My visit to Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada had me wanting to seek out some activities in town. I discovered the Apex Trail, a short trail located just out of central Iqaluit. The trail would travel along the coastline towards the old Hudson Bay buildings located in nearby Apex. This post goes over my experience with the trail, what the walking experience is like, and in addition to what to expect when attempting the Apex trail.

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Hiking the Apex Trail, Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada.

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With several days in Iqualit, Nunavut, I needed to find something to do. I was visiting during the summer months. As such, I thought I would take the time to do some outdoor activities.

One of the activities that I had on the list to try was the Apex Trail. The Apex trail is a trail that travels along the arctic coastline between Iqaluit and Apex. Apex is best known for the Hudson’s Bay trading post that had been on this site since 1949.

About the Apex Trail:

I picked the Apex Trail as it was quite close to the city of Iqaluit. While I had access to a car, you could easily get dropped off by a taxi from town.

The trail follows a short coastal route that hugs the coastline between Iqaluit and Apex. It highlights the tundra coastline and the low – growing plant life found across Nunavut.

The trail is only 5 kilometers or 3.1 miles and the elevation gain is minimal at 45 meters. As a result, it’s pretty easy to navigate as long as you are able bodied and can handle some uneven terrain.

I would recommend bringing hiking boots or waterproof boots since a portion of the trail is damp and boggy. You’ll have a high degree of getting your feet wet, even in early June when I travelled the trail. My feet were soaked fairly early on in the hike.

The other great part about trekking “north of sixty” is that you don’t have to worry about starting late if you are visiting in the summer months. The trail is in daylight until well past eleven PM.

Starting Off on the Apex Trail:

From the Iqaluit Cemetery, I parked in an unsigned parking area in the nearby suburb and headed off on the trek. There is a fairly prominent sign board at the trail head.

The trail let hikers past the Iqaluit cemetery. The cemetery was shoreside and was interesting to glance at from the outside.

Hiking the Apex Trail:

With a bit of snow still remaining, I set off on the trail. While most of the trail was marked, there were some areas which were unmarked over rock, leftover snow, and tundra.

Even more interesting, the trail cut against the shoreline, where frozen water and ice brushed up against the shore. even more interesting, the trail cut against the shoreline, where frozen water and ice brushed up against the shore. This made for unusual view when hiking.

The trail featured a few small bridges. However, most of the walking wasn’t insulated from the boggy terrain.

As I passed along the trail, the coastline tended to climb the hill. As such, I started to get more of an elevated view of the waterfront.

As I passed along the trail, the coastline tended to climb the hill. As such, I started to get more of an elevated view of the waterfront.

The walk was pretty surreal in terms of views. I clambered between the houses and the shoreline, with waterfront ice melt fronting the boundaries of the trail.

Eventually, about seventy five percent of the way through the trail, I opted to head up to the nearby roads. The next segment of the trail was totally snow-covered, and my feet were already soaking wet. As such, I opted to walk back to the trailhead through the streets immediately above the trail.

From this elevated viewpoint, I was actually able to get a few more views and a bit of a feel of suburban life in Iqaluit.

As I got back toward the trailhead, I scrambled down the hill and back towards where I had left the car.

Overall, the Apex Trail was a pretty neat way to explore trail walking in Iqaluit. I would just recommend bringing waterproof shoes, even if visiting in the summer months of June.

Hudson’s Bay Company at Apex:

As a result of my wet feet scenario, I hopped in the car and drove myself over to Apex. Apex is best known for the Hudson Bay Company outpost that’s been here since at least 1949. There isn’t much left of the historic buildings, but there is a small trading post area that’s been left behind.

The beach at Apex is a winter version. When I visited, there was snow all over thew water, along with small strip of beach. I crossed the worn step board walkway.

There was nothing but rugged isolation at Apex Beach. It had a quiet serenity to it. It was a perfect place to be on your own to perhaps think about things or just enjoy nature’s beauty.

I eventually made it back into Iqaluit for a dinner at the highly recommended NuBrew Brewing Company. I would end up having an Muskox Burger along with picking up a souvenir NuBrew sweatshirt that gets a lot of compliments and questions in Vancouver, Canada.

My Thoughts on the Apex Trail:

The Apex Trail is a great walk from Iqaluit that can be easily accessed from the town. While I used a car to get to the trail head, I suppose it could be walkable from town if you were without transportation.

Walking the Apex Trail will allow you to get out of the town and see some beautiful coast line. If the trail is dry enough, you’ll be in a position to get all the way to the Hudson Bay buildings in Apex themselves.

Make sure to bring proper boots. My feet got a little wet when walking the trail, even in the early summer months of June.

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If you’ve visited Iqaluit, what trails did you seek out to explore ?

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