Page created on : October 16, 1999
Last updated : August 6, 2004

Occupying the Meta Incognita Peninsula on the southern part of Baffin Island, the park extends from the south shore of Frobisher Bay across from Iqaluit, to the top of Pleasant Inlet along the coast of Hudson Strait.

Katannilik means «place where there are falls» and the reserve contains waterfalls of various sizes within its 1,500 square kilometres of highland plateau and scenic river valleys.

Three distinct types of landscape are found within its boundaries: the flat-bottomed, steep-sided Soper River Valley with low adjacent wetlands and a relatively rich cover of vegetations; the surrounding uplands, flat to gently rolling, with streams and ponds in shallow valleys almost devoid of vegetation; and a combinaison of the two.

The animal population, typical of the Arctic, is low and subject to fluctuations. Caribou are the most common and important to the natives, who get food, clothing and bone for implements from them. Many Arctic species also are found within the reserve.

Although still in its planning stages, Katannilik has much to offer. Hiking trails, canoes, rafts, kayaks, bush planes, helicopters, snowmobiles... not for the beginner but a fantastic chance to have a first-hand experience at the Far North. As the NWT people proclaim: «Whitin Reach yet Beyond Relief».