Ivvavik National Park, National park in Yukon, Canada
Ivvavik National Park covers 10,168 km² of the British Mountains, which run east to west and merge into Alaska's Brooks Range. The Firth River, described as the oldest river in Canada, drains north from year-round aufeis at its headwaters through canyon sections before forming a delta at the Beaufort Sea. The park's highest point is Arthur Laing Peak, at least 1,760 m, in the south.
The park was established in 1984 as the first Canadian national park created through an Indigenous land claim agreement. This arrangement reflected growing recognition of Inuit rights and their knowledge of managing these northern landscapes.
Ivvavik is an Inuvialuktun word meaning "nursery" or "birthplace", given in 1992 when the park dropped its original name, Northern Yukon National Park. It refers to the Porcupine caribou herd's calving grounds. The park holds cultural sites that remain important to the Inuvialuit, and Parks Canada manages the land together with them.
Access requires advance planning and typically involves chartered flights from nearby communities in the north. Visitors should prepare for harsh weather conditions and few facilities, as visitor infrastructure is minimal in this remote location.
The Firth River is considered the oldest river in Canada. Its first raft descent was made by Martyn Williams, Alan Dennis and Jim Boyde, and it begins at year-round aufeis formations at its headwaters before flowing through canyons to a large delta at the Beaufort Sea.
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