Coronavirus (COVID-19) and your visit to Nahanni National Park Reserve

As of June 19th, 2020, Nahanni National Park Reserve began a gradual reopening. Please check our website regularly for the current status of this location.

The latest information you need to know about your visit to Nahanni National Park Reserve

July 30, 2020 – Operations in Nahanni National Park Reserve resume as of June 19, 2020, which includes day-use and overnight visits. Visitors should contact Nahanni National Park Reserve by emailing nahanni.info@pc.gc.ca or calling 867-695-7750 before planning a trip into the park.

When planning trips to Nahanni this summer, please consider that your personal safety is your own responsibility. Be prepared to be self sufficient in the park – you’ll have less access to Parks Canada staff and services than normal. This is not a good summer to be taking significant risks.

COVID-19 has had a dramatic impact on many of Nahanni’s usual overnight operators. Please refer to the park’s list of licensed operators and connect with these companies directly to see if trips are still being offered into the park or not.

What’s open? (Updated July 27, 2020)


• Day-use operations: Visitors can access the park through air charters, which includes flightseeing trips into Nahanni from within the NWT. You are asked to consult the list of licensed Nahanni operators and check directly with them before planning any trips. Destinations may include Náįlįcho and Glacier Lake.
• The Nahanni National Park Reserve office is now open to visitors in Fort Simpson, NWT during the hours of 1-5pm, 7 days a week with COVID-19 mitigations in place.
• Interpretive programs have begun for day-trip and camping visitors at Nailicho and for river trip groups at Gahnihtah Mie.
• Overnight operations resumed as of July 1, 2020. Visitors must call or email the Nahanni National Park Reserve office to book or plan new trips, or to confirm existing trips.
• Fort Simpson is open and all normal visitor services like hotels, gas stations, grocery stores and Fort Simpson Territorial Park are operating. Visits and staycations in this community are encouraged. For more information, visit: https://fort-simpson.com/ or https://liidliikue.ca/tourism/.
What’s closed: (Updated July 27, 2020)
• The Parks Canada visitor centre in Nahanni Butte, NT is closed until further notice.
• The Cirque-of-the-Unclimbables will be closed to rock climbing for the remainder of 2020.
  
• There is NO access to the tufa mounds at Gahnįhthah (Rabbitkettle Lake).
Your safety when visiting

We strongly encourage all visitors to wear a non-medical mask or face covering when visiting indoor public spaces at Nahanni National Park Reserve. An indoor public space is any space with walls and a roof that can be accessed by the members of the public.

Our community partners in Nahanni Butte are requesting that no unnecessary visits to the community take place. Please respect these wishes when planning your trips.

Visitors from outside the NWT should consult with the latest policies surrounding travel to the NWT this summer. Some of these policies are prone to change. Visit the Government of the Northwest Territories website for more information: http://www.gov.nt.ca/covid19.

For emergencies or safety issues, please contact the Nahanni National Park Reserve Duty Officer at 867-695-6572 by call, text or InReach.

Stay informed

Parks Canada is working with our provincial and territorial counterparts, local municipalities and communities to keep visitors and residents informed and safe.

• More information about other Parks Canada locations and Coronavirus (COVID-19)
• Parks Canada’s Facebook
• Parks Canada’s Twitter
• Nahanni National Park Reserve Facebook