Summer in Yellowknife starts in June, and by the summer solstice on June 21, our summer activities are in full swing. On the longest day of the year, we celebrate with summer festivities such as a midnight sun golf tournament and a day-long tribute to Indigenous culture and peoples. By June, shorts and sandals have replaced parkas and boots and everyone is outside, paying homage to the sun at midnight.
Yellowknife has a summer to rival almost any in Canada, and here are some of our local's favourite things to do:
- Rent a paddleboard and see the city from the water. Don't know how? Lessons are available from some operators;
- Rent a canoe or kayak and paddle through the sheltered waters of Yellowknife's Back Bay and to see the houseboats. Maybe even see some float planes landing while you're out on the water;
- Sign up for a short boat tour in and around Yellowknife Bay;
- Sunbathe on a sandy beach or swim in Long Lake, a popular public beach at the edge of town;
- Golf at Yellowknife's famous 18- hole golf course, where the greens are carpeted, the fairways are sand, and the ravens are known for stealing golf balls: Yellowknife Golf Club
- Fish on Great Slave Lake with a local operator and wrangle in a big catch;
- Hike one of Yellowknife's well-marked trails. For a quick hike, circle Frame Lake or Niven Lake in the centre of Yellowknife. For a longer hike try some popular routes outside of town. The Visitor Centre can provide route information;
- See the wilderness around Yellowknife from a bicycle. Rent a bicycle for a few hours or a day;
- Sail on Great Slave Lake. Yellowknife has several sailing clubs, and sometimes our sailors are looking for crews;
- Learn about the ecology of the area with tour guides who know it intimately;
- Get the lay of the land from the air with a flight seeing tour on a small float plane;
- Interested in one of our many city tours? Experienced operators will give you an insider's look at the city, or you can opt for a self guided tour of Yellowknife's beginnings in Old Town.
- Check out our many summer events, from a weekly farmer's market, to one of Canada's top music festivals;
- If you're looking to pop indoors, visit one of our great museums or the Legislative Assembly.
