Nahanni National Park Reserve

Thumbnail image for South Nahanni River - A Smith

At long last, Nahanni National Park Reserve (NNPR) has been expanded!  Thanks to the efforts of the Dehcho First Nations, Parks Canada, CPAWS, and conservation supporters from across the country, NNPR has grown to over 30,000 km2, protecting a large portion of the Greater Nahanni Ecosystem and the wildlife, waters and incredible geography within it.

Nahanni is a land of superlatives.  The area was declared one of the world’s first UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1978 and the South Nahanni River was designated a Canadian Heritage River in 1987.  Housing some of the most diverse geography and habitats north of 60º, the Greater Nahanni Ecosystem is home to thousands of plant species, at least 180 bird species and 48 mammal species, including the largest-known assemblage of bats in the NWT, and sensitive species such as grizzly bears, mountain woodland caribou, and Dall’s sheep.  The newly-expanded NNPR also boasts world-class karst features (limestone formations) and pristine waters.  

This much-anticipated park expansion is one of the greatest conservation achievements in Canadian history.  Although NNPR is now Canada’s third largest national park and is much better able to protect the ecological and cultural integrity of the Greater Nahanni Ecosystem, our collective work is not over.  CPAWS-NWT continues to participate in the environmental regulatory processes that will ultimately determine the extent to which the many mineral interests in watershed will be developed.  We also keep up with the Nahʔa Dehé (Park Management) Consensus Team, and are currently fundraising to continue our contributions to important wildlife research in the area.

Learn more at CPAWS.org and take a look at our work in Nááts´ihch´oh, the Nahanni headwaters!