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Protected Area

Nahanni National Park Reserve

National Park

Nahanni National Park Reserve lies in the Dehcho region of the Northwest Territories, Canada, about 500 kilometers west of Yellowknife. Established in 1972 and expanded in 2009 to roughly 30,050 square kilometers, the reserve protects the South Nahanni River, known locally as the Naha Dehe, along four dramatic canyons with walls reaching about 1,000 meters. The reserve contains Virginia Falls, which plunges 90 meters into a churning plume, and the Rabbitkettle hotsprings and tufa mounds, the largest such formations in Canada. In 1978 Nahanni became the first site in the world inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it remains home to an estimated 500 grizzly bears amid its diverse topography.

Facts
Designation Category
National Park 2
Established Year
1976 2
Area (sq km)
30,000 2
Governing Body
Parks Canada 1
IUCN Category
II 2
Classification
Governance Type
Governance by Government 1
Realm
Terrestrial 1
International Designation
UNESCO World Heritage Site 1
Governing Body
Governing Body (category)
Parks Canada 1
FAQs

Is all of Nahanni National Park Reserve a World Heritage Site?

Only the original park area is listed. The 2009 expansion did not change the World Heritage boundary.

No. UNESCO inscribed the original Nahanni National Park in 1978. In 2009 Canada added 2,500,000 hectares to create the Nahanni National Park Reserve, which now totals about 3 million hectares. The World Heritage boundary stayed as it was originally inscribed, so only the original park area carries the listing.
Sources
1. Nahanni National Park Reserve (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundation
  • Wikipedia lead extract, realm terrestrial
    The Nahanni National Park Reserve, sometimes known as "Headless Valley" or "Valley of The Headless Men" (after a series of unsolved historical deaths in the park), in the Dehcho Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada (approximately 500 km (310 mi) west of Yellowknife), protects a portion of the Mackenzie Mountains Natural Region.
  • Wikipedia infobox, governing_body field
    Parks Canada
  • entity-description, international-designation unesco-world-heritage-site
    In 1978 Nahanni became the first site in the world inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it remains home to an estimated 500 grizzly bears amid its diverse topography.
  • Wikipedia infobox, governance-type government
    Parks Canada
View the Source
2. Nahanni National Park Reserve (Wikidata)
Wikimedia Foundation
  • Wikidata P2046 (area), preferred/latest rank
  • Wikidata P31 (instance of) = Q46169
  • Wikidata item Q391391
    P31 protected-area class match, verified by search+class allow-list
  • Part Of: Canada, Wikidata item, property P17 (country)
View the Source
Wikidata: Nahanni National Park Reserve
Wikidata Q391391, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source
Wikidata: Canada
On Continent: North America, Wikidata item for Canada, property P30 (continent)View the Source
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