The Fabled History of Nahanni National Park Reserve
For thousands of years the Nahanni River has held great significance among Dene people, who have travelled this majestic waterway for millennia and revere its natural wonders as part of their culture and traditions.
Every year, hundreds of paddling enthusiasts set off on thrilling and memorable journeys on this wild and remarkable river, known to offer some of the best paddling experiences in the Northwest Territories.
Many people in Canada and around the world became acquainted with the river’s sheer beauty in 1970 thanks to a daring handstand by then Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. This one moment on the top of the Northwest Territories’ spectacular Náįlįcho (Virginia Falls) played a key role in the official designation of today’s Nahanni National Park Reserve. Trudeau also famously tossed around a frisbee over the 96-metre (314-foot) falls, twice the drop of Niagara Falls.
This famous Nahanni River tour increased public awareness about the region and bolstered Canada’s political drive to protect the storied waterway. In 1972, the Government of Canada established the Nahanni National Park reserve to help protect the river from hydroelectric development.
A World Heritage Site
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has agreed that the Nahanni River and its surrounding landscapes are uniquely special. For this reason, in 1978, UNESCO handpicked Nahanni National Park Reserve, along with the celebrated Galápagos Islands and Yosemite National Park, as one of the first World Heritage Sites selected for “Outstanding Universal Value.” The park reserve met two of UNESCO’s exacting criteria for this nomination. UNESCO determined the pristine Nahanni River, with its deep canyons, is one of the most spectacular wild rivers in North America and that the area’s “major geologic and geomorphologic features provide a combination of geological processes that are globally unique.”
The park size has increased six-fold since its creation. In 2003, an agreement between the Dehcho First Nations (DFN) and Parks Canada gave temporary protection to 23,000 sq km (8,880 sq mi), and in 2007 and 2009 even more land was committed to the park. The park remains in “reserve” status pending settlement of outstanding Dene land claims in the region.
The park reserve is now managed cooperatively by Parks Canada with the DFN, the group that represents First Nations and Métis in the NWT’s Dehcho Region. The Nahʔą Dehé Consensus Team, with representatives from Parks Canada and the DFN, works to maintain the ecological integrity of the reserve, monitoring and taking actions related to factors such as mining developments near the park.
A place of legends
Besides Náįlįcho (Virginia Falls), the park features a wide variety of landscapes, including daunting peaks like the Cirque of the Unclimbables, the lush Fairy Meadows, canyons, hot springs and burbling limestone tufa mounds.
The mineral spring cauldrons of Gahnįhthah, the largest tufa mounds in Canada, are home to the legendary Dene horizon walker Yamba Deja, who is thought to have created Dene laws. Gahnįhthah is just one of many places in the park reserve which remain important to the Dene people who have made the area their home for millenia.
Dene oral history also contains references to the Naha tribe of a mountain-dwelling people who disappeared long ago from the region, only to seemingly surface in the southwestern United States. Linguistic similarities between the Dene and Navajo languages have fueled speculation that Navajo may be descendants of these missing Naha.
A storied past
The park also comes with an aura of more recent mysteries, including hidden tropical gardens, mythical creatures, spirits hiding in the park’s tufas and allegations of cursed gold.
In the early 1900s, two missing gold prospectors were found dead — and headless — in a valley now called Deadmen Valley. To explore “the myths of lost gold mines and tropical valleys and ghostly tribes of devouring Indians,” noted Canadian writer Pierre Berton as he embarked on what he called the “Headless Valley Expedition” in the late 1940s.
Various others have written books or produced films about their paddling treks down the Nahanni. These have prompted paddlers worldwide to add this river to their bucket list of must-do trips.
Write your own story of adventure
Today the DFN welcomes roughly 1,000 adventurers to the Nahʔą Dehé region every year, In Fort Simpson, the visitors centre offers insights on the history, culture and geography of the area.
Reservations are required for river trips on the Nahanni River through park offices in Fort Simpson or Nahanni Butte. De-registration is mandatory upon your safe return.
Paddling the Nahanni River can seem like a daunting experience, especially for a novice paddler. Luckily, there are a few operators that offer exciting guided trips on the river. As well, many aviation companies offer stellar day-long flightseeing tours of the park by float plane or helicopter from Fort Simpson and other nearby communities.
All you have to do is simply choose how you wish to experience the wonders of Nahanni National Park Reserve. It’s guaranteed that you’ll leave with your own tales to tell.
The Northwest Territories is home to some of the most pristine national parks in Canada. The humbling beauty and wild landscapes of the North are on full display. Read our guide to the 6 Canadian national parks in the NWT for a taste of what awaits you there.
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