Are You Ready For a Wild Summer Adventure in Quebec’s Far North?
Nunavik awaits. This impressive Arctic region—occupying the northern third of Quebec, beyond the 55thparallel—is home to boundless tundra, glassy lakes, towering peaks, remote ocean shores and a plethora of wildlife from caribou to muskox to polar bears and more. Nunavik—the name itself means “The Great Land.” And it delivers.
Imagine climbing the highest peak in Quebec and gazing all the way to the Labrador Sea. Or whitewater rafting on a river that has been the lifeblood of local Inuit for centuries. Or trekking to a crater punched into the tundra by a meteorite so perfectly it resembles an eye in the Earth. Or being the only kayakers on a lake so vast it’s considered an inland sea.
For 4,500 years, Inuit people have called Nunavik home. Today, they welcome you to visit on small-group guided journeys. Immerse in this vast wilderness in a region that blends exciting outdoor adventure with rich cultural experiences in three impressive national parks: Kuururjuaq, Pingualuit and Tursujuq.
Kuururjuaq National Park
- Size: 4,460 square-kilometres
- Closest Community: Kangiqsualujjuaq
- Fast Fact: Home to the highest peak in mainland Canada east of the Rocky Mountains
- Learn More: nunavikparks.ca/en/parks/kuururjuaq
Rich with summertime adventure, Kuururjuaq offers three unique nine-day itineraries to fully experience the Koroc River and Torngat Mountain environs. Avid hikers can fly along the Koroc Valley into the Torngat Mountains to trek on alpine tundra, spotting glaciers and rare landforms in the shadow of Mont D’Iberville. Or up the ante by combining treks with an ascent of the 1,646-metre massif of D’Iberville—an adventurous summit of the highest peak in mainland Canada east of the Rockies. There is even a multisport option, which merges tundra treks, mountain hikes and a whitewater descent of the Koroc River. In all these experiences, you’ll engage with an Inuit host to uncover how the landscape and the people are inextricably intertwined. And all three trips start and finish in Kangiqsualujjuaq, a welcoming community that you’ll have the opportunity to explore before and after your excursion into the park.
Pingualuit National Park
- Size: 1,133 square-kilometres
- Closest Community: Kangiqsujuaq
- Fast Fact: Marked by a 1.4 million-year-old meteorite crater
- Learn More: nunavikparks.ca/en/parks/pingualuit
About a million-and-a-half years ago, a meteorite burned through the Earth’s atmosphere and punched an almost perfectly round hole in the tundra. Today, it’s the signature feature of Pingualuit National Park—a crater filled with pristine rainwater and serviced by a comfortable basecamp. Begin your nine-day trip by exploring the community of Kangiqsujuaq, before flying to the park’s base camp alongside Manarsulik Lake, at the foot the Pingualuit crater; marvelling at the lunar-like landscape along the way. At camp, the region is yours to discover. Kayak or canoe on the glassy water of Manarsulik Lake. Hike to viewpoints alongside the crater lake, loop the entire landform on an epic day-hike or even trek to Sanguammaaluk Camp alongside the picturesque Puvirnituq River Canyon. If you’re lucky, you’ll catch northern lights dancing overhead. And listen to the stories of the land as told by your Inuit host.
Tursujuq National Park
- Size: 26,107 square-kilometres
- Closest Community: Umiujaq
- Fast Fact: The largest national park in Quebec
- Learn More: nunavikparks.ca/en/parks/tursujuq
Your adventure begins in the culturally rich town of Umiujaq, set along the Hudson Bay coastline. Explore the community and meet the locals as you prepare for a wilderness adventure into Quebec’s largest national park. The introduction to this wildland will be an impressive one with an excursion to Nastapoka Falls, a thunderous cascade of water that cuts a swath through the tundra. A cultural dinner with locals awaits before the next stage of your adventure—four days of kayaking on the vast inland sea of Tasiujaq Lake (also known as Richmond Gulf), surrounded by striking cuestas reminiscent of the Far West. Paddle campsite-to-campsite, fully supported along the way by your friendly Inuit guides. Dip into remote coves and bays. Spot wildlife on the tundra, and marine mammals too. Sleep under starry skies and Northern Lights. Your trip ends with a motorboat ride back to Umiujaq via a narrow sea channel the Inuit call “Tursujuq;” used by nomadic people for 3,000 years to connect to the Hudson Bay. Listen to the legends of this area from your cultural host and hike the shoreline of a rarely visited land.
See why Nunavik has enjoyed a 50 per cent increase in visitation in the past three years.
Visit nunavikparks.ca or call 1-844-NUNAVIK (686-2845) to book your next adventure.
