Jackpine Paddle is 100% northern-owned. Explore the Canadian North on a guided expedition trip. Rent a canoe or kayak for a trip of your own. We would be happy to assist you in finding the trip of a lifetime whether it be herds of muskox, northern lights, true wilderness, or all of the above. Remember, Life is Better Outside!
Overview
Trip Highlights
- Rare Arctic Wildlife
- Three Limestone Canyons
- Smoking Hills and Badlands
- Swim in the Arctic Ocean
- Unique Fossils and Rock Formations
Jackpine Paddle is 100% northern-owned. Explore the Canadian North on a guided expedition trip. Rent a canoe or kayak for a trip of your own. We would be happy to assist you in finding the trip of a lifetime whether it be herds of muskox, northern lights, true wilderness, or all of the above. Remember, Life is Better Outside!
Quick Facts
Paddlesport
- Canoeing
Activity
- Recreation
- Fishing
- Whitewater
- Expedition
- Canoe Tripping
Experience/Service
- Paddling Trip
Waterway
- Whitewater Class I
- Whitewater Class II
- Whitewater Class III
Destination
- North America
Length
- 13 Days
Accomodation
- Wilderness Camping
Guided
- Yes
Outfitted
- Fully
Special Interest
- Family
- Youth
- Photography
- Wildlife Viewing
- Wilderness Gourmet
Adventure Level
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Itinerary
Meeting Place
Jackpine Paddle Base
Inuvik, Northwest Territories
The Lower Horton River is beautiful tundra trip in true wilderness.
Day 1:
Departing from Inuvik, our float plane air charter will take up a good amount of our first day. We will not likely travel far, if at all, on the Horton River during the first day of this trip. We'll set up camp near the confluence with the Whaleman River and take in our beautiful wilderness camp.
Day 2:
The first part of our trip takes us through three canyons on the Horton River, downstream of our landing spot at the Whaleman River confluence.
Day 3:
We'll have a chance to scout and run rapids in first and second canyons, and roll up our sleeves for a short 200m portage in the third canyon (the only one of the trip). The canyons offer a spectacular landscape featuring hawks and falcons nesting on the limestone rock cliffs.
Day 4:
Unique pillars and interesting rock formations are common in this part of the trip.
Day 5:
As you’ll be paddling in the remote Arctic, chances at spotting large animals such as caribou, arctic wolves, grizzly bears and muskoxen are excellent.
Day 6:
As your 300km trip progresses, we’ll exit the canyons and enter immense serpentine oxbows as the river winds through an open plain.
Day 7:
Stopping at creeks for a chance to fish for arctic grayling, lake trout or arctic char in the cold, clear water of canyons, we paddle our way into the Badland Region of the Smoking Hills.
Day 8:
With trees left behind us for good, you’ll paddle through the Horton Badlands and Smoking Hills area. There are dramatic colours in the hills.
Day 9:
The smoke is caused by burning shale and mudrock, when iron-sulphide pyrite (fool’s gold) is rapidly exposed to oxygen via coastal erosion. This oxidation of the pyrite creates heat and cooks the organic-rich bedrock, causing it to spontaneously ignite.
Day 10:
The area is believed to have been burning since ice retreated from the area at the end of the last glaciation (12,000 years ago).
Day 11:
During our final days, we paddle through this distinctive geological phenomenon at the end of the Horton River. We are surrounded by tall hills with steeply eroded conical shapes nearly devoid of vegetation.
Day 12:
From your last camp on the Horton River, we’ll have a chance to hike to the Arctic coast and dip in the Arctic Ocean (optional!). You’ll be treated to a sweeping, panoramic vista of Franklin Bay. If you are lucky, a pod of Beluga whales may swim by, as the bay is rich in marine life.
Day 13:
Our float plane arrives around noon to take us back to Inuvik. We say goodbye to this highly unique place of rich wildlife. Back in Inuvik, we meet up for a farewell dinner and cold beers (after hot showers)!
Dates & Packages
Lower Horton River
What Guests Are Saying
My wife and I have been doing out door adventures for 56 years and this was our most memorable trip. This was due to the terrific organization and skill of Jackpine Paddle. We would travel anywhere with them.
- Peter G, USALeave a review
Company Overview
By choosing to join a trip with us, you are supporting the local economy of the Northwest Territories. As the only northern-owned paddling outfitter offering arctic wilderness expeditions, we appreciate your support.
Learn More.jpg)
Company Overview
By choosing to join a trip with us, you are supporting the local economy of the Northwest Territories. As the only northern-owned paddling outfitter offering arctic wilderness expeditions, we appreciate your support.
Learn MoreOur Team
The North is a spectacular place to explore, so why not discover it with Northerners? We employ experienced guides who live in the Northwest Territories, with deep roots on our rivers and lakes. Based out of Yellowknife, NT, we know that when it comes to the North, there is no other place like it.
Learn More
Our Team
The North is a spectacular place to explore, so why not discover it with Northerners? We employ experienced guides who live in the Northwest Territories, with deep roots on our rivers and lakes. Based out of Yellowknife, NT, we know that when it comes to the North, there is no other place like it.
Learn MoreOur Services
We offer: - Fully Guided Expeditions - Rentals & Shuttles - Paddle Canada Courses - Youth Paddle Camps!
Learn More
Our Services
We offer: - Fully Guided Expeditions - Rentals & Shuttles - Paddle Canada Courses - Youth Paddle Camps!
Learn MoreCompany History
On March 2, 2019, after an eleven month battle with cancer, Alex Hall passed away peacefully at home in Fort Smith. Before Alex passed away, he handed the reins of Canoe Arctic Inc. to fellow northerner Dan Wong. For 2020 and beyond, Jackpine Paddle will proudly carry on the legacy of Canoe Arctic Inc. on the Thelon River and its major tributaries.
Learn More.jpg)
Company History
On March 2, 2019, after an eleven month battle with cancer, Alex Hall passed away peacefully at home in Fort Smith. Before Alex passed away, he handed the reins of Canoe Arctic Inc. to fellow northerner Dan Wong. For 2020 and beyond, Jackpine Paddle will proudly carry on the legacy of Canoe Arctic Inc. on the Thelon River and its major tributaries.
Learn More