Peel River Watershed
Click on each photo and map to greatly enlarge it
There are no roads, no mines, no oil/gas wells, no houses. The Peel River watershed is one of the largest intact ecosystems in the Yukon.
Located at the northern tip of the Rocky Mountains, the landscape is a rich mixture of impressive peaks, fast-flowing rivers and alpine tundra. It is home
to an abundant variety of wildlife such as grizzly bears, caribou, sheep and moose.
The watershed’s treasure-trove includes fossils, mineral licks, waterfalls, and even mammoth remains. A wealth of human heritage also belongs to this region
where First Nations people lived off the land and later the trappers and prospectors tried to eke out a living.
Camp along the Wind River
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Discovering mammoth tusks
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Since doing our first canoe trip in the late 1980s, we have returned every summer to guide visitors down one or more the tributaries - the Wind, the Snake,
the Bonnet Plume, the Hart and the Blackstone Rivers.
The waters of the Hart carry few paddlers
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The braids of the Wind River beckon
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In 2003, we took part in a major conservation initiative to preserve this watershed called the Three Rivers Journey. Organized by the Canadian Parks and
Wilderness Society, it involved three simultaneous trips down the Wind, Snake and Bonnet Plume by groups of writers, artists, First Nations and environmentalists. It spawned
a national art show, a national slide show and a book called
Three Rivers, The Yukon’s Great Boreal Wilderness.
Entering the Peel River Canyon
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Inside the Peel River Canyon
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Rapids on the Peel River
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A helicopter brings canoes to the Hart River
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As it stands now, the Peel River watershed has no protection from industrial development. With rising commodity prices and renewed interest in the proposed
Mackenzie Valley Gas Pipeline, resource extraction companies are once again looking at the area to exploit potential riches in the region. We think it is priceless just the
way it is – a wilderness masterpiece.
We encourage you to visit this spectacular region and taste the true northern wilderness for yourself. An expedition in this area is truly a trip of a
lifetime.
Hiking to a sheep cave
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Relaxing on the Snake River
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Sweeping backdrops on the Blackstone
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Clouds burst from Mount Royal
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Walden's Guiding & Outfitting
Box 10402
Whitehorse, YT
Canada Y1A 7A1
Phone 1-867-667-7040
Fax 1-867-668-3073
Toll-free 1-877-WALDENS (North America Only)
Email info@waldensguiding.com
