Ukkusiksalik National Park in Nunavut, Canada - map, photos and visitor information

Ukkusiksalik National Park surrounds Wager Bay in Nunavut's Kivalliq region. Rolling tundra, coastal waters, and many cultural sites make this an Inuit homeland as well as a protected landscape. Polar bears strongly influence how visitors travel here. A licensed guide and qualified bear guard are required; this is not a park for an unaccompanied sightseeing walk.

Highlights around Wager Bay

• Explore coastal scenery by boat with a licensed outfitter.
• Walk tundra routes chosen for the group's ability and bear conditions.
• Learn about Inuit travel and cultural sites with local guidance.
• Observe wildlife without approaching or disturbing it.

Know before visiting Ukkusiksalik

Fees, hours, and seasonal access

Confirm ice, weather, and access with the park for your dates. The fee schedule describes park charges; it does not include the cost of reaching Wager Bay.

Travel with the required bear protection

Polar bears are unusually abundant here, and encounters are likely on a trip. Parks Canada requires a properly equipped, licensed guide experienced in polar bear country. Visitors must also have a qualified bear guard. Confirm the proposed team's qualifications with the park before paying for an itinerary.

Follow the guide's decisions about shore landings, walking, and camping. A promising wildlife sighting does not justify leaving the group. Report sightings, tracks, and other signs to Parks Canada through the agreed communication arrangements.

Read the polar bear safety information before travel. Include suitable communications, equipment, supplies, and contingency time in the expedition plan.

Respect cultural sites and sensitive habitats

Leave artifacts, soapstone, plants, bones, and other natural objects in place. Do not build or alter cairns. Keep camps away from archaeological sites, protected areas, rockfall hazards, and wildlife habitat.

Fires and visitor fishing are prohibited. Indigenous rights have specific protections. Keep pets and sled dogs physically controlled and attended; service animals must remain with their handlers on a leash or harness. Pack out garbage and follow the orientation's waste-disposal instructions.

Book orientation at least one week ahead

Reserve the Naujaat orientation at least one week before arrival. Allow 60–90 minutes; sessions do not begin after 3:30 p.m. Register, pay the applicable fees, and obtain your entry permit before entering.

De-register within 24 hours after leaving the park. Provide group contacts, your route, outfitter, equipment, and emergency information. The visitor guidelines explain the process. Travel across Inuit-owned land may require separate permission from the Kivalliq Inuit Association.

Wager Bay location and access planning

Ukkusiksalik lies around Wager Bay on the northwestern side of Hudson Bay. Naujaat is a key gateway. The park also identifies Rankin Inlet, Baker Lake, Chesterfield Inlet, and Coral Harbour as access communities.

Arrivals can involve charter aircraft or seasonal boat and snowmobile travel. A boat journey from Naujaat can be lengthy and depends on conditions. Arrange both outward and return transport. This is not a road-access park.

Obtain maps and marine charts before arriving. Use 1:250,000 mapping for general planning and appropriate 1:50,000 sheets for navigation. The official maps page identifies relevant chart coverage, including Wager Bay. Navigate with your experienced licensed outfitter.

Other Nunavut parks for a separate trip

No road-access park combination is available here. These alternatives require different gateways and a separate expedition plan.

• Auyuittuq National Park: On southeastern Baffin Island, approached through Pangnirtung or Qikiqtarjuaq, followed by local boat or snowmobile transport.
• Sirmilik National Park: In northern Baffin and Bylot Island country, approached through Pond Inlet or Arctic Bay. It is a separate journey, not a local day trip from Wager Bay.

Guided boating, tundra walks, and cultural learning

Boat trips allow visitors to experience the bay and coast with local knowledge of landing places and conditions. Choose an itinerary with the operator rather than assuming every shoreline is suitable for a stop.

Guided walking can combine tundra scenery, wildlife observation, and interpretation of the region's human history. Keep the route flexible. Bear activity or changing conditions can alter the day's plan.

For a cultural focus, ask which sites and stories the guide can share. Inuit traveled through Wager Bay to hunt, trade, and maintain connections with other communities. Cultural features should be understood in that living context.

Use the guide and outfitter information to start planning. Ask park staff for the current licensed-operator list and clarify what a package includes.

Backcountry stays and gateway accommodation

The official planning page states that the park has no visitor facilities or services. Plan a fully equipped backcountry stay with your guide. Do not expect a serviced campground, marked campsite network, or hotel inside the park.

Arrange community accommodation separately in a gateway such as Naujaat or Rankin Inlet. Confirm food, stove fuel, transport equipment, and camping supplies before arrival. Local availability is not guaranteed by a general park description.

Discuss wheelchair access for boat or aircraft transfers and field camps with Parks Canada and the operator before committing to travel.

About Ukkusiksalik National Park

Inuit homelands and cooperative management

Inuit have lived in and traveled through the Wager Bay region for generations. Cultural sites preserve evidence of those relationships, including movement between inland country and the coast.

The Inuit Impact and Benefit Agreement was signed in 2003. The official management plan distinguishes that milestone from establishment under the Canada National Parks Act in 2014. Inuit and Parks Canada jointly manage the park, with advice from the Joint Park Management Committee.

Tundra animals and a polar bear coast

Polar bears and caribou are among the animals associated with Ukkusiksalik's tundra and coastal habitats. Arctic wolves also occur in the landscape. Wildlife observation requires patience and distance, with the guide deciding when a group can safely stop.

The park's name reflects the region's soapstone. Like its cultural resources and wildlife, this natural material is protected from visitor collection.

Contact Ukkusiksalik National Park

Call the Naujaat office at 867-462-4500 or email [email protected]. The listed park emergency number is 1-780-852-3100. Agree on the emergency and return-contact procedures during orientation.