Women Only: Bison and North Arm Scenic Drive and Lunch

hwood Coffee Ko, or another favourite Yellowknife café, depending on seasonal availability and operating hours. This welcoming first stop gives you time to meet your guide, settle into the small group, and ease into the experience before leaving the city. Enjoy coffee, tea, baked goods, or another café treat while getting to know the women travelling with you. Your guide will introduce the day’s route, discuss current road and wildlife conditions, and answer any questions before the group sets out along Highway 3.

Highway 3 Scenic Drive Travel west from Yellowknife along Highway 3 through expansive boreal forest, wetlands, lakes, open skies, and rugged northern terrain. The drive is an important part of the experience, offering a sense of the enormous scale and quiet beauty of the Northwest Territories. Throughout the journey, you will watch for wildlife and stop whenever it is safe and practical to take photographs or enjoy a scenic view. The itinerary remains flexible because road conditions, wildlife movement, and the interests of the group help shape each departure. Expect a comfortable, unhurried journey with plenty of opportunities to look out across the landscape and experience the North beyond the city.

As we travel through the Mackenzie Bison Sanctuary, we will search for free-roaming wood bison in their natural habitat. These impressive animals may be seen grazing near the highway, resting in open areas, moving through the forest, or occasionally crossing the road. Your guide will help you watch for signs of wildlife and will stop only when it is safe to observe and take photographs. Because the bison are wild and travel throughout a vast protected area, sightings cannot be guaranteed. The excitement comes from the search itself and the possibility of seeing one of the North’s most iconic animals living freely in the landscape.

Stop at the North Arm of Great Slave Lake for a beautifully prepared picnic spread surrounded by peaceful northern scenery. You will have time to relax, take photographs, explore the day-use area, and enjoy views of one of the world’s largest freshwater lakes. Depending on the season and local conditions, the group may walk near the shoreline, look for berries, identify northern plants, watch for birds, or search for morel mushrooms when they are available and safe to recognize. This is an unhurried stop designed for good food, fresh air, conversation, and quiet time in nature rather than a strenuous outdoor activity.

As we return along Highway 3, we will pass the turnoff to Behchokǫ̀, the largest Dene community in the Northwest Territories and the headquarters of the Tłı̨chǫ Government. The community is located where the North Arm of Great Slave Lake connects with Marian Lake, in a landscape shaped by water, forest, and generations of Tłı̨chǫ history and culture. We will not enter or stop in the community, but your guide will share some context about the area as we travel through Tłı̨chǫ territory. The route also crosses the Dehk’è Frank Channel Bridge, an important Highway 3 crossing near Behchokǫ̀. From the vehicle, travellers can take in views of the channel and surrounding northern landscape as we continue our journey. Bridge replacement construction is currently underway in the area, so traffic patterns and views may vary during the season.

After several hours of scenic driving, wildlife searching, photography, and outdoor exploration, this comfortable final stop gives you time to sit down, enjoy a satisfying meal, and reflect on the experience with the women in your group. Depending on the evening and current offerings, the group may arrive early enough to enjoy happy-hour options before dinner. Share stories, compare photographs, and unwind in a relaxed local setting before being returned to your hotel or arranged dropoff location.