Yellowknife
Prelude Lake Territorial Park
Ingraham trail, Hwy #4, Northwest Territory, Canada

Prelude Lake Territorial Park

The Prelude Territorial Park is a day use and campground destination located east of the community of Yellowknife, Northwest Territory, Canada on the Ingraham Trail. The Ingraham Trail (gravel road) is a popular recreation highway leading to a vast network of lakes, rivers, waterfalls and boat launches popular for adventure and recreation.

Some of the more popular summer activities enjoyed in the Prelude Territorial Park include swimming, canoeing, sailing, kayaking, hiking, boating, fishing and camping. In the winter months the lake is frozen and snowmobiles and ice fishing are enjoyed.

The day use area of the Prelude Territorial Park is a picnic area and the trailhead to the Prelude Lake Nature Trail. The nature trail is a 3 kilometre loop hiking route exploring a forest of trees and walking over flat rock (Canadian Shield) while learning about the area. Along the hiking trail are interpretive signs detailing the local history, wildlife and geography of the region.

The Prelude Nature Trail is a loop trail exploring along a sand and pine needle path. The path enjoys open space, it is a wide trail and is considered easy going. It leads to lookouts and viewpoints. There may be wildlife sightings especially song birds.

The hiking adventure should take no longer than 2.5 hours to complete at a leisurely rate. There are information signs and a trail map in the parking lot area of the day use area detailing the trail and the wilderness environment.

The campground in the park is located on the shores of Prelude Lake at the end of a short gravel access road. The campground is large and very popular. The services in the campground section of the park include campsites with picnic tables, fire pits and firewood, a boat launch, pier, playgrounds, pit toilets, fresh water taps and a sani dump.

Also in the the campground area of the Prelude Lake Territorial Park is the Prelude Lake Panoramic Trail which explores the shores of the lake and visits with various viewing decks. The route does include stairs climbing up and down rock outcroppings.

There are many boat launches with access to different lakes on the Ingraham Trail route. Most come to fish for northern pike, arctic grayling, walleye, whitefish and lake trout. Please be reminded to pick up a fishing licence in Yellowknife as a fishing licence is required to fish in the Northwest Territory, Canada.

How to Get to Prelude Lake Territorial Park

Travel the Frontier Highway (Hwy #3) north to the community of Yellowknife, Northwest Territory, Canada. As you enter the community you will pass Jackfish Lake on your right and straight ahead is the junction of Hwy #3 and Hwy #4 (Ingraham Trail). Turn left onto Highway #4 (away from Yellowknife) and travel east for 30 kilometres to the Prelude Lake Day Use Area. Take the short access road to the campground, boat launch and sandy beach.