Visit Nahanni National Park, Canada

With gorges deeper than the Grand Canyon and waterfalls twice the height of Niagara, the vast Nahanni National Park is one of the finest national parks in North America.

In one of the world’s most rugged wilderness areas the ultimate thrill for canoeists is to ride the untamed South Nahanni River as it rushes between the towering peaks of the Mackenzie Mountains. But even the bravest wouldn’t attempt to canoe the stunning Virginia Falls, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Nahanni by float-plane

There are no roads in this spectacular park so sightseeing is generally by float-plane, a thrilling way to explore this remote, and otherwise largely inaccessible, wilderness. This exciting Cessna 206 float-plane trip leaves Fort Simpson and flies into the heart of Nahanni National Park. The aircraft, seating a maximum of four passengers, takes you through the first, second and third canyons of the South Nahanni River to land at the top of Virginia Falls, as your pilot shares the legends associated with Deadmen Valley, Headless Range, Funeral Range, Death Lake and Crash Lake.

Virginia Falls

At Virginia Falls you can walk along the top of the falls to a perfect photo location or follow the trail to the bottom of the falls to experience the force of this natural wonder. On the return trip you fly over the Nahanni Plateau and Ram River canyons to make a short stop at Little Doctor Lake and Nahanni Mountain Lodge, with the chance to relax on the sand beach, swim in the lake or photograph the scenery, birds and wildlife.