The 4,765 square meter Nahanni National Park is located in the Canadian Northwest Territories. The area is approximately 600 km from Yellowknife. The South Nahanni River also runs through the park.
In 1976 the area of today’s park was declared a national park and UNESCO declared it two years later Nahanni National Park to the world natural heritage.
It is a bit remote, which is why it is only used by around 5,000 visitors is frequented annually.
Natural beauty paired with tradition
The 96 m high Virginia Falls are located in the park. These are impressive natural beauties and should definitely be viewed when visiting the area.
The Naha Normads also lived here. They populated the entire region on the Mckenzie Mountain Ranges and were not necessarily the most peaceful neighbors. They attacked other tribes again and again, even if they were not even close to being within range of the immediate area. However, the sudden disappearance of the entire tribe is still a mystery today. However, there are similarities with the Navajo Indians who live in the American Southwest. The theory is now that the Navajo are direct descendants of the Naha, and that the forefathers migrated to this region.
It is noticeable that part of the park remained almost untouched by the glacier movements and therefore developed completely differently in terms of vegetation than the rest of the area.
In the southern part, visitors will find four canyons, which have a height of up to 1,500 m. Here another river flows through the canyons, which is very popular with canoeists. Free time in Nahanni National Park
The park offers a Nahanni River tour at. This lasts either over 2 or 3 weeks and is a special kind of canoe adventure. Here it goes past breathtaking landscapes and poses demands and challenges even for every experienced canoeist. The tour groups meet at the starting point, the Rock Garden. From here the tour leads past spectacular landscapes, rugged rock faces and steep canyons. Anyone who would like to practice canoeing or boating in the Nahanni National Park must first contact Park Warden and register there.
The Sunblood Range is a particularly beautiful sight. It was not given this name for nothing, because in the morning and evening hours the mountains glow fiery red and make an impressive spectacle.
Despite all the efforts: when the trip by canoe has reached its destination, travelers are rewarded with a relaxing bath in the pools of the hot springs.
The First European and the Dead Man Valley
As in many regions of Canada, the first European to visit what is now the Nahanni National Park in 1823 was a fur trader. His name was Alexander McLeod, and he had been commissioned by the Hudson Bay Company to examine the area for possible business locations for the company. All efforts to create a place for the fur trade were backed by the gold rush nullified. The entire history of the fur traders and gold seekers is documented with mysterious stories and legends. Many of the seekers and fur hunters never returned home and were lost. So it came to the legend of the indigenous people that these people became victims of the Evil Giants.
