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Recreation/Great Slave Lake
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Hike, Paddle, Picnic and Camp on the Ingraham Trail

Summer Solstice Golf
The season is short, but the days are long – so long that hundreds of golfers from around the world gather every year, on June 21, to participate in the Yellowknife Golf Club’s “Midnight Classic.” The novelty of playing (and partying) round-the-clock, in the ethereal glow of a sun that never sets, is matched by the uniqueness of the course itself. Artificial greens and sand fairways have transformed the scrub pine forest and rocky Canadian Shield of the Great Slave Lake shoreline into one of the world’s most unusual golf courses.

The faux greens are a recent addition - until 1994, the club featured 9 holes with sand fairways and “greens” oiled with bunker oil. The ingenious course, which once boasted a DC-3 airplane fuselage as a club house, was created in the early 1950’s. Experimental artificial greens were first installed in 1994, and by 1999, the course was expanded to 18 holes of artificial turf.

Midnight Classic players should plan to tee off at midnight, and play until about 6 a.m. Bring sunglasses, stamina, and a sense of humour!

In the 1950’s, when mineral discoveries in the Northwest Territories sparked a “roads to resources” construction boom, the Canadian federal government began to build a highway from Yellowknife to Fort Reliance, at the extreme eastern end of Great Slave Lake. The road was designed to be part of a loop that would eventually circle the entire lake, but the project was abandoned when mining potential did not meet expectations. The “Ingraham Trail” – named for colourful Yellowknife entrepreneur, Vic Ingraham – now ends at Tibbit Lake, just 69 kilometres from Yellowknife.

Fortunately for hikers, paddlers, campers and day-trippers, the Ingraham Trail follows a chain of small, picturesque lakes. The route has become a recreational headquarters, with campgrounds, hiking trails, boat launches and a series of put-in points ideal for short-haul paddlers. Wildlife viewing bonus: The Ingraham Trail is located in the midst of the Bathurst Caribou range. Hikers and paddlers may also catch sight of foxes, wolves, pine martens, hares and the occasional black bear.

From your Yellowknife base, pick up a trail guide at the city’s Northern Frontier Regional Visitor Information Centre, and design your own Ingraham Trail vacation. (Note: Driving conditions on the Ingraham Trail vary from paved to loose gravel, with frequent potholes, bumps, and blind corners. Bring your own supplies – there are no services on the Ingraham route.)
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