This tour focuses everything barrenlands – the arctic and taiga ecology, natural history and wildlife.

Venture out each day on hikes and boat trips to explore the very northern edge of the treeline at Point Lake, where the taiga gives way to the tundra and arctic and subarctic plants and animals mix.  You’ll identify plants, learn about the factors that influence plants in this extreme environment, sample berries and edible plants, and enjoy the fall colours on the eskers, tundra slopes and small groves of spruce. And you’ll learn about the wildlife of the area, from dancing sandhill cranes and soaring raptors to small tundra birds; from wandering barrenground caribou to arctic hares, foxes, minute aquatic invertebrates, and whatever wildlife offers itself.

In addition, we’ll explore the geology of the area, from bedrock outcrops to landscapes carved by the great Laurentide ice sheet, as well as the human history of the area, from the early Indigenous groups to explorers like Samuel Hearne, Franklin (his first expedition, 1819-1822), and others, including the great diamond rush of the 1990’s.

Weather permitting, we will be out most of the day each day, boating, hiking or a combination of each, visiting places like Caribou Bay, Big Island, Esker Bay, including, hopefully, a visit to a rare phenomenon, an area of aufeis or overflow ice that often persists most of the summer.

The program will be led by Page Burt, who has 40 years’ experience as Program Director at Bathurst Inlet Lodge. She is the author of Barrenland Beauties, a guide to arctic wildflowers, has spent many years doing environmental baseline work for mining companies from the Coppermine area to North Baffin Island, and doing tourism consulting in both the NWT and Nunavut. Page writes for Up Here Magazine and shares her time between Yellowknife and Rankin Inlet. Check out Page’s bio on Our Team Page.

All rates are USD per person and based on double occupancy. Single guests can sign up to share a room with another person of the same gender at the regular rate. If a single guest prefers to have a private room, this option is available pending lodge capacity and space. Alternate option is to book a single private room. Canadian Resident? Contact us for our special Canadian rate

Download a copy of our 2025 Barrenland Naturalist Tour flyer here.

If you’re interested in this trip you might also be interested in our Walk the Tundra Explorer Trip and Arctic Photography Workshop

additional information

Yellowknife accommodations, Yellowknife tour options & Trip availability

• As part of our full service lodge experience we are happy to arrange your accommodations in Yellowknife if you plan to stay overnight before and/or after your trip to the lodge. We collaborate with both the Chateau Nova Hotel and Old Town Log Cabins tailoring to your accommodation preferences. Please don’t hesitate to contact us to discuss your preferences, ask for our recommendations and pricing.
• Should you like to extend your stay in Yellowknife, either before or after your adventure to Peterson’s Point Lake Lodge, we are pleased to assist in arranging local tour options, such as a Yellowknife City Tour; Birding Tours; Northern Lights Viewing; Nature/hiking Tours or Fishing or boating on Great Slave Lake with shore lunch option. Please let us know if you’re interested.
• Please check with our office for trip package availability prior to booking your flight to Yellowknife.

DEPOSITS/TERMS/CANCELLATION POLICY

Please see our Terms and Conditions Page for more information.

This bundle was created for a couple with who want to share in some experiences together, and also pursue independent activities; plus it’s packaged together for big savings! What does a couple mean? It’s two people sharing the same accommodation – be it friends, spouses, family members or other companion. This package is for a person who loves to fish and the other person likes to fish some of the time plus enjoy participating in other activities, whether it be kicking back relaxing, reading a great book, going for a hike or berry picking. Get the best of both worlds, enjoy time together, have fun while pursuing personal desires. Step away from the everyday and be immersed in an environment that’ll excite, inspire and rejuvenate both of you.

All rates are USD per person and based on double occupancy. Single guests can sign up to fish with another angler and/or share a room with another person of the same gender at the regular rate. If a single guest prefers to have a private room, this option is available pending lodge capacity and space. Alternate option is to book a single private room. Canadian Resident? Contact us for our special Canadian rate

Key Information: People are paired for all activities as outlined in each package type. Fishing and boating excursions require a minimum of two participants. If you know another couple or individuals who might be interested in booking, please have them contact us. Alternatively, we’ll do our best to pair you with couples/individuals who share similar interests, whether it is the 4-Day Fishing Package or the Explorer’s Package.

Happy Couple Bundle Includes

Want more details? Check out specific package pages via the handy links above or give us a call at 867-920-4654, we’d be happy to speak with you.

additional information

Yellowknife hotels/accommodations, Yellowknife tour options & Trip availability

• As part of our full service lodge experience we are happy to arrange your accommodations in Yellowknife if you plan to stay overnight before and/or after your trip to the lodge. We collaborate with both the Explorer Hotel and Old Town Log Cabins tailoring to your accommodation preferences. Please don’t hesitate to contact us to discuss your preferences, ask for our recommendations and pricing.
• Should you like to extend your stay in Yellowknife, either before or after your adventure to Peterson’s Point Lake Lodge, we are pleased to assist in arranging local tour options, such as a Yellowknife City Tour; Birding Tours; Northern Lights Viewing; Nature/hiking Tours or Fishing or boating on Great Slave Lake with shore lunch option. Please let us know if you’re interested.
• Please check with our office for trip package availability prior to booking your flight to Yellowknife.

DEPOSITS/TERMS/CANCELLATION POLICY

Please see our Terms and Conditions Page for more information.

CATCH & RELEASE

We’re doing our part to ensure the fishery and natural resources are plentiful for years to come by employing a catch & release policy. Of course, we make exception for those tasty shore lunches.

Flight Schedule

Our Explorer’s Package is designed especially for those seeking an off-grid, multi-experience adventure without sacrificing comfort. It includes a little bit of everything we have to offer. Take advantage of the tremendous hiking opportunities right outside your cabin door. Sample lake trout fishing, see scenic areas by boat and explore further while walking on time-honoured caribou trails to incredible vantage points while looking for wildlife. Relax with a good book, go wild-crafting (aka berry picking to your hearts delight or forging for other precious barrenland edibles), dare to jump in the lake for a swim, canoe on the lake behind your cabin and fish for grayling. Enjoy home cooked meals with local favours incorporated into daily offerings. More than this, you just might get a special sense of the place just from being in an area known to have some of the earths oldest rocks and where explorer’s travelled in search for the Northwest Passage. However you choose to spend your day, you’ll want to be sure to bring your camera!

All rates are USD per person and based on double occupancy. Single guests can sign up to and share a room with another person of the same gender at the regular rate. If a single guest prefers to have a private room, this option is available pending lodge capacity and space. Alternate option is to book a single private room. Canadian Resident? Contact us for our special Canadian rate

Download a copy of our 2025 Explorer’s Package flyer here.

Customized Trip Options: If you have particular interests for your adventure, such as fishing or hiking we are happy to tailor certain activities to suit your preferences. Some offered activities can be easily substituted or added on. Please let us know, we’re happy to speak with you about customization options for your trip.

Key Information: Activities are designed for pairs, and we’ll gladly help match you with others sharing similar interests. Know someone else who’d love this adventure? Invite them to join for an even more memorable experience. Alternatively, we’ll do our best to pair you with another guest that has similar interests.

If you’re interested in this trip you might also be interested in our Arctic Photography Workshop and Barren land Nature Tour

additional information

• Yellowknife hotels/accommodations, Yellowknife tour options & Trip availability
  • As part of our full service lodge experience we are happy to arrange your accommodations in Yellowknife if you plan to stay overnight before and/or after your trip to the lodge. We collaborate with both the Explorer Hotel and Old Town Log Cabins tailoring to your accommodation preferences. Please don’t hesitate to contact us to discuss your preferences, ask for our recommendations and pricing.
  • Should you like to extend your stay in Yellowknife, either before or after your adventure to Peterson’s Point Lake Lodge, we are pleased to assist in arranging local tour options, such as a Yellowknife City Tour; Birding Tours; Northern Lights Viewing; Nature/hiking Tours or Fishing or boating on Great Slave Lake with shore lunch option. Please let us know if you’re interested.
  • Please check with our office for trip package availability prior to booking your flight to Yellowknife.

DEPOSITS/TERMS/CANCELLATION POLICY

Please see our Terms and Conditions Page for more information.

Gallery

CATCH & RELEASE

We’re doing our part to ensure the fishery and natural resources are plentiful for years to come by employing a catch & release policy. Of course, we make exception for those tasty shore lunches.

Explorer’s Package Itinerary

DAY 0 – Arrive in Yellowknife (August 23)

Your adventure begins with an overnight stay in Yellowknife! We recommend arriving early to allow for any potential weather or airline delays. Commercial flight schedules may not align with the floatplane departure to Peterson’s Point Lake Lodge the next morning so you’ll want to be sure to arrive a minimum of one day before your flight to the lodge. We also are pleased to offer Yellowknife Accommodations arrangements, where you can take advantage of our lodge special room rates. We have rooms blocked at the Chateau Nova & Old Town Log Cabins to ensure that our guests have accommodation before and after their stay with us especially considering that at this time of year Yellowknife is very busy with northern lights viewing.

If you want to explore Yellowknife before heading north to the barrens we can assist in arrange the following local tours.  Please contact us for details.

• Local Tour Options Include:
  • A guided Yellowknife City Tour to see local highlights and learn about the history of our gold mining town turned into an aurora capital.
  • A Yellowknife Northern Lights Viewing experience.
  • Nature and hiking tours.
  • A fishing and boating adventure on Great Slave Lake, complete with a shore lunch.

These extra experiences offer a perfect way to get to know the area before heading into the majestic barrens. Let us know if you’d like to add them to your trip!

Day 1 – Destination: Peterson’s Point Lake Lodge (August 24)

The real adventure begins! A friendly lodge representative will pick you up from your hotel and transfer you to the Air Tindi floatplane base. While your luggage is being weighed and the aircraft prepared, enjoy a complimentary lakeside continental breakfast featuring fresh fruit, homemade bannock, preserves, and a celebratory beverage.

Then, board your scenic floatplane flight over the treeline to the edge of the barrens, where breathtaking views of untouched wilderness set the stage for your Explorer’s Package.

Upon arrival at Peterson’s Point Lake Lodge, you’ll be welcomed by our team, followed by a safety briefing and lodge orientation over lunch. After settling into your cabin, enjoy a guided hike to explore the nearby landscape, stretch your legs, and get a first glimpse of the incredible scenery and wildlife.

Detailed Itinerary – august 24

Day 2 – 4 Daily Guided Excursions (August 25, 26, & 27)

Each day brings new adventures, tailored to weather conditions, group interests, and package inclusions. Whether you’re an explorer, a photographer, or a nature lover, your itinerary will be adjusted to create the best experience possible.

• Guided Excursions/Activities may include:
  • Scenic Hikes – Follow deep caribou trails, explore rolling hills, sand eskers, and tundra landscapes, all while keeping an eye out for wildlife and photography opportunities.
  • Lake Trout Fishing – Experience the thrill of landing a trophy lake trout in pristine waters
  • Boating Adventures – Cruise to known breath-taking destinations for a guided hike.
  • Paddling – Wake early to capture the golden hues of the Arctic sunrise or enjoy a quiet morning before breakfast or evening paddle (canoes are available for use).

Day 5 – Farewell & Departure (August 28)

Your final morning at the lodge offers one last chance to photograph the sunrise, enjoy a leisurely breakfast, and soak in the beauty of the barrens before packing up.

The floatplane returns you to Yellowknife, where a lodge representative will greet you and provide transportation to your hotel or the airport for your journey home.

If you love wildlife, breathtaking landscapes, and a perfect mix of adventure and relaxation, don’t wait—click the “Book Now!” button and secure your spot before this trip sells out!

Important Information

Please contact our office before booking your travel to Yellowknife. Please note that the fight schedule and itinerary are subject to change. Flights and scheduled activities are also 100% weather dependent and adjustment may occur as a result of inclement weather and/or other uncontrollable factors. We will do our utmost to accommodate guests should this occur however, weather conditions are beyond our control and we cannot be responsible for additional costs.

“What a fantastic place and people. Thank you for an amazing experience. A truly unique place.” Pete Rosenfeld

Workshop Overview

Join us for a Canadian photo safari that will immerse you in the awe-inspiring barrenlands while, captivating you under the canopy of the night sky. This workshop takes place during prime aurora season, while vibrant autumn colours blanket the barrens. The macro opportunities are abundant and possible wildlife sightings my include: caribou, grizzly bears, wolves, moose and various bird species. Each day you will be in the field hiking and/or travelling by boat to awe-inspiring vistas and giving you the freedom to chase photographic opportunities as they arrive. Enjoy dark star-filled skies away from city lights as you see the aurora dancing across the night sky and cast reflections on Point Lake.

Suitable for all levels of photographers; whether you are a beginner or experienced photographer you will return home with spectacular images and share a profound experience by spending time on the barrens.

Days at the lodge are dedicated in the field. You will explore the Arctic landscape, hiking and/or travelling by boat to look for wildlife, and search out intricate macro compositions (check out our top 10 tips for macro photography here). Our professional guides, with years of spotting experience, will scout wildlife on your daily arctic photography tour with a focus on safety.

Upon your return from your full day excursions a freshly prepared meal awaits, where local ingredients are often incorporated into the menu.

Nights will be dedicated to aurora photography, milky way photography, light painting or stargazing. The sweeping landscapes, and lakeside location is perfect for capturing reflections, plus the sheer number of stars will enhance your night time photography experiences. Enjoy this uncrowded and beautiful setting to experiment with time-lapse photography, or just sit back and enjoy the show. Peterson’s Point Lake Lodge is far removed from crowds and light pollution providing the perfect place for northern lights and Dark Sky photography.

*3-Night Lodge Extension add-on option is available for additional cost, see details below.

All rates are USD per person and based on double occupancy. Single guests can sign up to share a cabin with another person of the same gender at the regular rate. If a single guest prefers to have a private room, this option is available pending lodge capacity and space, an alternate option is to book a single private room. Canadian Resident? Contact us for our special Canadian rate.

Download a copy of our 2025 Arctic Photography Workshop flyer here.

Stay longer with our Trip Extension option

Guests booked for the September 02 – 07 Arctic Photography Trip have the opportunity to stay an additional three nights at the lodge and return to Yellowknife on September 10 (extended stay under our Aurora Experience Package). Please contact us for special pricing.

additional information

Yellowknife hotels/accommodations, Yellowknife tour options & Trip availability

• As part of our full service lodge experience we are happy to arrange your accommodations in Yellowknife if you plan to stay overnight before and/or after your trip to the lodge. We collaborate with both the Chateau Nova and Old Town Log Cabins tailoring to your accommodation preferences. Please don’t hesitate to contact us to discuss your preferences, ask for our recommendations and pricing.
• Should you like to extend your stay in Yellowknife, either before or after your adventure to Peterson’s Point Lake Lodge, we are pleased to assist in arranging local tour options, such as a Yellowknife City Tour; Birding Tours; Northern Lights Viewing; Nature/hiking Tours or Fishing or boating on Great Slave Lake with shore lunch option. Please let us know if you’re interested.
• Please check with our office for trip package availability prior to booking your flight to Yellowknife.

Workshop/Educational Focus

Your photo leader will offer advice to fit the ever-changing environment and weather conditions. Working within the group dynamic as well as one-on-one focus on individual photographic interests. Client photo review sessions are encouraged and are an informative part of the workshop activities. In addition to learning about the technical side of photography, and post-processing, time will also be spent on the creative and artistic side of photography in a casual positive manner. We will review controlling depth of field, reading the Histogram and camera settings. Depending on interest we may also cover HDR, panoramic stitching, light painting, star trails, using Grad and polarizing filters, and much more. Group participation is voluntary and guests who prefer more independent shooting are certainly welcome. If you want more assistance, your photo leader is there to guide and assist you in all things photographic. For more information on workshop topics that will be covered, download the outline here.

Deposits/Terms/Cancellation Policy

Please see our Terms and Conditions Page for information.

Gallery

View previous workshops here: 2024, 2022, 2021, 2019 and 2018

You also might be interested to check out our Explorer Package and Barrenland Nature Tour

Arctic Photography Workshop Itinerary

Day 0 – Arrive in Yellowknife

The anticipation begins! Relax with an overnight stay in Yellowknife. All Arctic Photography Workshop participants are encouraged to arrive in Yellowknife early to avoid any issues with weather or luggage and airline delays. The float plane flight to Peterson’s Point lake Lodge departs in the morning, and some airlines will not have schedules that allow you to make the connection. Consider signing up for our pre-workshop trip extension packages; they are designed to get you set-up before your workshop plus, provide the best of what our area has to offer – from nature hikes, boating on Great Slave Lake to watching the aurora, these extra days are a great way to share in excitement before flying to the majestic barrens.

Day 1– Destination Peterson’s Point Lake Lodge

The adventure begins! One of our friendly representatives will pick you (with accompanying luggage) up at your hotel to drive you to the Air Tindi float base. While luggage is weighed and the plane is being loaded enjoy a lakeside complimentary continental breakfast of fresh fruit, freshly baked bannock, preserves & celebratory beverage before your scenic float plane flight to Peterson’s Point Lake Lodge. Upon your arrival, our team will provide an introduction and safety briefing over lunch. After a guided tour of the lodge and getting settled into your assigned cabin there is time for a nearby hiking excursion.

Day 2 – 5: Tremendous Photography/Nature Hiking/Daily Excursions

Your days will include guided hiking and boating excursions, where you can walk in deeply entrenched caribou paths, or climb rolling hills and sand eskers – always on the look for wildlife, intricate macro compositions, colourful landscapes and sweeping vistas. Your workshop leader will be alongside to assist with camera settings, composition advise or any help you may need, moving along at your own pace. Evenings may be dedicated to photo reviews, critiques and instruction, depending on group dynamics. weather permitting, nights will be spend fine tuning aurora photography skills, milky way photography , light painting or stargazing. Spectacular morning sunrises may also have you waking early to capture these moments too. Day and night-time activities will be adjusted to conditions, along with the energy and feedback from the group.

Day 6 – Final Day, Departure & Goodbyes

This is the last day of your workshop. There’s plenty of time to photograph the sunrise and enjoy a leisurely breakfast before packing for your return flight to Yellowknife. Upon your arrival you will be met by a member of our team to transport you to your hotel or airport.

If you love wildlife, awe-inspiring night skies, breathtaking landscapes & want to enhance your photography skills, click the “Sign Me UP!” button now because this workshop will sell out fast.

Sign Me Up!

Important Trip Notes

Arctic Photography Workshop participants are encouraged to join the excursions and learn a bit of the history and culture of Yellowknife, as well as see some of the local sites and get to know your fellow travellers. We recommended a minimum of a two overnight stay in Yellowknife the evening before the workshop.

This package is 100% weather dependent and adjustment to flights and daily activities may occur as a result of inclement weather and/or other uncontrollable factors.

Natural events such as aurora and wildlife sighting are beyond our control. Photographers are invited to come with this knowledge and the understanding that our lodge and package offerings is located in a vast land and as populations, migratory patterns and weather fluctuates the numbers and frequency of seeing animals can vary, factored in with length of stay. There will be nights that unfortunately we won’t see the northern lights and days that wildlife may not be spotted. We’ll do our best to set ourselves up for success and invite photographers to have an open mind and adaptability to take advantage of all photo opportunities, be it macro, landscape and other.

We highly recommend all guests ensure they have emergency medical coverage prior to visiting the lodge and have trip/travel insurance.

Please check with our office for availability prior to booking your flight to Yellowknife.