Bullseye at 50: Rafting the Nahanni

Alisa Preston
Aug 10
5 min read

Updated: Aug 11

When I first dreamed of turning 50, I didn’t picture a giant celebration or cake with sparklers. I pictured water...thundering over ancient rock in one of the most remote and spectacular landscapes on Earth. I shared the idea with my husband Brandon, who had no idea what I was talking about...but he agreed to come along anyway. This is either a sign of love or questionable decision-making. Likely a bit of both.

For years I envisioned this iconic rafting trip down the Nahanni River, which was amongst the first UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Twelve inaugural sites, designated in 1978, were chosen, including Nahʔą Dehé Nahanni National Park, Canada.

Photo credit - Parks Canada. Nahanni National Park Reserve of Canada map available for free from Parks Canada.

Our journey would take us from Virginia Falls - Na'ili Cho in the Dene language, meaning “big water falling down” - to the Dehcho Dene community of Nahanni Butte; a village so remote it’s only reachable by ice road in winter… or, of course, by bush plane or riding the river.

The awe inspiring view of Virginia Falls shows just how much water flows through this river.

Virginia Falls is a giant in every sense: a single 96-metre (315-foot) drop, nearly twice the height of Niagara Falls, and a breathtaking 259 metres (850 feet) wide. Mason’s Rock stands defiantly at its centre, splitting the cascade in two. I’ve wanted to see it for over 30 years...ever since studying geology and learning that the Nahanni region holds some of the oldest known and mineral rich rock samples on the planet. Shaped by glaciers, volcanic activity, and an antecedent river system that includes four canyons with towering vertical walls on both sides, its topography is a textbook come to life.

Picture from our campsite at "The Gate" of Third Canyon on the Nahanni River.

This wasn’t just a bucket-list trip; it was also a personal challenge. In the last few years, I’ve navigated some major life hurdles, the most recent being significant ankle surgery that left me questioning whether a remote wilderness expedition was still possible. But it all came together, and we were fortunate to join a Canadian Geographic–sponsored trip. (I’m eagerly awaiting Liz Beatty's upcoming article and podcast.)

Me looking up at the canyons as we drifted by.

And so, in 2025...the year I mark half a century, half my life in two centuries and two millennia, and across six different decades...we pushed off into the Nahanni. A unique balance across the ages, and yet, I still feel I’m just getting started.

The trip itself? Equal parts awe and potential chaos, exactly as nature intended:

A majestic flight that landed facing the top of Virginia Falls with bush pilots knowing just when to turn before going over.
Flash-flood river conditions: 1,000 cubic metres per second instead of the expected 500 delayed our start.
A medical evacuation quickly brought our group together as a team.
A massive portage around Virginia Falls saw several guests pitching in with multiple trips to keep us on schedule, including Brandon, who tied the guest record with four carries to the river below the falls.
Thunder and lightning daily, mixed with sun, rain, wind...and more rain.
Another flash flood mid-trip, surging the flow back to over 900 cubic metres per second.
Rockslides, landslides, and entire trees charging downriver.
A swift in-water rescue on the fast-moving river showcased the wilderness training and skill of our crew.
Washed-out beaches, fog, and a bear with a taste for dry bags.
One serene coffee morning interrupted by a moose casually swimming past, which I imagined saying “Nope” when she saw our group and changed course for the opposite shore.
Nights filled with the calls of owls, the howl of a nearby wolf returned by the pack across the valley, and other mysterious sounds that made unzipping the tent into the dull light of the midnight sun an act of both trepidation and wonder.
Fossils from ancient sea beds, geodes filled with quartz (white), and rocks with veins of azurite (blue) and malachite (green) that make up some of the geochemical magic of the Nahanni National Park Reserve.
Traversing through the Deadmen Valley with our heads still attached despite the legend of being haunted.
The unmistakable tracks of moose, wolves, and bears (the wolverines kept to the shadows, though I’m sure they were watching).
NWT contrast therapy: hot springs and cold river plunges.
Late-night meteor showers at the beginning and a glimpse of the Northern Lights at the end for those patient enough or just uncomfortably sleeping on a river rock to wake between 2-5am...the only time it's semi dark.
And, of course, bugs! Though these were thankfully far fewer than the legendary northern swarms we’d been warned about, even if we still ended up covered in bites.

Birthday cake, candles, a crazy hat and beaded necklaces, and champagne for all to celebrate. An unexpected 'surprise' river-side party.

In true northern fashion, there were moments of pure joy: a campfire-baked birthday cake, a ridiculous party hat, and champagne; but it was the special camaraderie of people who meet the wilderness head-on and come away smiling that made this adventure truly memorable.

As we finally pulled into Nahanni Butte, intact, exhausted and yet exhilarated by the herds of bison swimming across the river, the word of our fellow traveler, Doc Snow, summed it up perfectly in his slow Alabama drawl: “Bullseye.” The fact that he said this right after pushing pooling water from the camp lounge tarp, dumping it squarely onto his neighbour’s seat, only makes it better.

Taking a river break in Deadmen Valley, Nahanni National Park Reserve, NWT.

So, now what? I’m not entirely sure. But I do know that turning 50 doesn’t feel like a finish line. If anything, it feels like I’m just stepping into the current, paddle in hand, ready for whatever’s around the next bend.

Thank you to Nahanni River Adventures & Canadian River Expeditions for making this a truly spectacular birthday trip. Thank you to our trip leader, Ian, for his calm river wisdom, his fireside poetry, and for somehow knowing both iconic Canadian folk songs and personalized Disney tunes on cue. Thank you to all of our river guides, including Thomas and Keo, who were absolute powerhouses of rowing, river knowledge, camp set-up, iron-chef-level campfire cooking, and select groover set-ups (you’ll have to run the Nahanni to truly appreciate that last one). And thank you to my fellow Nahanni River colleagues: such a curious crew whose combined character, comedy, and cohesion could probably power a raft without paddles.

The hand-carved paddle by Brandon, hanging in the middle as you look through the window, commemorating our trip as part of my 50th birthday.

❤️But most of all, thank you to Brandon. While I am forever grateful for such an amazingly patient, supportive, and romantic husband (even if half our trip photos catch me mid–eye roll at his ridiculous humour), he left me truly humbled with a unique gift in the spirit of a Nahanni tradition: a hand-carved birthday contribution to the paddle shack in my honour. Only those who travel the river can leave such a memento, and walking through feels like stepping into a time capsule of all who have made the journey before us. Our paddle will forever hang as a reminder of this milestone celebration and unforgettable trip.

Check out a few of our many pictures below.