Across the border from Canada's Yukon and just into the Northwest Territories lies a vast unspoiled wilderness. Here sits Dechenla Lodge & Wilderness Resort, hundreds of kilometers from any settlement. The view, which overlooks a lake-dotted tundra plateau set against a backdrop of spectacular mountains, is breath-taking. Beauty and infinite space, high-lit by the ever-changing light and mood, produce a serenity that touches the very core of one's being.

Dechenla Ltd. is a partnership with the Kaska First Nation. We have been in business for over 25 years as a family-run naturalist lodge (previously we were Oldsquaw Lodge, so named after the tundra duck that epitomizes the arctic wilderness). We strive to introduce you to this beautiful part of the world, and to make your stay comfortable, educational and serene.

We are pleased to offer adventure nature tours, including hiking and biking tours, as well as outdoor adventure education, and meeting facilitation. We can also offer youth self-awareness programs, treatment programs, and cultural awareness programs.

Warm hospitality in the heart of the wilderness allows those that venture here an unforgettable journey, far from the complexities of modern society.

Dechen la' is an aboriginal word meaning “the land at the end of the sticks”. This was a special place to both the Kaska and Sahtu aboriginal people - the traditional land stewards of the area. In more recent times (1972) this area was identified by a group of eminent scientists, under the auspices of a United Nations program, as a place of unique and outstanding natural heritage. They called this place the McKenzie Mountain Barrens, in reference to its tundra characteristics.