Background
Along the South Nahanni, one of the most spectacular wild rivers in North America, the park contains deep canyons and huge waterfalls as well as a unique limestone cave system. UNESCO lists wolves, grizzly bears and caribou in its boreal forest, and Dall's sheep and mountain goats in the alpine.
The reserve lies in the Dehcho Region of the Northwest Territories, about 500 km west of Yellowknife, and is sometimes called Headless Valley after a series of unsolved deaths. Its four canyons, First to Fourth, have walls some 1,000 m high, and the name comes from the Dene Nahʔa Dehé, river of the land of the Nahʔa people. Wikivoyage says the park covers 30,050 km² with no public roads, so the river is reached by floatplane, and that Virginia Falls drops 90 m, nearly twice Niagara's height with the Sluice Box Rapids above.
- 500–200 million years agoAn inland sea lays down the layered rock
- 10,000 years agoThe Rabbitkettle tufa mounds begin to grow
- 1978Inscribed as World Heritage
Find Your Way Around
The main parts of the site, in the order most visitors see them
- 1Virginia FallsNailicho in Dene, a 90 m plunge with a rock spire at its centre.
- 2The Four CanyonsFirst, Second, Third and Fourth Canyon along the whitewater river.
- 3Rabbitkettle HotspringsCanada's largest tufa mounds, 27 m high; visited barefoot with Parks Canada staff.
- 4Ragged RangeGranite towers raised by magma under the old seabed.
- 5Fort SimpsonPark headquarters and the floatplane base.
Know Before You Go
From Wikivoyage and the GoGo guides
Virginia Falls by Air
Not yet in a GoGo guide
- 08:00Floatplane from Fort Simpson2 hrsOver the canyons to the falls.
- 10:30Virginia Falls3 hrsViewpoint, picnic and the portage trail.
Best Time to Visit
Best months: Jul–Aug. Freezing days in Oct–Apr.
Typical highs
Climate: NASA POWER