Nahanni National Park Reserve 

Contact Information:
Nahanni National Park Reserve
Box 348
Fort Simpson, NWT
Canada X0E 0N0
867-695-3151

Size: 4,766 sq. km. 

Location: Nahanni National Park Reserve is located in the heart of the Mackenzie Mountains, centered on the river valleys of the South Nahanni and Flat rivers, in the southwest part of the Northwest Territories. It is accessible by air charter services from Fort Simpson, Fort Liard, Fort Nelson, Yellowknife, Watson Lake, and Muncho Lake. Virginia Falls and Rabbitkettle Lake are the only designated aircraft landing sites within the park reserve.

Description: In 1978, the park was designated the first ever UNESCO World Heritage Site, because of its spectacular scenery and unique geological features. It protects 200 miles of the 250-mile-long South Nahanni River, which originates as a small stream in the remote Mackenzie Mountains and grows dramatically in size and power as it winds its way through broad river valleys and steep-walled canyons. The river's spectacular scenery includes: Rabbitkettle Hotsprings, source of the largest known tufa mounds in Canada; Virginia Falls, with a vertical drop twice that of Niagara Falls; a series of canyons up to 1200 meters deep; and caves such as Grotte Valerie with its ancient skeletons of nearly a hundred Dall's sheep. The park's sulphur hotsprings, alpine tundra, mountain ranges, and forests of spruce and aspen are home to many species of birds, fish and mammals.

Places to Stay: For information on places to stay in Fort Simpson, Fort Liard, Fort Nelson, Yellowknife, Watson Lake, and Muncho Lake, visit the Northwest Territories Tourism Office online or by calling 1-800-661-0788. For additional information you may also wish to contact the Government of the Northwest Territories.

Operating Hours: Nahanni is open year round. The peak visitor season is in July and August.

History: Established in 1976.

See other Canadian National Parks
See other Northwest Territories National Parks