Thoughts From a "Lost Canadian" About Qausuittuq National Park

I'm very happy to let you know about Qausuittuq National Park which is a place very few people actually are able to visit, but is an incredible place to learn about for sure! Because Qausuittuq National Park is so far North, you need to be highly experienced, fully self-reliant, and prepared for extreme hazards, unpredictable river crossings, and polar bear encounters to be able to visit this National Park. So, as I wrote, few actually visit, but it is still an amazing place to learn about.

• Established in 2015, Qausuittuq National Park is Canada's 45th National Park.
• It is in Nunavut's High Arctic, and encompasses over 11,000 square kilometers.
• The name Qausuittuq (pronounced Qow-soo-ee-tooq) means “place where the sun doesn't rise” in Inuktitut, in reference to the fact the sun at this latitude stays below the horizon for several months in the winter.
• Archaeological studies have found evidence of human use on Bathurst Island dating back 4,500 years.
• Qausuittuq National Park is a Polar Desert: At 76° north latitude, the park features a harsh, hyper-arid climate. Temperatures range from an average of -35°C in January to 5°C in July, with less than 130 mm of precipitation annually.
• The landscape of Qausuittuq National Park includes plateaus, lowlands, wetlands, and glacier-carved landforms like eskers and moraines.
• Despite the extreme environment, hardy vegetation like purple saxifrage, dwarf willows, and mosses can be found in Qausuittuq National Park.
• Numerous bird species inhabit Qausuittuq National Park, such as Snowy Owl, Snow Goose, King Eider, Jaeger, and various gulls and shorebirds.
• The park protects key wildlife habitat including travel routes, calving grounds and wintering grounds for Peary caribou,  muskox, polar bear, arctic wolf, arctic fox, arctic hare, and collared lemming.
• Some of the marine species in Qausuittuq National Park include ringed seal, bearded seal, walrus, bowhead whale, beluga whale, and narwhal.
• Qausuittuq National Park offers hiking, ski touring, and wildlife viewing opportunities for experienced backcountry adventurers.
• You will find spectacular scenery, wildlife, and opportunities to experience Inuit culture and learn about northern places in Qausuittuq National Park. But there are a host of dangers associated with travel in this northern wilderness. The remoteness of this area and limited rescue capability increase the risk of the challenging natural hazards.

Even if Qausuittuq National Park is not likely to make it to your family's "National Parks to visit list", it is still absolutely an important place to learn about and I am so thankful Canada is protecting this amazing place! You will learn more about it at this link.