Nahanni National Park Reserve is a landscape like no other. Tucked into the territory’s southwest flank, it is a wilderness paradise sliced by great waters and prickling with peaks. It’s a place of great beauty and great intrigue. It’s nature on its grandest scale. Accessible by air via chartered floatplanes, or by paddling the iconic Nahanni River, the journey to the park only adds to its mystique. Here are five places that you won’t believe are real.

Virginia Falls (Náįlįcho) is a true wonder.  The South Nahanni River leaps off a 96-metre cliff, bisected by the great mid-river spire of Mason’s Rock, creating a gusting spray, and a shuddering Earth. The sheer size and volume tends to put everything else into perspective.  

Náįlįcho is an easy flightseeing trip from Fort Simpson, with several local operators ready to take you over the massive canyons of the Nahanni River to experience the sheer drop of the falls.  These are full-day trips with many stunning views, and usually includea stop on a sandy beach to eat and relax. 

A must-do river for many canoeists and rafters, the famed Nahanni (Nahʔą Dehé) offers a little bit of everything. Canyons and hotsprings. Wildlife and rapids. Mountains and waterfalls. From its start at the Yukon border to when it joins the Liard River 500 kilometres later, this wild river carves a scenic path through a dramatic and breathtaking landscape.

Join a guided river trip from one of the many local operators and experience everything the Nahanni has to offer. Perfect for groups or solo travellers looking to meet new people. Many guided canoe and rafting operators take care of all the food and planning, so you can focus on taking in the sheer beauty of this river.

This unique rugged landscape seems like a dream with countless peaks like daggers, impaling the sky, thumbing their noses at the law of gravity. This is the ultimate destination for many climbers, with classic routes like Lotus Flower Tower, Mount Proboscis and Middle Huey Spire. Verdant Fairy Meadow, near the base of the great granite towers, is an ideal place to set up a camera or pitch a tent.

Catch a floatplane from Fort Simpson to Glacier Lake, after which it’s a short but heart-pumping hike to the mountain range. If you’re planning to stay overnight be sure to reserve your trip with Parks Canada. Many find the summer months the best time to experience the mountains, before the snow starts to fly in the alpine.

Get off the beaten path with this great grassy mesa suspended above a scenic wonderland. Around the edges of the plateau, river gorges plunge 1,800 metres, Dall’s sheep frolic, hoodoos stand on guard.  

The valleys below boast some of the Nahanni’s hidden gems, like Canada’s largest tufa mound and natural hot springs along the Rabbitkettle and Ram Rivers.

As if the stunning scenery wasn’t enough, the Nahanni National Park Reserve is also an  angler’s paradise. Book a flight into lakes like Glacier, Rabbitkettle, Hole-in-the-Wall and Little Doctor and fish the days away. Get your fill of Pickerel, Pike, Trout and Grayling.

Book a cabin or make a camping reservation as your home base for endless lake-side adventures. Connect with park staff on the ground in peak season at Rabbitkettle lake for information on local conditions and destinations.

For more on this legendary park, check out Nahanni National Park Reserve.

Ready to explore the legendary lakes and renowned rivers of the NWT? Discover an adventure for every level of paddler on world-class canoeing, kayaking, and rafting adventures through these inviting and pristine waters. 

If you’re searching for more adventure, look no further than these 15 strange and dangerous places across the NWT. From exhilarating to inspiring, you’ll find a deep appreciation for the North.