Nahanni River Rafting

Arrive at Fort Simpson, the gateway to Nahanni National Park Reserve. There will be a pre-trip orientation meeting with your trip leader and fellow guests this evening. This is a chance to meet your fellow travelers and ask any last-minute questions about clothing, gear, packing, and trip logistics.

Scenic Flight from Fort Simpson to Virginia Falls

The adventure begins! Enjoy breakfast on your own at the hotel. You will have the morning free before meeting your guide and shuttling to the float plane base (the specific time will be announced closer to departure). You’ll transfer your gear into the provided waterproof bags, and any luggage can be stored until the end of the river trip. Once all of our supplies and bags are loaded onto the aircraft, we’ll take off for the spectacular upriver flight to Virginia Falls.

The flight is a highlight of the adventure for many travelers. In the air, you’ll be treated to unparalleled views of the majestic Nahanni Range and Ram Plateau. Afterward, we head to our camp near Virginia Falls. Before settling in, your guides will provide the group with a thorough talk about camp life and what to expect each day on the river. As the guides prepare a delicious dinner, get to know your fellow travelers, go for a short hike, or just relax and marvel at the magnificent backdrop of this remote and wild Canadian wilderness.

Virginia Falls & Sunblood Mountain Hike

Today is dedicated to hiking and exploring around Virginia Falls. Nestled in the heart of Nahanni National Park on the South Nahanni River, Virginia Falls spans 850 feet and drops an impressive 315 feet, providing a constant display of dramatic power. Also known as Náilicho, which translates to “big water falling,” the falls and river have a rich cultural history intertwined with the Dené people who have inhabited this region for more than 10,000 years. It’s a special place that will captivate photographers and hikers alike. 

Some of the group may be content exploring the expansive area overlooking the brink of the falls. Those interested in a more challenging pursuit can opt for an all-day expedition to the top of nearby Sunblood Mountain, where you’ll be rewarded with a bird’s-eye perspective of the winding and twisting Nahanni River Canyon. There’s no wrong way to experience this natural wonder.

Painted Canyon 

The morning is spent portaging our gear around the falls. The trail is downhill and well-defined, and everyone pitches in to carry what they can. This will take some time and is a collaborative effort, but it’s impossible to spend too much time at the majestic Virginia Falls! 

Once all of the gear has been transferred to our put-in just below the falls, we will assemble the boats and enjoy a late lunch on shore, along with a thorough safety briefing. By late afternoon, our Nahanni River rafting trip officially begins with an exhilarating run through Fourth Canyon, also known as Painted Canyon, for its unique and vibrant limestone walls and wind-carved hoodoos. The first in a series of the “Grand Canyons” of the Nahanni, Fourth Canyon offers a roller-coaster ride of standing waves to kick off our whitewater adventure. We’ll camp for the evening below Wrigley Creek.

Third Canyon & The Gate

Today, we’ll drift past the confluence of the Flat River and enter Third Canyon. This 12.4-mile-long canyon is a natural wonder formed by the river cutting through various layers of shales, sandstones, and limestone in the Funeral Range. We’ll camp halfway through this canyon near The Gate, a breathtaking 325-foot-wide gorge where the walls soar 1,500 feet high, and we’re offered views of the iconic Pulpit Rock.

Pulpit Rock

In the morning, we’ll hike to the top of The Gate. This short trek rewards us with a magnificent view of Third Canyon and Pulpit Rock—a 400-foot tall spire that punctuates the landscape. After lunch, it’s back in the rafts as we continue our journey through Third Canyon to set up camp near “Big Bend.”

Second Canyon & Deadmen Valley

As we come around “Big Bend,” the towering walls of Second Canyon suddenly greet us. Our journey today continues through Second Canyon and into Deadmen Valley, where the landscape opens up, and we often begin to see the big-horned Dall Sheep. We’ll stop here to venture out on a 2-hour walk up a dry creek bed that will give us an incredible vantage point of this immense region. Back on the water, we’ll meander by Headless Creek before continuing to Sheaf Creek, aiming to make camp near Prairie Creek. Tonight, around the campfire, your guides are sure to share a tale or two about this storied stretch of the Nahanni.

Prairie Creek 

Depending on the pace of our travels, today may be a layover day at your guide’s discretion. You can spend the day relaxing around camp or feel free to explore the vast alluvial fan of Prairie Creek. For birders, this area is prime nesting grounds for a variety of species, including upland sandpipers, common nighthawks, white-winged crossbills, chipping sparrows, and savannah sparrows. Fishing enthusiasts will also have the chance to try their luck with bull trout and Arctic grayling in the creek’s pools and eddies.

First Canyon

The day starts with a short hike up Dry Canyon. Back on the rafts, we’ll tackle the big waves of George’s Riffle. This memorable stretch of whitewater marks the entrance to First Canyon, the most dramatic and striking of the four canyons and the deepest of them all. Our rafts are dwarfed by the magnitude of the sheer walls that rise 3,400 feet straight out of the water. We will camp near the end of this impressive canyon at Lafferty Creek. It’s truly one of the world’s best campsites.

Lafferty Canyon 

Today, we’ll hike up Lafferty Creek to view some of the hundreds of caves in the area. Our route follows the creek bed into a narrow canyon, where we’ll scramble over rocks and wade through hidden pools on this adventurous hike. The rest of the day is yours to relax and unwind in camp.

Kraus Hot Springs 

The fun waves of Lafferty’s Riffle add some thrills to our morning, followed by a soothing dip in Kraus Hot Springs. Our journey through “Canyon Kingdom” comes to an end as we enter the braided channels of The Splits. Here, a broad valley unfolds, surrounded by dramatic mountain ridges. Lush boreal forests, bordered by steep ridges, create a setting straight out of a storybook.

Nahanni Butte & Scenic Return Flight

We lazily drift toward the confluence with the Liard River and the isolated village of Nahanni Butte, where a small community of Dené people live off the land and still lead a traditional way of life. Here, we’ll board a charter plane for the return flight to Fort Simpson. 

The trip concludes upon our return to Fort Simpson. It is your responsibility to book accommodations for this final night in town before catching homeward-bound flights the next day.