Hayes River
Follow the Fur Trade
Trade the present for Canada’s fur trade past on the Hayes River – one of the only remote northern rivers that sees fewer paddlers today than 200 years ago. A principal trading route for the Hudson’s Bay Company, this historic waterway remains unaltered in the modern world, blending exquisite wilderness with an integral time in the country’s development.
Bask in the glow of the aurora borealis as the Northern Lights perform against the backdrop of night. Ponder your kinship with the like of Radisson, Kelsey, Thompson, Franklin and Tyrell who passed before. From the gorges and deep valleys mixed with stretches of whitewater topped off with muskeg and tidal flats, this storied river is unpredictable and unforgettable.
Check out the mammoth bearded seals and smaller ringed seals in the estuary where the Hayes spills into the massive Hudson Bay. Go back in time with a visit to the 172-year-old HBC trading post that still stands at York Factory National Historic Site.
