Paddling on the Little Buffalo

Little Buffalo - Little Buffalo river is the first whitewater run in the region to open up and paddlers go here to warm up and get a taste of creeking while the water is high enough during spring run-off, usually from mid to late May. The put-in is below the Falls, so be prepared to carry your boat 20m down a steep trail down the crumbly sandstone and limestone canyon bank, starting from the Little Buffalo Falls Territorial Campground, 52km NW along Highway 5 from Fort Smith, Northwest Territories. The run is short (2km) and straightforward with little riffles and some small features, but the water is cold and there is always the risk of fallen trees, strainers and entrapment hazards as forest fires frequently damage the surrounding trees, and otters and beavers are often seen living along the lower parts of the run, where it ends at a boat launch connected to the campground by an unmaintained gravel road. Most people set shuttle here and run the rapids 2 or 3 times in a day. Option to continue paddling and portaging to Fort Resolution, a more arduous 5 day trip.