The Mackenzie River issues from the western end of Great Slave Lake about 150 km (93 mi) south-west of Yellowknife.
The channel is initially several kilometres wide but narrows to about 800 m (2,600 ft) at Fort Providence, which was historically an important ferry crossing in the summer, and used as an ice bridge in the winter for traffic along the Yellowknife Highway.
In 2012 the Deh Cho Bridge was completed at a point about 10 km (6.2 mi) upstream, providing a safer permanent crossing.
It is the only bridge across the main stem of the Mackenzie.
West of Fort Providence the Mackenzie widens considerably, resembling a shallow, swampy lake more than a river; one large widening here is known as Mills Lake.

After heading west for about 100 km (62 mi) the Mackenzie narrows and turns northwest through a long stretch of fast water and rapids, past the village of Jean Marie River.
At Fort Simpson it is joined by the Liard River, its biggest direct tributary, from the west.
The Liard drains a large area in the southern Yukon and northern BC and carries a large amount of sediment during the summer melt – which does not fully mix with the clear water in the Mackenzie for almost 500 km (310 mi) downstream, with the resulting phenomenon of a clear current on the east bank and muddy water on the west bank.

The river continues west-northwest until its confluence with the North Nahanni River, where it turns north towards the Arctic.
It flows through open taiga with its wide valley bounded, on the west, by the Mackenzie Mountains and to the east by low hills of the Canadian Shield.
This mostly uninhabited area is called the Mackenzie Lowlands; although partly forested, it is mostly covered by large areas of muskeg, swamps and many small lakes.
A number of major tributaries join from the west, including the Root River, Redstone River and Keele River.
Below the Keele River, the Mackenzie River flows north along the western base of the Franklin Mountains before turning northwest, and receives the Great Bear River, the outflow of Great Bear Lake at Tulita.

The Mackenzie widens considerably to about 6 to 7 km (3.7 to 4.3 mi) at Norman Wells, a major center of oil production.
There is a narrows at the Mountain River confluence called the Sans Sault Rapids, where the Mackenzie falls about 6 metres (20 ft).
Below the Mountain River the Mackenzie flows due north until reaching The Ramparts, a limestone gorge barely 500 metres (1,600 ft) wide and up to 45 metres (148 ft) deep.
Below The Ramparts is the village of Fort Good Hope, where the Mackenzie turns northwest again, soon crossing the Arctic Circle.
The Mackenzie here flows slightly lower in elevation than the surrounding tundra, as a braided river between low bluffs about 3 to 5 km (1.9 to 3.1 mi) apart.
It receives the Arctic Red River from the southwest at Tsiigehtchic, where traffic on the Dempster Highway crosses via ferry/ice bridge.

About 30 kilometres (19 mi) northwest of Tsiigehtchic is Point Separation, the head of the vast Mackenzie River Delta, whose branching channels, ponds and wetlands spread across more than 12,000 square kilometres (4,600 sq mi) of the coastal plain.
The delta is nearly 210 km (130 mi) from north to south, and ranges in width from 50 to 80 km (31 to 50 mi).
It is the second biggest Arctic delta in the world, after the Lena River delta in Russia.
Most land in the Mackenzie delta consists of permafrost, with great depths to bedrock.
A characteristic feature of the delta is its numerous pingos, or hills of earth-covered-ice – some 1,400 of them.
The Peel River, carrying much of the runoff from the northern Yukon, joins in the delta at a point northeast of Fort McPherson.
Below there, the Mackenzie diverges into several large channels with the largest heading north-northeast, emptying into the Beaufort Sea west of Tuktoyaktuk.
The Mackenzie River issues from the western end of Great Slave Lake about 150 km (93 mi) south-west of Yellowknife. The channel is initially several kilometres wide but narrows to about 800 m (2,600 ft) at Fort Providence, which was historically an important ferry crossing in the summer, and used as an ice bridge in the winter for traffic along the Yellowknife Highway. In 2012 the Deh Cho Bridge was completed at a point about 10 km (6.2 mi) upstream, providing a safer permanent crossing. It is the only bridge across the main stem of the Mackenzie. West of Fort Providence the Mackenzie widens considerably, resembling a shallow, swampy lake more than a river; one large widening here is known as Mills Lake.
After heading west for about 100 km (62 mi) the Mackenzie narrows and turns northwest through a long stretch of fast water and rapids, past the village of Jean Marie River. At Fort Simpson it is joined by the Liard River, its biggest direct tributary, from the west. The Liard drains a large area in the southern Yukon and northern BC and carries a large amount of sediment during the summer melt – which does not fully mix with the clear water in the Mackenzie for almost 500 km (310 mi) downstream, with the resulting phenomenon of a clear current on the east bank and muddy water on the west bank.
The river continues west-northwest until its confluence with the North Nahanni River, where it turns north towards the Arctic. It flows through open taiga with its wide valley bounded, on the west, by the Mackenzie Mountains and to the east by low hills of the Canadian Shield. This mostly uninhabited area is called the Mackenzie Lowlands; although partly forested, it is mostly covered by large areas of muskeg, swamps and many small lakes. A number of major tributaries join from the west, including the Root River, Redstone River and Keele River. Below the Keele River, the Mackenzie River flows north along the western base of the Franklin Mountains before turning northwest, and receives the Great Bear River, the outflow of Great Bear Lake at Tulita.
The Mackenzie widens considerably to about 6 to 7 km (3.7 to 4.3 mi) at Norman Wells, a major center of oil production. There is a narrows at the Mountain River confluence called the Sans Sault Rapids, where the Mackenzie falls about 6 metres (20 ft). Below the Mountain River the Mackenzie flows due north until reaching The Ramparts, a limestone gorge barely 500 metres (1,600 ft) wide and up to 45 metres (148 ft) deep. Below The Ramparts is the village of Fort Good Hope, where the Mackenzie turns northwest again, soon crossing the Arctic Circle. The Mackenzie here flows slightly lower in elevation than the surrounding tundra, as a braided river between low bluffs about 3 to 5 km (1.9 to 3.1 mi) apart. It receives the Arctic Red River from the southwest at Tsiigehtchic, where traffic on the Dempster Highway crosses via ferry/ice bridge.
About 30 kilometres (19 mi) northwest of Tsiigehtchic is Point Separation, the head of the vast Mackenzie River Delta, whose branching channels, ponds and wetlands spread across more than 12,000 square kilometres (4,600 sq mi) of the coastal plain. The delta is nearly 210 km (130 mi) from north to south, and ranges in width from 50 to 80 km (31 to 50 mi). It is the second biggest Arctic delta in the world, after the Lena River delta in Russia. Most land in the Mackenzie delta consists of permafrost, with great depths to bedrock. A characteristic feature of the delta is its numerous pingos, or hills of earth-covered-ice – some 1,400 of them. The Peel River, carrying much of the runoff from the northern Yukon, joins in the delta at a point northeast of Fort McPherson. Below there, the Mackenzie diverges into several large channels with the largest heading north-northeast, emptying into the Beaufort Sea west of Tuktoyaktuk.
Mackenzie River