Parks & Special Places From the lush green valleys of Katannilik Park to the wild rapids of the Coppermine River, find out about Nunavut's territorial parks, heritage Rivers and other special places.
Find out how to get to the park, where to stay, local arts and crafts, and find a guide or outfitters who can take you to the park.
Features
The park landscape is typical of the area, with rolling tundra occasionally interrupted by escarpments and rocky outcrops. Closer to the river, steep cliffs and sandy hills descend in plateaus to the valley below. From the park's highest hill, you can just make out the community of Kugluktuk and the Arctic Ocean, about 13 kilometres to the north.
The focal point of the park is the Falls, where the rock and cliffs force the river into a boiling, rushing torrent. Above and below the Falls, where the river widens, the rugged tundra climbs up from the river to the surrounding hills and plateaus. Winter ice breaks up and floods the land around the Falls. In summer, the land is covered by lush tundra vegetation including an impressive show of wildflowers.
Above the Falls, the river spreads over a much wider expanse where the surrounding surficial materials are less resistant. The Community of Kugluktuk shares a strong interest in preserving the park landscape, which has remained relatively unchanged despite its occupation for thousands of years.
The golden eagles that soar above the river throughout the summer nest along the steep cliffs at the falls, as well as other locations along the river. Also watch for rough-legged hawks, peregrine falcons, and gyrfalcons. Other avian cliff dwellers include countless swallows, which nest under rock ledges at the falls.
Watch for animal tracks as you walk along the muddy shore above and below the falls. Barren-ground caribou migrate nearby in spring and autumn. Caribou have also been known to occasionally appear within the park or along the trail from Kugluktuk in summer.
The barren lands, a general reference to the tundra, are also home to barren-ground grizzly bears. Although chances of encountering one are rare, they do frequent this area and caution must be taken. When camping, store food well away from your tent, pack out all garbage when you leave the park, and keep fire pits clean and free of food. For more information on bears, contact the Department of Environment office in Kugluktuk.
Wildflowers jump into bloom in late June, dotting the tundra with bright colours for three to four weeks. One of the more interesting plants found at Bloody Falls is the black-tipped groundsel, which was described here in 1821 by John Richardson, a surgeon-naturalist on the Franklin expedition up the Coppermine River to locate the Northwest Passage. The plant's black tips inspired Richardson to name it senecio lugens, derived from the Latin word lugeo ("to mourn"), a name that recalls the massacre that once occurred at the site. By late August, the bright greens of summer give way to golden yellow, the tundra's last hurrah before winter begins.
The ancestors of both the Inuit and Dene fished and hunted at Bloody Falls - remnants of their winter houses used more than 500 years ago by people of the Thule culture can still be found here. Other archaeological evidence indicates earlier inhabitants, the Pre-Dorset, camped at the falls more than 3,500 years ago. The remains of early caribou-hunting camps dating back some 1,500 years have also been found in the park and are linked with the Taltheilei tradition, a prehistoric Dene people. These camps are scattered on sand plateaus along the west bank, downstream from the falls, but may be difficult to spot since they have been somewhat obscured by blowing sand.
