The Northwest Territories have played a recurring role in The Amazing Race Canada, pushing teams farther north and deeper into the Arctic with each return. From the earliest seasons to the most recent, the territory has consistently raised the stakes with challenges that celebrate the local communities and culture.
Earlier seasons introduced racers to the territorial capital and surrounding communities, Yellowknife and nearby Dettah. In Season 11, the race reached its most northern point yet with a landmark visit to Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk. Teams travelled to Canada’s third coast, the edge of the Arctic Ocean navigating challenges shaped by Inuvialuit and Gwich’in traditions, grounding high pressure race tasks in northern culture.
Watching the Aurora Borealis dance across the night sky is one of the Northwest Territories’ most iconic experiences. Seen frequently in and around the NWT, the Northern Lights deliver the kind of jaw‑dropping moment that feels straight out of an Amazing Race Canada leg — unforgettable, awe‑inspiring and unlike anything else in the country.
One of the deepest lakes in the world, Great Slave Lake defines the scale of the Northwest Territories. Visitors can experience its vast shorelines through paddling or catching trophy fish in the East Arm, known for its narrow channels and red cliffs. The lake’s immense size and shifting conditions echo the high‑stakes environments often featured on The Amazing Race Canada.
Nahanni National Park Reserve stretches across 30,000 square kilometres and is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. Attractions include Náįlįcho (Virginia Falls), a literally earthshaking cascade, the daunting Cirque of the Unclimbables, the Fairy Meadows, plus riverside hotsprings, burbling tufa mounds and hike-able peaks. It’s a stellar day-long flightseeing trip from Fort Simpson and an even better guided or independent expedition by canoe or raft.
Inuvik is one of the most compelling Northern towns in Canada and a natural Amazing Race Canada style destination. Located above the Arctic Circle, it’s known for its Igloo Church, midnight sun, cultural festivals and as the gateway to the Inuvik–Tuktoyaktuk Highway, the only road in Canada that reaches the Arctic Ocean. Inuvik is shaped by vibrant Indigenous cultures, Northern innovation, and breathtaking landscapes, offering an unmatched setting for storytelling.
Wood Buffalo National Park is Canada’s largest Dark Sky Preserve. The park comprises sweeping boreal forests, the massive Peace-Athabasca freshwater delta, and the otherworldly Salt Plains. There’s no shortage of hikes ranging from easy loops under a kilometre to more difficult 14 kilometre hikes through field and forest trails. Wildlife in the park includes wolves, black bears, the world’s last surviving whooping cranes and of course bison. Best of all, the park is road-accessible year-round from friendly Fort Smith.
Boldly jutting into the Arctic Ocean, the Inuvialuit hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk is a prime place to experience how traditional ways of life blend with modern Arctic living – all accessible via the northernmost highway in Canada.
Famed among fishermen for some of the largest Lake Trout ever recorded, Great Bear Lake is a legendary wilderness destination in Canada’s Northwest Territories. Paddlers are in for a remarkable journey, from the community of Délįne to the sacred mountains of Saoyú-ʔehdacho National Historic Site. The vast waters offer a majestic encounter with a landscape deeply rooted in the culture of the Sahtú Dene people.
The Dehcho Connection is a fantastic tour through the southwestern parts of the Northwest Territories, with unlimited potential to delve deep into the North’s culture, landscapes and adventures. Once you’ve driven this route, you’ll have a brand new understanding of Canada’s North.
The Slave River transforms into 10 kilometers of world-class rapids upon hitting the Northwest Territories border. This powerful stretch features four massive rapids that attract elite kayakers while protecting the world’s northernmost nesting white pelicans. Visitors can safely witness this incredible energy from shoreline lookouts or by attending the annual Slave River Paddlefest.
Stretching 740 kilometres from Dawson City in Yukon to Inuvik in the Northwest Territories, the Dempster Highway traverses stunning landscapes through the boreal forest, crossing the mighty Mackenzie River and into the open tundra. It connects to the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk highway, the only year-round public highway in Canada that brings you to the Arctic Ocean. More than a highway, it is a journey through diverse landscapes, communities, and cultures that define Canada’s North.
