Nááts’ihch’oh << nahts eench choh >> National Park Reserve is a protected area in the southwestern part of Canada’s Northwest Territories . Yukon , another Canadian territory, lies immediately west of the park, and Nahanni National Park Reserve lies immediately south. Nááts’ihch’oh covers 1,209,600 acres (489,500 hectares) of land. Together, the Nááts’ihch’oh and Nahanni parks cover about 8,609,600 acres (3,489,500 hectares), making the combined parks one of the largest protected areas in Canada’s national park system. Nááts’ihch’oh National Park Reserve is named for a mountain that holds spiritual significance for the local First Nations (Native American) people.
Deep gorges, lakes, rivers, valleys, wetlands, and mountains with scattered glaciers make up Nááts’ihch’oh National Park Reserve’s landscape. The South Nahanni River, which flows from northwest to southeast, is a major feature and visitor attraction. Nááts’ihch’oh mountain, also called Mount Wilson, rises in the northwestern part of the park, at the headwaters of the South Nahanni. The name Nááts’ihch’oh refers to the shape of the mountain top, which is sharp and pointed like a porcupine quill. The name comes from the language of the Shúhtagot’ine (Mountain) Dene , one of the groups that make up the Sahtu Dene First Nations people. In addition to the South Nahanni, other bodies of water in the park include the Moose Ponds; Grizzly Bear, Margaret, and O’Grady lakes; and the Broken Skull and Little Nahanni rivers. The region’s climate is cold and dry. However, daytime temperatures can get hot in the summer. Animals that make their homes in the park include Dall’s sheep, grizzly bears, moose, mountain goats, and woodland caribou.
Popular visitor activities in Nááts’ihch’oh National Park Reserve include canoeing, whitewater rafting, wilderness hiking, and soaking in hot springs. Visitor services are limited, and there are no blazed trails.
The government of Canada announced the establishment of Nááts’ihch’oh National Park Reserve in 2012. It passed the final legislation that formally set up the park reserve in 2014. Together with Nahanni National Park Reserve, Nááts’ihch’oh National Park Reserve protects most of the watershed of the South Nahanni River. A national park reserve differs from a national park only in that it is subject to an aboriginal (native) land claim. The aboriginal people comanage the area and may engage in such traditional activities as fishing, hunting, and trapping. Nááts’ihch’oh park is home to the Sahtu Dene and the Métis , people of mixed First Nations and white ancestry.
