If you were to navigate the Mackenzie River from top to bottom you would not find sudden changes in the natural life along its shores. You would notice only a gradual transition of geographical zones.

Where the Mackenzie River starts out in Great Slave Lake, the vegetation is a middle-range type of boreal forest that is similar to the vegetation along the Yukon River to the west. Spruce, fir, pine along with some aspen and birch, and feathery mosses and tiny, winter-green herbs are plentiful.

The valley along the river's main stem continues in this vegetation zone until the mid-section of the river where the valley changes it transitions into a northern boreal forest or sub-arctic zone with sub-alpine vegetation. This vegetation is characterized by black and white spruce, larch, birch, poplar, and pine trees along with string bogs and muskeg. Muskeg means 'grassy bog' in the Algonquian.Native language.

The river's vast delta is covered in sparse arctic and tundra vegetation.

Much of the river valley sits on permafrost which can extend to a depth of up to six metres. Permafrost can be blanketed by up to 30 centimetres of moss which provides insulation for vegetation. Some of the areas of permafrost may change into swampy unstable areas when there is a warming trend. The combination of severe climate and permafrost has resulted in poorly developed soils that are unsuitable for agriculture.

Mammals common in the valley include caribou, moose, black bear, wolf, fox, rabbit, beaver, muskrat, otter, wolverine, squirrel, mink and weasel.

Less common is the barren land grizzly. Larger and much more fierce than the black bear, the grizzlies have adapted to the interior tundra. Polar bears on the other hand prefer the coastline of the delta. They are active all year round and are suited to the extreme northern climate.

Fish commonly caught in the lakes and streams of the Mackenzie valley include lake trout, arctic char, grayling, dolly varden, and whitefish

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