Yellowknife and the Northern Lights
Capital Of The Northwest Territories · Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
Yellowknife is the capital of the Northwest Territories, a small city of about 20,000 on the north shore of Great Slave Lake, and it is one of the most reliable places on earth to see the northern lights. It lies under the auroral oval, with flat clear skies and low humidity, so displays are common on clear nights from late August to mid-April. Visitors watch from heated cabins and tipis at aurora camps run by several operators outside town, where temperatures in January and February can reach minus 30 C. Stay three to four nights to raise your odds; on clear nights the chance is high, but cloud can ruin any single evening. By day there is Old Town with its houseboats and bush plane history, the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre and Great Slave Lake. It is on Yellowknives Dene land. Flights come via Edmonton or Calgary, and the trip is costly, so plan the dates around clear-sky odds and book early.
Old Town, Yellowknife, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, X1A 2L9, Canada
Aurora tours run at night in season, usually departing in the evening and returning after midnight, and they depend on clear skies; operators set their own dates, pick-up times and minimum stays, so confirm when you book. The aurora season is roughly late August to mid-April, with September and February-March often named the best months. Late May to July has little or no aurora because the sky stays bright. Museums, shops and daytime tours keep seasonal hours, and the winter ice road to Dettah is open only when the ice is thick enough, so confirm whether it is open. Summer wildfires have forced evacuations, so check territorial notices before travelling.
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