It is located at the end of Highway 155 on the eastern shore of Lac La Loche in Canada's boreal forest.

[2][6][7] Bordering La Loche to the north and reached via Highway 955 is the Clearwater River Dene Nation (CRDN) with a population of 822 people.

[8] The La Loche/CRDN population centre with 3,649 people represents about 30 percent of the Denesuline speakers of Canada.

The Methye Portage is now part of the Clearwater River Provincial Park and a National Historic Site.

Fur trade posts were built on Lac La Loche soon after Peter Pond came through the Methye Portage in 1778.

The HBC relocated their post across the lake at La Loche in the newly purchased Revillon Frères buildings where they remained until they sold their northern stores in 1987.

[16] He added that during the autumn of 1911 most residents left for winter camps to the north to hunt leaving only 60 or 70 people around the lake.

In the 1940s a convent was built for the Grey Nuns (now a private residence) along with the first hospital and the first school of the community.

In 1979 a new high school was opened, Highway 955 to the Cluff Lake uranium mine site was completed and the Clearwater River Dene Nation was officially created.

In 1820 George Back while travelling through with Franklin's Coppermine expedition of 1819–1822 stopped at Lac La Loche House (the HBC trading post).

He described this post as "logs piled one above the other with mud and moss to fill up the crevices - there is a single partition which divides the Master's room from that of the men.

The NWC Post, he wrote was "a square and flat roofed hut just seven feet high - neither wind nor weather tight in which are stowed - Master, men, women, children, dogs and sledges".

Back provides an early indication of settlement on Lac La Loche when on his return journey in 1822 he wrote in his journal: "We touched at the houses on the borders of the lake and embarked a man in each canoe".

The Dave O'Hara[36] Public Library at Ducharme School offers internet access.

The La Loche Friendship Centre and the La Loche Sport, Recreation and Culture Board organize many of the activities and festivals that occur every year and are working together on the development of a community recreation area which now offers a skateboard park, a children's playground and an outdoor skating rink.

The northern village of La Loche provides water and sewer service, garbage pick-up, road maintenance, snow removal and through CHPN Communications local radio and cable television services (12 free channels are available).