Canol Heritage Trail

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The Canol Heritage Trail is an abandoned pipeline trail from the 1940s that now serves as an advanced-level adventure trail for hikers. It stretches 350 kilometres from Norman Wells olifield on the lower Mackenzie River across the broad plains of the Mackenzie River valley, through several mountain ranges, over the Mackenzie Mountain Barrens and up to MacMillan Pass on the Continental Divide, before passing into the Yukon and on towards Whitehorse. The route has now been designated the Canol Heritage Trail, and has been given National Historic Site status.

Hiking

For hikers with proper experience, survival skills, conditioning and preparation, it's an extraordinary but challenging adventure. Hikers must make many challenging river crossings, (most notably, the Twitya, Little Keele and Carcajun Rivers), without the benefit of bridges. Be prepared for hazardous terrain with unmarked sections and frequent wash-outs. Hikers/riders must also make advance arrangements for at least 1 or 2 food drops. Although some hikers have made the trip in 2 weeks, without re-supply, even the most experienced trekkers can expect to spend at least 3 weeks to complete the entire trail.

Outfitters in Norman Wells can arrange boat trips and/or air charters to the eastern trailhead. And shorter excursions can be booked to see parts of the trail. The western trailhead, at MacMillan Pass on the Yukon/NWT Border, can be reached by a very rough road from Ross River,Yukon.

There are no manicured campsites and no services on the trail. There are, however, frequent river crossings, tussock-strewn terrain, sudden snow storms, relentless mosquitoes and grizzly bears - lots of grizzly bears.

The trail passes through snow-covered peaks, tundra, forested taiga, deep canyons and rushing rivers.Along its path -- which can often be determined only by official trail maps -- hikers are likely to sight wolverine, Dall sheep, caribou and ample evidence of bears. They will also come upon rusting remnants of the ill-fated Canol Pipeline Project, including the collapsed remains of rickety wooden bridges once used by labourers to cross, ice-cold streams and rivers.

The Canol Heritage Trail lies within the territory of the Sahtu Dene. Up-to-date information about conditions on the trail can be obtained from the Norman Wells Historical Centre in Norman Wells, Northwest Territories.

Mountain Bikes

About 100 miles of the trail are bikeable, from Macmillan Pass to the Twitya River. The stretch from from Godlin Lake to MacMillan Pass is also possible but requires some river crossings and the trail is not easy to follow.

Safety

For anyone not using an outfitter, it is important to report your trip plans to the RCMP in either Ross River or Norman Wells, and to check in with the RCMP at your destination.

The Government of the Northwest Territories publishes a 30-page Hiker's Guide to the Canol Heritage Trail. The guide contains section maps, important notes about river crossings and trail conditions, and other important information for hikers. The booklet is available from: Dep't of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development

Government of the Northwest Territories
Box 130
Norman Wells, NT, Canada
X0E 0V0
Phone: (867) 587-3500
Fax: (867) 587-2204

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Getting to Norman Wells

There are usually two ways to get to Norman Wells (about 1,370 miles from Edmonton): by air, or by boat on the Mackenzie River. Scheduled flights come in from Edmonton, Yellowknife and Inuvik.
River travelers can start their trip at Yellowknife, Fort Providence or Fort Simpson and head north by barge, river cruise, canoe, or motorboat.

In winter there exists the option of an ice road from Fort Simpson.

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NWT Tourism can be reached here for specific questions.