Getting There

Lake Athabasca straddles the Alberta and Saskatchewan borders, and is about 50 miles south of the Northwest Territories border.

From Alberta: Canoeists starting on the Alberta side generally start their journeys from Fort McMurray. There are flights to Fort McMurray from both Edmonton and Calgary on Canadian Airlines. Air Mikisew has recently added the Edmonton-Fort McMurray run to their schedule.

Route: From the dock in Fort McMurray, the journey along the Athabasca River to the lake takes about 4  5 days (170 miles). Another 3-4 days takes travelers to Fort Chipewyan, Alberta's oldest settlement. There are regular flights from Fort Chip to Fort McMurray on Air Mikisew.

(Some people have done the McMurray to Chip run in 4 days — possible, if weather permits, but not much fun. Usually takes 8  10 days).

Canoes and all gear can be rented in Fort McMurray from:

Points North Adventures Ltd.
PO Box 6066
Fort McMurray AB
T9H 4W1
Phone: (403) 743-9350 or Fax: (403) 791-2107
E-mail: points.north@ccinet.ab.ca
Web site: pointsnorthadventures.com

or

Chuck Graves
Magic Country Wilderness
Box 5242
Fort McMurray, AB
T9H 3G3
(780) 732-0766

Where to stay in Fort McMurray: A complete listing of accommodation in McMurray and Fort Chipewyan can be found at http://www.areaguide.net/fort-mcmurray.

From Saskatchewan: The jumping-off point for trips on the Saskatchewan side of the lake is the town of Stony Rapids.

Saskatoon to Stony Rapids — Athabasca Airways and Air Saskatchewan have daily flights.

Route 1: William River. Fly to Carswell Lake (floatplane), take Carswell River to William River, and on to Lake Athabasca. Pickup is at a small lake off Thompson Bay and involves a short portage (the first bay you come to). This route generally takes about 7 days. Canoeists can explore the lakeshore further, but need to return to the pickup point, as landing conditions are often poor on Lake Athabasca itself.

Route 2: MacFarlane River. Fly to Snare Lake or Dunning Lake, paddle through Davies lake and on to Lake Athabasca and east to Otherside River, where there is a lodge. Pickup is at Otherside River Lodge. This route takes about two weeks.

Contact Ric Driediger at Horizons Unlimited for canoe and gear rental and to arrange flights:

Horizons Unlimited
Box 1110
La Ronge, SK
S0J 1L0
Canada
(306) 635-4420
http://www.lights.com/waterways/crco/
ric.crco@sk.simpatico.ca

Note that canoeists may be grounded periodically by weather, so estimates for time need to take that into account.

White Water Inn
General Delivery
Stony Rapids, Saskatchewan
S0J 2R0
Canada
(306) 439-2188

Other Internet Resources

Canoe Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan Tourism

Karpan Photography - The Karpans' book "Northern Sandscapes" is a beautifully illustrated account of their canoe trips on the south shore.

Access Alberta - Tourism information.