Canada is home to 37 national parks, including world-famous attractions from Alberta's Banff to the Cape Breton Highlands in Nova Scotia. But in addition to those heavy hitters, did you know the country has 10 National Park Reserves? These reserves look like national parks and are protected and managed in the same way, but are yet to be granted full national park status as they lie in areas with unresolved Indigenous land claims, which are being negotiated between Indigenous and federal governments. Indigenous communities continue to use the land for traditional activities such as hunting and fishing. Here we shine a light on Canada's gorgeous 10 national park reserves.
Located in the far reaches of Canada on the banks of the Labrador Sea, this 4,131-square mile (10,700sq km) reserve is the largest in Eastern Canada. The remote locale means that there isn’t much in the way of infrastructure or services, but determined visitors can take in the bare-faced beauty of the glacier-rounded Mealy Mountains, ice-cold Lake Melville and vast swathes of pristine boreal forest full of wolves, bears and foxes.
The reserve is a sacred place for Innu, Inuit and NunatuKavut peoples, which is why its official name includes both Innu and Labrador Inuit words. The lands were brought into the national park system in 2015 with the park being co-managed by the Innu Nation and the Canadian Government. The Nunatsiavut Government and Innu of Québec also hold land claims on portions of the park.
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British Columbia’s Southern Gulf Islands are like jewels in the Strait of Georgia, the body of water which runs between Vancouver Island and mainland Canada’s southwest coast. The islands' mild weather and stirring landscapes made them popular targets for development, prompting the Canadian government to establish a National Park Reserve in 2003 – the Reserve stretches over portions of 15 islands and many more smaller islets, home to lush vegetation and an array of sea life, such as killer whales.
The Gulf Islands are of tremendous importance to the Coast Salish peoples, both currently and historically. The cooperative relationships between Indigenous nations and Parks Canada have not always been smooth since the reserve was established: some local Indigenous groups argue that, while the park may protect ecosystems, it also obstructs their land use rights. The government continues to work with an Indigenous Management Board to consult with Coast Salish groups that wish to be involved.
Further north up the British Columbia coast sits Haida Gwaii, a chain of islands that's home to the Haida people. In addition to ancient rainforests and waters teeming with wildlife, the Gwaii Haanas reserve sits on 1,800 wild undeveloped islands and islets. It acts as a living museum – its historic Haida village sites feature weathered totem poles, partially-carved canoes and the remnants of longhouses. Visitors can explore the sites by kayak while looking out for humpback whales.
The establishment of the reserve began with a dispute in the 1970s, when residents protested plans for logging developments on traditional Haida lands on Moresby Island. In 1993, the Government of Canada signed an agreement with the Council of the Haida Nation that led to the formation of a management board including equal Government of Canada and Haida Nation representation. It’s widely viewed as a top example of how Parks Canada and Indigenous groups can manage a park together.
Behemoth glaciers and the impossibly jagged peaks of the St. Elias Mountains dominate this otherworldly park in the southwest corner of the Yukon. In fact, the reserve is home to Mount Logan, Canada’s highest peak. It's not all about ice and snow, though: in the summer months visitors can hike or bike in Kluane’s immense wild areas or paddle along the crystal-clear waters of Kathleen Lake.
As the traditional land of the Southern Tutchone people, Kluane consists of two parts: an official national park that's the result of successful land settlement, and another section that remains a reserve while the Government of Canada tries to reach an agreement with local First Nations. The park is managed in partnership with Kluane First Nation and Champagne and Aishihik First Nations with ongoing efforts to ensure that the nations’ rights, cultural resources and interests are protected.
One of Canada’s most visually recognisable National Park Reserves, Mingan Archipelago is home to the country’s largest concentration of limestone monoliths. The park sits on the banks of the widest part of the St. Lawrence River in Eastern Québec, the waters which shaped these natural sculptures. The monoliths are astonishing to look at (especially by boat tour) and they also provide a unique habitat for a variety of seabirds and other marine animals.
Mingan Archipelago remains a National Park Reserve due to land claims on behalf of the Nutashkuan and Ekuanitshit First Nations. The Nutashkuan plus the Québec and Canadian governments have signed an Agreement-in-Principle, which gives the First Nation certain rights over the land that makes up Mingan Archipelago, as well as a special role in park management. The Ekuanitshit First Nation were also consulted on the park’s management plan.
Encompassing the Mackenzie Mountains near the Northwest Territories’ western border, Nááts'įhch'oh is named after a mountain within the park that takes its name from the Shúhtaot’ine phrase for “sharp like a porcupine”. This is rugged country – most visitors reach the park via floatplane and even the most avid adventurers looking to canoe on the rivers are advised to go out with a guide. But once you get here, there are also plenty of awe-inspiring hiking opportunities and natural hot springs to soak in.
Nááts'įhch'oh is an incredibly sacred area for the Shúhtaot’ine (Mountain Dene) people, who believe that the park’s namesake mountain has a prehistoric power that gives their community strength and resilience. As a result, the Sahtu Dene and Metis of the Tulita District are deeply interested in park management. The park’s management plan helps ensure that their traditions are preserved and that Indigenous peoples are given employment opportunities within the park.
Nahanni National Park Reserve sits on the South Nahanni River alongside Nááts'įhch'oh, its sister park reserve. Even though the parks sit side-by-side, they each have their own flavour. Nahanni’s greatest claim to fame beyond the river itself is the Cirque of the Unclimbables, a collection of granite spires, as well as Náįlįcho (Virginia Falls), a gorgeous waterfall that's twice as high as the famed Niagara Falls.
Similar to Nááts'įhch'oh, Nahanni has been a key cultural area for the Dene people for over 10,000 years. Dehcho First Nations, the public government for Indigenous communities in the Northwest Territories, has been working with the Canadian Government on land negotiations involving the park for many years. Together they created the Nahʔą Dehé Consensus Team, which cooperatively addresses issues concerning the management of the park.
The Pacific Ocean beaches along the west coast of Vancouver Island may not be the most tropical of shores, but they're some of the most beautiful and calming in the world. Pacific Rim National Park Reserve includes many of these beaches, including the majestic Long Beach near the popular town of Tofino, plus swathes of lush rainforest and tiny islands to explore. The West Coast Trail, one of Canada’s most famous multi-day hiking trails, is also part of this park.
Pacific Rim sits on the traditional territories of the Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations, who retain certain rights within the park. The Nations work in collaboration with Parks Canada to protect both the natural and cultural resources on the park reserve’s land and to make sure an Indigenous perspective is represented in all management decisions. The relationship is guided by Nuu-chah-nulth principles of ʔiisaak (respect) and hišukʔiš c̓awaak (everything is one), as per Nuu-chah-nulth tradition.
This sandy crescent-shaped island sits 109 miles (175 km) off the coast of mainland Nova Scotia, making it one of the most isolated parks in Canada. While the beach-lined landscape is beautiful, the real draw here is the 500 wild horses that roam around the narrow island, whose ancestors may have been introduced here in the late 1730s by a Boston clergyman. The island is also known as “the graveyard of the Atlantic,” with over 350 ships being wrecked near its shores in the past.
It's also an important slice of land for Nova Scotia’s Mi’kmaq peoples. The Mi’kmaq retain a land claim over the island, earning it its reservation status. The Mi’kmaq ask all visitors to tread lightly and respect the island, to honour its sacred status and to learn from the delicate balance of life and environment that exists on this incredibly unique part of the globe.
Known as the “Land of the Ancestors,” this huge swathe of land in the eastern part of the Northwest Territories was established as a National Park Reserve in 2019, making it Canada's newest National Park Reserve. Thaidene Nene’s main feature is its combination of subarctic boreal forest and proximity to the massive Great Slave Lake. This makes for excellent fishing (under the midnight sun in the summer) and the chance to spot plenty of protected wildlife.
Indigenous consultation was important when the Government of Canada set to establishing Thaidene Nene, since the area is a traditional and present-day fishing and hunting ground and also has spiritual significance. The park’s management is shared between Parks Canada and Łutsël K’é Dene First Nation, Northwest Territory Métis Nation, Deninu Kųę First Nation and Yellowknives Dene First Nation, working collaboratively in the best interest of the land.