Return of the Bison

 female bison and her calf in Banff national park
A female bison rests with her calf in Banff's spring holding area. Once the calves are older, the herd will be moved deeper into the park.

Auyuittuq National Park is located on southeastern Baffin Island, in the territory of Nunavut, and is about as remote as you can get. Auyuttiuq (pronounced 'ow-you-we-took') gets about only 200-500 visitors per year, largely due to its remote location and demanding conditions- just to get to the trail head, you need to charter a plane, and a boat ride up one of 2 fjords that give access to the park’s trailheads.

But don’t let that discourage you! Auyittuq is a beautiful land, boasting soaring moutains, arctic tundra, fjords, glaciers, and rare wildlife.

Polar bears, wolves, caribou, and other arctic wildlife make this epic landscape their home.

The most popular route is Akshayuk Pass, a 97 kilometre (60 mile) traditional Inuit travel corridor that traverses the park. Would-be adventurers should be self-sufficient and well-experienced, because there are no operating facilities within the park. Emergency shelters and supplies caches are placed at strategic locations throughout the park, but otherwise, visitors should be prepared to deal with animals, dangerous weather, and challenging terrain on their own. Because of the very remote nature of the park, registration with Parks Canada is mandatory, and so is de-registration at the end of your trip- unless you want to trigger a very massive search-and-rescue operation!

Kluane includes the highest mountain in Canada, Mount Logan, at a colossal 5959 meters. 83% of Kluane’s area is cominated by mountains and glaciers, making this park a spectacle to behold.

Mountain biking, hiking, and fishing are popular activities at this park. Located hours from WHitehorse, the capital of Yukon, this park is accessible while remaining very wild.

Views of the Elias mountains are sure to impress, and so are the flora and fauna. Kluane boasts the world’s highest concentration of Dall sheep, as well as one of the most diverse grizzly bear populations in Canada.

There are many day hikes, multi-day treks, and historic canoe routes to take throughout Kluane. If you want to experience the most of the park, definielt plan on hiking, flying, or boating into the interior. There is only one main road that goes through the park, so getting out of the car is essential to fully enjoying this rugged gem.