The Burnside River is known as the “wildlife river” as you are practically guaranteed excellent wildlife viewing and Arctic adventure! Our canoeing trips on the Burnside River are timed to coincide with the historic Bathurst Caribou migration. Photograph caribou, Musk Ox, grizzly and wolves as well as rough-legged hawks, golden eagles and gyrfalcons. Hike through rolling tundra, cross the Arctic Circle and experience canoeing the Burnside, an isolated wilderness gem. Be among the few to visit this incredible tundra river.
We canoe using 2-person canoes over 14 river days from Contwoyto Lake (or below) to Bathurst Inlet, a trip of approximately 300 km (180 miles) with an elevation drop of 385 metres (1275 feet).
Craft Description: Canoe - 2-person canoe
Prerequisites: Whitewater canoe skills Class III, and a high level of physical fitness
Available Dates
Rate Details
CAD:
Call for current prices for Burnside Canoeing.
Additional Burnside River Trip Notes:
Please note that hotel costs and meals while in Yellowknife are not included in the trip fee.While following our checklist in the "
What to Bring" package, please note the specific considerations for the tundra rivers. All tundra trips require good quality foul weather gear. Rubber boots make excellent footwear - if you are unsure of what to look for you will find good quality rubber boots in a sailing shop. Mosquitoes are abundant on the tundra. We have found that a bug shirt works very well to manage these pests and is an absolute necessity for venturing out onto the tundra. Dressing in light colours is also preferable as dark clothing seems to attract mosquitoes more readily.
Please note that no stores are open between the meeting time and our morning departure. Plan to err on the side of extra warm clothing. If you wish, the guides can help decide if anything should be left behind.
Map
The following is a tentative agenda and has been designed with much thought to capitalize on the most scenic and exciting parts of the river while making time on other sections. Your guides will adjust the schedule to make the best use of river and weather conditions.
The following initials indicate the meals included each day:Breakfast = B | Lunch = L | Dinner = D
Day 0 YELLOWKNIFE
Your journey north from your home will be a refreshing departure. You will fly over the largest expanse of wilderness in the world with stunning views on cloudless days, pass through quieter and friendlier airports, meet friendlier and less harried service personnel and generally begin to immerse yourself in the wilderness experience that is about to unfold.
You should plan to arrive in Yellowknife, NWT for our pre-trip orientation meeting which will be held in the Explorer Hotel at 8 p.m.
Please note that the hotel costs and meals are not included in the trip fee.
Day 1 (L/D)
8 a.m. – Meet in the hotel lobby after breakfast (not included). Weather permitting, we will take an early morning flight into the river. After setting up camp and lunch, there will be plenty of time for our first hike in the surrounding hills to look at the wildflowers and wildlife of the area.
Day 2 & 3 (B/L/D)
We will load the canoes and start down river. From here to Kathawachaga Lake, a half days paddle, the river is a continuous series of class II and III rapids connected by swiftly flowing class I water. Great care and some scouting will see us safely through this section of the river. The Kathawachaga area is the home of muskox and caribou as well as boasting some great Lake Trout fishing.
Day 4 & 5 (B/L/D)
Shortly after leaving Kathawachaga Lake we stop on the small island of Nadlock, the site of an old Inuit campsite. One of the few sites of its kind in the Nunavut, it is believed that the Inuit used caribou antlers and hide to cover the stone tent rings still standing. The island also has an uncommon collection of nesting birds - ring-billed gulls, arctic terns, redpoles, yellow-billed loons, old squaws, red necked phalaropes, Canada geese plus many others. Camp will be made near Bellanca Rapids. This rapid was named after an aircraft that crashed near here in the 1940s– a Bellanca CH-300 Pacemaker. We will spend a day hiking and exploring the surrounding hills. It is common to see musk oxen, caribou, and wolves as there is an active wolf den in this area.
Day 6 & 7 (B/L/D)
Back on the river, the current picks up as we wind our way downstream through the spectacular tundra landscape.The birders of the group can look forward to seeing both Peregrine and Gyrfalcons nesting along with Golden Eagles and countless ducks and water fowl. We also keep a constant lookout for caribou, wolf, grizzly and of course the musk oxen. The landscape always lends itself to hiking, whether it is on our once-a-day stop for a short walk away from the river or from each campsite. This allows you plenty of time to study the numerous wildflowers, find and photograph a redpole’s nest hidden in the grass, or just enjoy the view.
Day 8 (B/L/D)
Arriving at the confluence of the Mara River, we will spend a day here walking up a local peak to wonder at the vastness of the valley. Being above the tree line, wood on the river is scarce to non-existent. All our cooking is done over gas stoves and we try to leave each camp in the pristine state that we found it.
Day 9 & 10 (B/L/D)
From the confluence of the Mara to Burnside Falls the river is squeezed between the narrowing banks that rise 180 to 215 meters (600 - 700 ft.) off the water. The river starts to speed up and we keep a constant eye out for the ever present musk oxen, wolf or grizzly. We cross the Arctic Circle, the earthly line above which the sun is visible for twenty-four hours for at least one day during the summer months, and continue on to Burnside Falls.
Day 11 & 12 (B/L/D)
We will spend two days around Burnside Falls getting our gear over the 5 km portage (3m). The river here is forced through a narrow chasm of red and white quartzite carving a four mile canyon as it drops over the escarpment formed by the Wilberforce Hills. It is an ideal place for hiking, exploring, fishing or relaxing. After completing the portage, we will continue downstream through the delta and on to the community of Bathurst Inlet and our first hot showers in two weeks.(Everyone is required to portage. It is a very rigorous carry over rough terrain. If you have any concerns you may wish to consider the raft trip. Please contact us with any questions).
Day 13 (B/L/D)
The day will be spent in and around the lodge. Here you will meet the local Inuit people (partners in the lodge) and learn about their way of life. We will spend the day or evening exploring, by boat, some of the archaeological sites in Bathurst Inlet.
Day 14 (B/L)
Weather permitting we will be picked up at the lodge and flown back to Yellowknife in our chartered “Twin Otters”. You would be best not to count on getting a flight home this day in case we are weathered-in. Arrangements can be made to stay in one of the local hotels or you can camp just outside of town. This will allow you time to visit Yellowknife.
Day 15
You can arrange your flights home.