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Major city · Canada

Hay River

Give Hay River one full day plus a travel day: fish Great Slave Lake, walk Old Town and the docks, and drive to Alexandra Falls. Two nights is enough.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
CAD
Best months
Jun–Aug for fishing and road trips; late Aug–Mar for northern lights
avoid Nov–Mar unless you are equipped for −30°C wind chill; spring breakup and fall freeze-up
Airport
YHY
Nights
2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 6Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs …Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but ta…
  • North America ↗Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs your passport even on a day trip; rental cars need the company's written permission to cross, and most US and Canadian rental insurance stops at the Mexican border.
  • North America ↗Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but taking any amount across the US, Canadian or Mexican border is a federal crime — including edibles and vapes.
  • North America ↗The busiest US and Canadian national parks need timed-entry, campsite or lodge reservations in summer; release dates are months ahead.
  • Canada ↗Visa-exempt travellers flying to or through Canada usually need an eTA; check your passport on the official Government of Canada site (canada.ca) and apply only there.
  • Canada ↗A Parks Canada pass is needed to stop in national parks such as Banff and Jasper; some spots (for example Moraine Lake) are reached only by shuttle or tour, so book ahead.
  • Canada ↗Keep well away from bears, elk and moose; carry bear spray on Rockies trails and follow trail closures.

Hay River is a town of about 3,500 on the south shore of Great Slave Lake, and the road-and-rail hub of the Northwest Territories: the Mackenzie Highway ends here and the railway from Edmonton ends here too. It is a working northern town, not a resort, but it has all-season road access, real fishing, and the twin falls on the Hay River 40-odd km south. Most visitors come for one or two nights on the way to or from Yellowknife, or as a fishing stop in summer.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Hay River, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeC$3–5 (≈ US$3–4)
  • Sit-down mealSteak or fish dinnerC$30–45 (≈ US$25–35)
  • Street or quick mealBreakfast or lunch mainC$15–25 (≈ US$11–19)
  • BeerDraught beerC$8–10 (≈ US$6–8)
  • Taxi, about 5 kmTaxi in townC$10–20 (≈ US$8–15)
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a weekC$20–40 (≈ US$15–30)
  • Budget bedTerritorial park campsite, a night, per roomC$30 (≈ US$25)
  • Mid-range bedHotel double room, a night, per roomC$190 (≈ US$140)
  • High-end bedHotel double room, a night, per roomC$280 (≈ US$250)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget C$120 (≈ US$90) · Mid C$200 (≈ US$150) · High C$320 (≈ US$250)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Great Slave Lake fishing (whitefish, lake trout, perch)Alexandra Falls and Louise FallsOld Town and the Fishermen's WharfNorthern Transportation Company sealift baseNorthern lights in winter
Airports
YHY Hay River/Merlyn Carter Airport (Direct flights from Edmonton, Fort Smith and High Level on Northwestern Air; from Yellowknife on Air Tindi or Canadian North. One-way from Yellowknife about $186.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Hay River: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

−18°C

−27°C

8 rd

Feb

−15°C

−25°C

7 rd

Mar

−8°C

−19°C

6 rd

Apr

3°C

−8°C

5 rd

May

12°C

1°C

6 rd

Jun

19°C

7°C

7 rd

Jul

22°C

11°C

9 rd

Aug

20°C

10°C

10 rd

Sep

13°C

4°C

9 rd

Oct

4°C

−3°C

9 rd

Nov

−7°C

−14°C

9 rd

Dec

−15°C

−23°C

8 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

A car is the practical choice: the falls, the campground and the reserve are outside walking range. In town, taxis are cheap and most of the centre is walkable. There is no public transit.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Alexandra Falls and Louise Falls

go

Door to door: About 1 h each way

Drive NWT Highway 2 south, then the falls road; about 45–50 km

Twin falls on the Hay River; the viewpoint is a short walk from the car park.

Enterprise

caution

Door to door: About 40 min

Drive NWT Highway 2 north to the Highway 1 junction

Junction settlement with fuel and food; not a destination in itself.

Fort Smith

overnight

Door to door: About 3 h

Drive NWT Highway 5 east

Gateway to Wood Buffalo National Park; too far for a comfortable return day.

Yellowknife

overnight

Door to door: About 5 h

Drive NWT Highway 2 then Highway 1 then Highway 3

The territorial capital; plan a night, not a day trip.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Downtown / Mackenzie Highway strip

Hotels, grocery stores and the visitor centre; walkable to the waterfront and Old Town.

Old Town and the waterfront

Guest houses and the docks; quieter, closer to the fishing village.

Hay River Territorial Park

Campground on the lake south of town; seasonal, check opening dates.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
C$120–180 (≈ US$90–140) excl. bed
Mid
C$180–280 (≈ US$140–250) excl. bed
High
C$280 (≈ US$250)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Hotel double room1 × 2 nights × C$190C$380
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × C$200C$800
Fishing charter, half day2 × C$150C$300
Car hire, one day1 × C$90C$90
eSIM, about a week of data2 × C$25C$50
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeC$162
Trip total≈ C$446 per person per day, bed includedC$1,782≈ US$1,300

Ptarmigan Inn from about $171

2026 estimate in Canadian dollars; flights excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

CoffeeC$3–5 (≈ US$3–4)
Breakfast or lunch mainC$15–25 (≈ US$11–19)
Steak or fish dinnerC$30–45 (≈ US$25–35)
Draught beerC$8–10 (≈ US$6–8)
Taxi in townC$10–20 (≈ US$8–15)
Fishing charter, half dayC$120–200 (≈ US$90–150)
eSIM or data SIM, about a weekC$20–40 (≈ US$15–30)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

A small, safe northern town with a full hospital and an RCMP detachment. The real risks are cold, distance and wildlife on the highway: check the forecast, carry fuel and water, and do not approach moose or bears.
  • Winter wind chill below −30°C can cause frostbite in 10–30 minutes; cover skin and check the forecast.
  • Distances are long: Edmonton is about a 12-hour drive, Yellowknife about 5 hours.
  • Cell coverage and fuel stops thin out on Highway 1 and Highway 2; fill up in Enterprise.
  • Book fishing charters and campgrounds ahead in July and August.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
911

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

Hay RiverHay River

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

To this address, pleaseTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance911

Embassy

No embassies in Hay River; the US consulate-general is in Calgary and most embassies are in Ottawa.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Flight Yellowknife → Hay River: about $186 (≈ US$140) one-way
  • Taxi in town: C$10–20 (≈ US$8–15)
  • Car hire, one day: from about C$90 (≈ US$70)

Say or show

  • Thank you / Merci — Thank you
  • How much is it? — How much is it?
  • Can I pay by card? — Can I pay by card?
  • Where is the toilet? — Where is the toilet?

English is the working language; some French is spoken.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Hay River. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Jun–Aug for fishing and road trips; late Aug–Mar for northern lights · avoid Nov–Mar unless you are equipped for −30°C wind chill; spring breakup and fall freeze-up · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for YHY: flight days, taxi fallback, late-arrival rung.
  2. Walking clusters with anchors: downtown strip, Old Town and the docks, the waterfront campground.
  3. Place pages with verified hours (Hay River Museum, visitor centre) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Winter and hostile-weather fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to Canada

Sources