Burnside River Rafting
Whitewater Rafting in Canada with Canadian River Expeditions / Nahanni River Expeditions
Highlights
- Top wildlife viewing: muskox, grizzly bears, wolves, rough-legged hawks, golden eagles and gyrfalcons
- Witness the impressive Bathurst caribou migration
- Hike through rolling tundra and cross the Arctic Circle
Full Description
The Burnside River is frequenly referred to as the "wildlife river" as you are practically guaranteed top wildlife viewing and a classic Arctic adventure!
Our Burnside River rafting trips in Nunavut, Canada are timed to coincide with the historic Bathurst caribou migration. Photograph caribou, muskox, grizzly and wolves as well as rough-legged hawks, golden eagles and gyrfalcons. Hike through rolling tundra and cross the Arctic Circle. Be among the few to visit the Burnside River, an incredible tundra river and a remote wilderness gem.
We travel over 12 river days from the outlet of Kathawachaga Lake to the portage at Burnside Canyon near Bathurst Inlet, a journey of approximately 205 km (130 mi) with an elevation drop of 385 (1275 ft).
Craft Description: Raft
Prerequisites: None. Beginners welcome!
Includes:
- Breakfast, lunch, and dinner as noted in the itinerary
- Top-quality tents, river gear or sea kayaks
- Kitchen and camping equipment
- Bush plane transportation
Excludes:
- Personal items such as sleeping bag, clothing, etc.
- River footwear, rain jacket and pants (available for rent)
Day by Day Itinerary
Day 0: Yellowknife
Your journey north from your home will be a refreshing departure. You will fly over the largest expanse of wilderness in the world with stunning views on cloudless days, pass through quieter and friendlier airports, meet friendlier and less harried service personnel and generally begin to immerse yourself in the wilderness experience that is about to unfold.You should plan to arrive in Yellowknife, NWT for our pre-trip orientation meeting which will be held in the Explorer Hotel at 8 pm.
Day 1: Tundra Flight
8 am-Meeting in the hotel lobby after breakfast. Weather permitting, we will fly immediately into the river.After setting up camp and lunch, there will be plenty of time for our first hike in the surrounding hills to look at the wildflowers and wildlife of the area. (L/D)
Day 2: Kathawachaga
We will inflate and load the rafts and start down river. Shortly after leaving Kathawachaga Lake we stop on the small island of Nadlock, the site of an old Inuit campsite. One of the few sites of its kind in the Nunavut, it is believed that the Inuit used caribou antlers and hide to cover the stone tent rings that are still standing. The island also has an uncommon collection of nesting birds - ring-billed gulls, arctic terns, redpoles, yellow-billed loons, old squaws, red necked phalaropes, Canada geese plus many others. Camp will be made near Bellanca Rapids. This rapid was named after an aircraft that crashed near here in the 1940's - a Bellanca CH-300 Pacemaker. (B/L/D)
Day 3: Hiking
We will spend a day hiking and exploring the hills around the rapids. It is common to see musk oxen, caribou,and wolves as there is an active wolf den in this area. (B/L/D)
Day 4-5: Peregrines and Grey Falcons
Back on the river the current picks up as we wind our way downstream through the spectacular tundra landscape. The birders of the group can look forward to seeing both Peregrine and Gyrfalcons nesting along with Golden Eagles and countless ducks and water fowl. We also keep a constant lookout for caribou, wolf, grizzly and of course the musk oxen. The landscape always lends itself to hiking, whether it is on our once-a-day stop for a short walk away from the river or from each campsite. This allows you plenty of time to study the numerous wildflowers, find and photograph a redpole's nest hidden in the grass, or just enjoy the view. (B/L/D)
Day 6: Fishing Creek
We take the day off to hike and explore the tundra. We are camped at a small unnamed river that flows into the Burnside from the south that we call Fishing Creek. As well as excellent hiking, it is one the best fishing locations on the river. (B/L/D)
Day 7-8: Mara River
Arriving at the confluence of the Mara River, we will spend a day here walking up a local peak to wonder at the vastness of the valley. Being above the tree line, wood on the river is scarce to non-existent. All our cooking is done over propane stoves and we try to leave each camp in the pristine state that we found it. (B/L/D)
Day 9-10: Burnside Falls
From the confluence of the Mara to Burnside Falls the river is squeezed between the narrowing banks that rise 180 to 215 meters (600 - 700 ft.) off the water. The river starts to speed up and we keep a constant eye out for the musk oxen, wolf or grizzly. We cross the Arctic Circle, the earthly line above which the sun is visible for twenty-four hours for at least one day during the summer months. Camp is made at Burnside Falls. (B/L/D)
Day 11: Bathurst Inlet
We will spend the day around Burnside Falls. You will get a chance to wander the tundra and hike the canyon to the Burnside estuary. The river here is forced through a narrow chasm of red and white quartzite carving a four mile canyon as it drops over the escarpment formed by the Wilberforce Hills. It is an ideal place for hiking, exploring, fishing or relaxing. Hikers are rewarded with views of Bathurst Inlet. (B/L/D)
Day 12: Inuit Komatik
The rendezvous with the Twin Otter for the homeward charter is unique and exciting. Two Inuit men cross Bathurst Inlet in a boat and then travel overland by all terrain vehicle to meet us. They tow a traditional komatik (like a big sled) behind the ATV. With this they haul our gear approx 2 km to the top of a nearby esker. Here it is possible to land a Twin Otter on wheels. We follow on foot and explore the region of the esker until the aircraft arrives.
Weather permitting we will be picked up by our chartered "Twin Otter" and flown back to Yellowknife. You would be best not to count on getting a flight home this day in case we are weathered-in. Arrangements can be made to stay in one of the local hotels or you can camp just outside of town. This will allow you time to visit Yellowknife. (B/L)
Day 13: Homeward Bound
You board your flight for home.
About The Operator:
Canadian River Expeditions / Nahanni River Expeditions
Headquarters:
Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada
With over 30 unique canoeing, rafting, hiking and kayaking adventure travel trips-from 5 to 21 days-on 20 northern rivers, Nahanni River Adventures and Canadian River Expeditions have been the leaders in river adventure for northern Canada and Alaska since 1972.
An Alaska and Canada adventure vacation with Nahanni River Adventures and Canadian River Expeditions is much more than the typical river trip. Our Alaskan and Canadian wilderness expeditions are adventure travel explorations of entire regions, using the river as a conduit to travel through the land, taking time to hike, explore, learn and savor the beauty of these last wild places in North America.
A Unique Destination
We believe we offer you the opportunity to not only embrace adventure in a unique destination, but on a river trip which is truly of the highest quality in every respect, honed from our years of experience in the adventure travel business. We deliver our trips with an authenticity which mirrors the last natural, unspoiled wilderness we travel through in North America.
If you haven't rafted, canoed or kayaked in Alaska and northern Canada, seen the Northern Lights or paddled under a midnight sun, then put this on your list of "must do" trips in your lifetime. Northern Canada and Alaska are North America's last great wilderness rivaling Africa in its inspiring collage of nature, wildlife, ecosystems and adventure. With migrating herds of caribou and birds, waterfalls twice the height of Niagara and Canada's deepest river canyons, hotsprings and glaciers, a rich history of Klondike pioneers and a thriving First Nation culture, this is a vibrant world which will fascinate you.
An Experienced Leader
At Nahanni River Adventures and Canadian River Expeditions, we helped pioneer the sport of whitewater padding in the early seventies. From the iconic Nahanni River to the high Arctics' Soper, from Alaska to Nunavut, we know all of our 20 rivers well-from their campsites to their eddies to their rapids to their wildlife, geology and history. We have in depth knowledge guiding multi-day wilderness trips from contingency planning to operational logistics to how to bake cinnamon buns for breakfast over a camp fire. We make it a point to stay on the cutting edge of land and water use legislation to ensure that our river gear and equipment is of the highest quality and our guide skills incorporate the latest in whitewater safety standards. We have taken over 10,000 paddlers downriver since 1972 and our guest repeat rate of over 40% speaks for itself.
While others have left the business, we decided to stay the course ... it's that important to us. In 2006, we merged the two leading outfitters in the North, Nahanni River Adventures and Canadian River Expeditions and we continue our strong involvement at the national level to preserve our great northern rivers and further environmental protection of this important wilderness resource. Our memberships in the Wilderness Tourism Association of the Yukon (WTAY), Yukon Wild, Nahanni River Outfitters Association, Alsek Tatshenshini Outfitters Association, Tourism Association of Canada, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Association and participation in the Canadian Tourism Commission is testament to our longstanding commitment to protecting the environment in Northern Canada and Alaska.
Extraordinary Guides
We believe extraordinary guests should have extraordinary guides. We handpick our guides all of whom are unique individuals, empowered and encouraged to share their tremendous local knowledge with you. Their deep experience living, learning and teaching about regional geology, wildlife and history is matched only by their passion for adventure, technical whitewater skills and leadership acumen. We ensure a guest to guide ratio of four (maximum) on our trips so that you get lots of time to get to know these fun, friendly and fascinating folks!
A Premium Experience
You expect more on your adventure-and so do we. We give you ultimate choice-20 rivers and 30+ unique itineraries so that you can take on as much adventure or as much relaxation, as you like. The small groups on our trips accommodate much more personalized service and our attention to detail begins long before our rivers start running in the spring. We work with you closely to plan your holiday so that you get maximum adventure during your precious vacation time off. From the comfortable tents we use at night to your own private river bag for your personal gear, from fresh fish, baked goods, fruit and produce to that delicious lasagna accompanied by a fine red wine at dinner, our trips deliver quality every step of the way.
Authentically Us
We are heartened that being "green" is so in vogue ... although frankly, we've been green since 1972! Our longstanding commitment to the environment is one of our most important values and one which we are exceedingly proud of. You might hear talk of "ecotourism"...at Nahanni River Adventures and Canadian River Expeditions, you will find the very definition of this - in practice. We decided many years ago to make the environment a priority and have been an active political advocate in support of this objective. We donate hundreds of hours to environmental causes every year.