A Father-Son Canoe Trip Through the Grand Canyon of Canada

It wasn’t until our second or third banked turn that we could see the river below — a meandering blue line barely visible through a thick layer of cloud and smoke. As the plane continued to descend in a slow circle, the landscape became progressively discernible: clusters of spruce trees woven together with thick shrubs, which is typical of the taiga, the ecosystem just south of the Arctic tundra.

After another bending left, the bush pilot pointed out the window of the Twin Otter to a straight stretch of the river ahead, signaling we were about to land. Less than a minute later the floats touched down, slowing us almost immediately. This marked the official start of our father-son canoe trip, just above Virginia Falls on the South Nahanni River, a hidden gem in the Northwest Territories, Canada.

From Virginia Falls, which at twice the height of Niagara is remarkable in its own right, we would paddle 135 miles to Nahanni Butte, a small indigenous village, before taking a bush flight out. The route was filled with whitewater, deep canyons, hot springs and important cultural sites, making it rich in more ways than one. But what really made it special was getting to adventure and reconnect with my dad.

Wanting to take a canoe trip with my dad before he turned 70 this fall, I began searching for rivers that would be fun to paddle together — something we did a lot when I was young, growing up near the Boundary Waters in northern Minnesota. After hearing about the South Nahanni, I was sold. Often called the “Grand Canyon of the North,” for the four 4,000-foot high canyons it flows through, the South Nahanni was one of the first UNESCO Heritage Sites in the world designated in 1978, yet is little known outside the region.

After weighing our options, Dad and I opted to forgo doing the logistics ourselves and instead book a trip with Nahanni River Adventures, a local company that’s been guiding on the river for over 50 years. They were experts on everything from wilderness safety to backcountry cinnamon rolls, but their true value lies in their knowledge of the river, the land and the history of the places we floated by.

We loaded our Twin Otter seaplane in Fort Simpson, a small town on the Mackenzie River, filling it to the gills with five canoes, hundreds of pounds of food and gear, and four humans — two guides, my dad, and me. This was the point of no return and the excitement amongst the group was palpable. For the next nine days we would be out of cell service, on the river and immersed in a totally new world.

The flight to Virginia Falls took about an hour, but due to wildfire smoke from a nearby fire in the Yukon, we were able to see very little other than the tops of the mountains we flew over. This added to the suspense of the moment, making the river feel like a mystery until the final approach, when the taiga started to appear. Even as we landed it was hard to see past the first row of hills on the horizon.

Fewer than 300 people paddle the Nahanni each year, primarily because it’s quite hard to access. Still, Parks Canada runs a small campground at the falls, which is a great jumping-off spot for trips like ours. With the float plane tied up to the dock, we unloaded all the canoes and gear, hauling it up the wooden platforms to our site.

Once it was empty, the plane flew back to Fort Simpson to pick up the rest of the group and gear, returning a few hours later. The following day we portaged all of our gear in three large loads from the top of the falls to the bottom, a two-and-a-half mile round trip. With all the gear at the bottom, we loaded and rigged the boats, making sure they were balanced and suitable for the upcoming rapids, and then ate lunch, cooled by the mist of the nearby falls.

Around midday we shoved off and directly into Fourth Canyon, a six-mile run of Class II whitewater. After a safety talk from the guides about hazards we needed to avoid, much of the group was nervous, but after a mile of wave trains, big splashes, and hoots and hollers, we all started to relax and get into rhythm.

Adorned with spray skirts, wetsuits and helmets, the real risk for any of us was low, but in a place as remote as the Nahanni, no one wants to take chances. Thankfully, no one tipped their boat throughout the trip, although there were a few close calls. At the end of the first day we pulled off at a large pebble beach with a clear mountain stream, a perfect place to camp for the night. The guides cooked us a feast with fresh veggies and meats, which became a regular occurrence on the trip.

With a strong group of paddlers and fast current, we arrived at some of our campsites by early afternoon, giving us time to relax, read, journal, swim and go for day hikes, including one up an iconic landmark called the Gate. If you look closely at the photo, you can see our canoes and campsite below. 

A day later, when the whitewater was big and technical, we got out of the boats to scout the set before running it, making sure to avoid the big obstacles, like holes and strainers. Here, one of our guides talked the group through the best line to follow, in order to maximize safety and fun at the same time.

The full length of Nahanni, 350 miles, is protected within the Nahanni National Park Preserve, one of the largest parks in the world, nearly the size of Switzerland. It is home to a variety of geological wonders, including massive canyons and waterfalls, sinkholes, extensive cave systems, tufa mounds, sand blowouts and unique karst limestone features. It also plays host to a variety of wildlife, including moose, woodland caribou, wood buffalo, dall sheep, mountain goats, porcupines, and grizzly and black bears.

One of our most unique side hikes was through a slot canyon, with small sections that require a short swim to get across. Going into the trip I didn’t expect these hikes to amount to much, but they turned out to be a great way to stretch our legs and explore more of the unique landscape. We would return from the jaunts to incredible food prepared by our guides, like piping hot cinnamon rolls. 

On our last full day on the river we stopped at a hot spring and enjoyed a soak before continuing downriver and out of the park to Nahanni Butte. Over the entire trip we saw just one other group, making it a true wilderness experience. This type of solitude also meant we saw a few black bears, a grizzly, dozens of bison and countless birds. With some reflection, I’m convinced there is no better father-son trip than a river like the Nahanni, letting us explore, laugh, paddle whitewater and build a deeper bond together.

All photos by Andy Cochrane for InsideHook