Vuntut National Park, National park in Yukon, Canada
Vuntut National Park lies in northern Yukon on the Old Crow Flats, a Ramsar-protected wetland plain bordering Ivvavik National Park to the north, Alaska to the west and the Old Crow River to the south. Its flat, treeless expanse is dotted with numerous irregular lakes and ponds, some long and narrow, others broad, set among olive-green and brown vegetation.
The area became a national park in 1995 through a land claim agreement between the Canadian government and the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation. This agreement recognized the people's traditional rights to the land.
The name Vuntut comes from the Gwichʼin for "among the lakes". No permanent settlements have been found in the park, but the Vuntut Gwitchin used these lands seasonally for several centuries, and hunting caribou was and remains the community's main activity.
Visiting requires advance planning and contact with Parks Canada, as there are no trails, facilities, or services within the park. Visitors must be completely self-sufficient and experienced in navigating unmarked wilderness.
The Old Crow Flats, a Ramsar-protected wetland, hold one of North America's largest caribou herds, about 112,000 animals, and more than half a million birds nest on the plains. Muskrats are numerous on the park's lakes. Fewer than 25 people visit the park each year.
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