The Thelon is not a precisely defined area, which is an indication of its isolation and wildness. It is anchored by the Thelon River, which runs some 600 miles from Whitefish Lake, in the Northern Territories, to Baker Lake in Nunavut. Its centerpiece is the enormous Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary. But the Thelon extends beyond the river and the sanctuary to embrace undetermined millions of acres of subarctic tundra.

Yellowknife is the gateway to the Thelon. You will need to arrange transportation, logistical support, and probably guides through a tour company. Trips typically last from one to two weeks and involve either a river journey or a light in a bush plane to a remote camp, which serves as a base for exploring the area by foot, boat, and plane.

Once there, you’ll see tundra and boreal forest oases that teem with life, including caribou, musk-oxen, grizzlies, moose, and white-coated tundra wolves, sometimes with pups.