emvntravel

My friend and I are planning a trip to the Northwest Territories. We are two females in our early 20's and are wondering what are the main attractions/events to do in the summer? We're open to camping and really want to experience the nature of the province. We know that in the mid-summer the sun doesn't set and wanted to know the best ways to deal with the effects of this or if there are any? Do we need any special equipment to block out the light? Any advice or experiences of people who have been here/camped in the summer would be helpful!

NorthwestMale

You should be aware that you have to go waaaaaaaay north <b>IN</b> the Northwest Territories to reach a place where the sun doesn't set in summer.

According to www.sunrisesunset.com, the largest city of Yellowknife has about 4 hours between sunrise and sunset on the longest day of the northern year.

While I... <i>understand</i> your urge to go and see the <b>far north</b>, I might suggest that the Yukon could prove easier to reach, for you. The Yukon is <I>about</i> as far north, and boasts the <I>Alaska Highway</i>, which is surely more traveled than is anything in the NW T.

Yellowknife, NT has approximately 18,700 inhabitants, while Whitehorse, YT has approximately 27,800 dwellers.

I just... suspect that the infrastructure in the Yukon may be better than that in the NW T. The mountain and lake scenery in the Yukon is quite impressive in places, and reasonable people can likely drive farther north in the Yukon than in the NW T.

And yes, you could drive to Inuvik, NW T... but most of the path there goes through the Yukon.

As for your sun questions... the sun would be so far down on the edge of the horizon during much of the night, that it wouldn't likely impact you too greatly. It certainly wouldn't be as if you were camped on the Equator with the sun somehow beating down upon you from directly overhead all day.

I think you'd have a great adventure just going so far north, and I'm sure that tourism literature from either Territory would explain specifics in terms of what you might be able to do and enjoy while you're there.

amer_can

Caution...NEED bug spray..The mosquitoes are nearly as bit as sparrows and very hungry!!!

emvntravel

Thank you so much for your insight we really appreciate it. We were thinking of going to Yellowknife in specific because we would really like to intergrate ourselves into the nature. We understand that during the winter time we could go dogsledding and see the northern lights but is there anything cool like these activities that goes on during the summer?

With regards to the mosquitoes are there any other things we would need to protect ourselves other then bug spray? How long do they survive?

emvntravel

Also we were wondering how easy it is to travel around Yellowknife?

NorthwestMale

Re: mosquitoes

It rates mention that <b>IF</b> indeed you integrate yourselves into the <I>nature</i> (away from central Yellowknife, I mean)... you may suddenly find a unique scenario where it may be so <b>quiet</b> that the mosquitoes make themselves audibly <I>noticeable</i> in ways that aren't so apparent on warm, humid nights in various inhabited places in New York or the like.

NorthwestMale

... affording you <I>some further hope</i> in the way of combating them.