Nahanni National Park Reserve
National Park Reserve (Parks Canada) / UNESCO World Heritage Site · Fort Simpson, Northwest Territories
Nahanni National Park Reserve, called Naha Dehe by the Dene, protects the South Nahanni River in the Mackenzie Mountains of the southwestern Northwest Territories. It was one of the first places in the world named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in 1978. The river cuts four deep canyons, and at Virginia Falls (Nailicho) it drops about 96 m, roughly twice the height of Niagara, around a rock spire in the middle of the torrent. The park also holds Kraus Hotsprings, tufa mounds and caves, and was expanded in 2009 to about 30,000 sq km, co-managed with the Dehcho First Nations. There are no roads. Visitors fly in by floatplane, usually from Fort Simpson or Fort Nelson, for a day landing at the falls or to start a river trip of a week to three weeks. It is expensive and weather dependent, and the season is roughly June to early September. Confirm operators, fees and registration rules before you book anything.
Nahanni National Park Reserve office, 10002 100 Street, Fort Simpson, Northwest Territories, X0E 0N0, Canada
The park is open year round in law, but visits are practical only from roughly June to early September, when rivers are open and floatplanes can land. There are no staffed gates and no access by road, so your timing is set by your flight and your outfitter. Overnight visitors must register with Parks Canada before entering and deregister on leaving, and day visitors flying to Virginia Falls land at a dock above the falls. Weather, smoke and low cloud regularly delay flights by hours or days. The Parks Canada office in Fort Simpson holds seasonal staffed hours and is the place for permits and briefings. Confirm dates, fees, registration rules and operator availability well ahead, and allow spare days.
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