Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Everything at Li’l Dizzy’s Cafe is served in takeout containers.
Li’l Dizzy’s Cafe
The fried green tomato sandwich comes on jalapeño cornbread toast.
Café Reconcile
BBQ shrimp braised in beer are a popular menu item.
High Hat Cafe
The pastries at Lagniappe Bakehouse are worth waking up for.
Lagniappe Bakehouse
Peter Vazquez has been quietly making a name for himself for years.
The Appetite Repair Shop
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
14 days ago
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
15 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
16 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
17 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Canada Northwest Territories Fort Smith Diavik Diamond Mine

Diavik Diamond Mine

Ice roads, deep holes and 3,500 pounds of diamonds.

Fort Smith, Northwest Territories

Added By
Alex Timian
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
(Flickr/DrJohnBullas)   http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnbullas/22...
(Flickr/DrJohnBullas)   http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnbullas/22...
(WikiCommons)   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Diavik_D...
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Just a few degrees shy of the arctic circle and more than a few degrees shy of inhabitable, the Diavik Diamond Mine is the shimmering prize of the Northwest Territories.

Since its initial construction in 2001, the Diavik Diamond Mine has steadily churned out precious stones at an amazing rate. Each year, 3,500 pounds of diamonds with a value of $100 million are mined from Diavik and sold to the rest of the world. Although the wealth from the mine is truly amazing, the real feat is not the mining but the transportation from the mine.

200 miles south of the mine is Yellowknife, a small town that averages high temperatures below zero for five months per year. Farther north, the weather doesn't get any better, and the mining companies set on exploiting the resource knew a solution was necessary to easily move the diamonds out of the subarctic. The obvious, and extremely Canadian choice, were ice roads. In the winter, the ice roads leading to and from the mine are the only connection between the massive hole and the newly constructed Diavik Airport, and only the slightest change in weather can leave the miners and their precious cargo stranded deep in the Northwest Territories.

Related Tags

Natural Wonders Geological Oddities Shops Subterranean Sites Diamonds Mines Geology Nature

Know Before You Go

190 miles North of Yellowknife

Community Contributors

Added By

atimian

Edited By

Molly McBride Jacobson

  • Molly McBride Jacobson

Published

October 19, 2011

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Diavik Diamond Mine
Fort Smith, Northwest Territories
Canada
64.48338, -110.286074

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Northwest Territories

Northwest Territories

Canada

Places 9
Stories 4

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Northwest Territories

Northwest Territories

Canada

Places 9
Stories 4

Related Places

  • Cueva Clara.

    Quebrada, Puerto Rico

    Cueva Clara

    An enchanting natural wonder in Puerto Rico's Camuy River Park.

  • The 100,000 Soldiers.

    Mialet, France

    100,000 Soldiers of Trabuc Caves

    This army of concretions is an unexplained geological phenomenon unlike anything else in the world.

  • Tradition in the mountains

    Imlil, Morocco

    Kasbah du Toubkal

    A Moroccan getaway in the mountain range that plays the Himalayas' stunt double.

  • A typical SubTropolis building.

    Kansas City, Missouri

    SubTropolis

    The "World's Largest Underground Business Complex," a 55,000,000-square-foot city underneath Missouri.

  • Gwangju, South Korea

    Wang Dong's Rock Quarries

    Rocks that take on the likenesses of several recognizable living entities crowd the Wang dong Rock Quarries.

  • East Sussex, England

    Beachy Head

    England's most notorious suicide spot.

  • Mina de Mármol

    Cuatrociénegas, Mexico

    Mina de Mármol

    A former travertine mine traces the geological history of this unique desert filled with crystalline blue pools.

  • Winona, Missouri

    Rocky Falls

    A 40-foot waterfall flows into this unique natural swimming hole.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.