Getting there
From mid-June to mid-September, you can access the park by chartering a boat or aircraft. You can charter aircraft out of Inuvik, NWT, located 250 kilometres southeast of the park. Boat charters may operate out of various Mackenzie Delta communities.
You're required to get a park permit to land aircraft on the island.
The island is often shrouded in fog, particularly in late summer, which can delay flights for hours or even days. Be prepared with sufficient gear and food.
If you're rafting or kayaking the Firth River on the Yukon mainland, you can end your trip at Herschel Island–Qikiqtaruk Territorial Park. However, you must make prior arrangements for return travel.
Download a guide to the park, which includes maps of the park and historic area. Also available in German.
Facilities
Plan to bring all the equipment necessary for independent camping in an arctic environment.
Facilities are limited to driftwood windbreak shelters for tenting, fire rings and driftwood, outhouses and a limited supply of fresh water that needs to be boiled prior to consumption. Park rangers maintain the facilities and offer interpretive assistance at Kuvluraq (Simpson Point). The staff includes local rangers who can provide insight into Inuvialuit culture and history.
A campground permit is required to stay in the backcountry campground in the park. Permits are available from the park rangers. Find out more: Herschel Island–Qikiqtaruk backcountry campground.
About
Herschel Island–Qikiqtaruk Territorial Park lies 5 kilometres off the north coast of the Yukon in the Tariuq (Beaufort Sea). This 116-square-kilometre island protects important natural and human heritage. Between land and sea, its dry polar climate is home to a unique array of arctic plants, animals and sea life, including the largest colony of Inagiq (Black Guillemots) in the Western Arctic.
- View the park's bird checklist.
This is a living park. It is the home of the Inuvialuit, who have used the site for thousands of years. Signs of their old dwellings are still visible on the island. In the late 1800s, American whalers established a station at Kuvluraq. Several historic structures are still standing. Inuvialuit families use the area for traditional activities and researchers come from around the world to study the island's changing wildlife, geomorphology and climate.
Learn more:
- Inuvialuit culture and history
- Archaeology on the island
- Guide to the park's historic resources
- Interactive 3D models, images and other media of the park's heritage features
- Podcast of park ranger Richard Gordon talking and singing about Qikiqtaruk
- Video of the park and its importance
- See 'Related tasks' for more.
Park history
Herschel Island–Qikiqtaruk Territorial Park was designated as a Natural Environment Park in 1987, as a result of the Inuvialuit Final Agreement. This agreement identifies the Yukon North Slope, including Herschel Island, as a special conservation area with the primary purpose of conserving wildlife and habitat and providing for traditional Indigenous use.
Working with the Inuvialuit and their advisory bodies, the Government of Yukon has been primarily responsible for the management and maintenance of the park.
Management plan
A joint committee with Government of Yukon and Inuvialuit representatives led a review of the park management plan.
- Read the renewed park management plan.