Overview
THELON/CLARKE RIVER
This 170 mile long canoe trip on the Clarke and Thelon Rivers lies inside the Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary and is almost dead-center in the Barren Lands (mainland tundra). This sanctuary is the most remote location on the North American continent and was the last significant part of the continent to be "explored" by Europeans (1899 and 1900).
UPPER THELON RIVER
We’ll be paddling the upper part of the The-lew-dezeth (Thelon River), the largest river in the Barren Lands and easily the most magnificent. The Thelon is, without question, the most remote and the most pristine wilderness river of any considerable size left in North America. Our 120 mile (193km) long route is 80% river paddling. There are eight rapids along our route but no portages at all.
Highlights
- Thelon River, largest river on the tundra
- Wide assortment of spectacular wildlife at Thelon
- Clarke river
- Barren Lands
- John Hornby's cabin, and graves
Thelon/Clarke River
The Clarke River has always been one of Alex Hall’s best kept secrets. It flows through a deep, lush, little valley, spattered with clumps of big white spruce trees and flanked on either side by miles of big, treeless tundra hills. There are spectacular monster eskers, huge sand hills and sand dunes, and even some badlands. Clear-water feeder creeks gush into the Clarke through narrow canyons and over waterfalls. And on the river itself are sandstone cliffs and canyons in places, guarded by peregrine falcons. There are lots of fast and easily runnable rapids and probably more peregrine falcons than anywhere else on the tundra.
The Thelon River country boasts open tundra views and good wildlife viewing. There are several tundra wolves dens on this route, nestled into the sides of striking sand eskers. Moose are a common sight on this trip, as well as red fox, arctic hare, weasel, and otters. This area was an old Muskoxen stronghold where they survived the slaughters elsewhere in North America of the late 1800s and early 1900s in the Thelon Game Sanctuary. In 2019, a herd of muskox forded the Clarke River in front of our campsite and ran through our camp!
This is also a wonderful trip for birds, including jaegers, merlins, bald eagles, osprey, many species of ducks, large numbers of molting Canada geese, and several species of loons.
Upper Thelon River
Our entire route is on the tundra, south of the Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary, and is one of the most remote places left in the world.
Big treed sandy eskers are prominent topographic features along our Thelon River canoe route. They stand out many miles away and greatly enrich the landscape. Scattered along these eskers are spike-shaped spruce trees and below their sheltered flanks grow stands of robust spruce and tamarack. Exquisite aquamarine ponds and kettle lakes with beaches all around are almost everywhere you look. The scenery along these eskers is so extraordinary that it seems to belong to a surreal, fairy-tale world.
There’s a good chance of seeing a few tundra wolves on this Thelon River canoe trip. About 80% of tundra wolves are white in color, so most of them are highly conspicuous against the green summer tundra. Sometimes, they will walk into your campsite within 10 or 20 feet of us, just to check us out! Of course, normal, healthy wolves are completely harmless.
Muskoxen and moose are large animals we can count on seeing on this canoe trip. Most herds consist of 10 – 25 animals. Often a grizzly or two or three is spotted and occasionally, a wolverine or two. This is also a wonderful trip for birds. Birds of note include jaegers, merlins, bald eagles, osprey, many species of ducks, large numbers of moulting Canada geese, and several species of loons.
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- Small group
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- International number: +1 778 348 1676
Availability (2026):
Thelon/Clarke River
June 26-July 7
Price: $17,850 CAD + 5% GST per person
Upper Thelon
August 9-20
Price: $14,910 CAD + 5% GST per person
