Nahanni National Park

The 470,000-hectare Nahanni National Park Reserve World Heritage site in the  Dehcho Region, Canada’s Northwest Territories, is a pristine natural landscape with deep river canyons cutting across mountain ranges, massive waterfalls, and intricate cave systems. The property’s landforms are remarkable for their variety of forms and intricacy of evolution. 

There are instances of practically every type of river or stream on the site and Virginia Falls, one of North America’s most magnificent waterfalls. The Flat River and the South Nahanni River are older than the mountains they cut through, and they have created some of the world’s most beautiful river canyons north of 60 degrees and protect Mackenzie Mountains.

Nahanni National Park: History

In 1976, Nahanni National Park was formed, and in 1978, it was included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. In 2009, Canada created the Nahanni National Park Reserve, which added 2,500,000 hectares to the national park’s boundaries. The increased protected area covers nearly 3 million hectares, protecting the property’s geological history, the South Nahanni River system, and the Mackenzie Mountains. 

The World Heritage site’s border has not changed since it was first inscribed. Over 95% of the World Heritage site is encircled by the bigger national park reserve boundaries, providing good protection and safeguarding the property’s Outstanding Universal Value integrity.

Nahanni National Park: Geography 

The  Nahanni National Park Reserve contains a variety of landforms that have taken millions of years to build, giving it a unique diversity not found in any other Canadian national park. Sediment from an old inland sea deposited 500-200 million years ago had been pushed into rock strata. These strata are around 6 km thick and are littered with fossils and relics of prehistoric seabeds. 

The North American and Pacific plates clashed as the continents migrated, pushing rock layers skyward. Rock ridges twisted and shattered, forming the ranges we see today. This mechanism also triggered volcanic activity, with molten lava flowing into but not through the sedimentary rock. While there are no volcanoes in the park, igneous batholiths or towers of hot rock were pushed skyward, forcing the sediment higher. The Ragged Range was formed when the upper surface of sedimentary rock was eroded, resulting in granite towers. 

Nahanni National Park: Flora & Fauna

Many kinds of birds, fish, and animals live in the park’s sulphur hot springs, alpine tundra, mountain ranges, spruce, and aspen forests. The park is located in three ecological zones of Canada: the Taiga Cordillera in the west, the Taiga Plains in the east, and a tiny piece of the Boreal Cordillera in the south. 

The government displayed eleven species identified as special concern, threatened, or endangered by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), for which Nahanni National Park Reserve offers seasonal and year-round habitat. Grizzly bear, Olive-sided flycatcher, peregrine, rusty blackbird, short-eared owl, wood bison, wolverine, and yellow rail are among them. The bull trout and Nahanni aster are included but without a status, while the Canada warbler and western toad are noted as possibly being in the park.

Black bear, moose, shrew, vole, marmot, mink, beaver, Arctic ground squirrel, pine marten, lynx, river otter, muskrat, snowshoe hare, and red fox are among the mammals found in the park.

Several specialised and unusual ecosystems may be found throughout the varied soils. The park has more than 700 vascular plants and 300 kinds of bryophytes and lichen species, making it the most diverse region in the NWT. The Nahanni aster is a highly uncommon aster that can only be seen in the Park.

Nahanni National Park: Attractions

The Nahanni National Park Reserve contains some of the most breathtaking scenery. Properly exploring the park’s immense wildness and attractions would probably take a very long time, and these are just a few of the park’s amazing attractions and activities.

• Kraus Hot Springs

The Kraus Hot Springs are formed by two thermal sources near the downriver end of First Canyon. At 32°C, the water springs from the soil, producing a relaxing atmosphere. Warm springs generated a unique ecology in Canada’s far north, and this site is likely the basis of many northern folklore and beliefs about tropical woods.

• Virginia Falls

The Virginia Falls are located along the South Nahanni River near the head of the Fourth Canyon in the  Dehcho Region. The South Nahanni converges at this location, pouring down a 92-metre plunge. The mist from the falls has produced an atmosphere conducive to the growth of numerous rare orchid species.

• Mackenzie Mountains

The Nahanni National Park Reserve is a mountaineering paradise that only a select few get the opportunity to visit. The Mackenzie Mountains feature two places with world-class granite climbs that are well-known among climbers. The Vampire Peaks are an imposing series of peaks in the park, and the Cirque of the Unclimbables is as intimidating as the name indicates.

Besides these, The Sand Blowouts, Rabbitkettle Hot Springs, and  Nahanni Karst are famous attractions in  Nahanni National Park Reserve.

Conclusion

The Nahanni National Park World Heritage site is within the Nahanni National Park Reserve, formed under the Canada National Parks Act, and provides the property with effective legal protection. The property has a management plan that offers direction for conserving the elements of the property that are the foundation for its Outstanding Universal Value and opportunities for visitors to enjoy and learn about the park reserve, as required by this legislation.