Pole in 1967.