Virginia Falls
Virginia Falls is located on the South Nahanni River in Nahanni National Park Reserve in the Northwest Territories. It is located 75 miles from the Yukon border at a height of 1,600 feet. The Virginia Falls Water Aerodrome, the closest access point, is only 1,300 feet upstream. Snail fossils discovered in the park date back over 300 million years. The Dené people, an indigenous First Nations group, first settled in this area around 8,000-10,000 years ago. In the 18th century, Europeans began to use the area for fur trading after hearing stories about Nálcho, or "big water falling", as described by the Dené people. Its existence was not established until 1928, when Fenley Hunter spent 56 days attempting to reach it. Virginia Falls was named after Hunter's daughter.
Pierre Trudeau visited the region in 1972 and designated it as a National Park. It was one of four parks designated as UNESCO World Heritage sites in 1978, owing primarily to Virginia Falls. An agreement between the Dehcho First Nations and Parks Canada enables for the park and Virginia Falls to be managed collaboratively. The Fort Simpson visitor center preserves the area's aboriginal history and culture, and tourists who go to the falls' perspective will participate in a Dené ceremony. Mason's Boulder, a massive rock in the midst of the falls, is named after Bill Mason, a notable Canadian environmentalist and photographer. After Mason's death, a park warden began referring to it as such, and the name stuck.
Virginia Falls is best visited between June and August due to the severe temperature, floods, and unpredictable weather. Even if you are traveling in the summer, dress warmly if you intend to explore the waterfall's base. The waterfall's mist and wind cause the temperature to drop 10-15°C below the air temperature. The park itself is enormously large and diverse, and it now covers 11,602 square miles of wilderness after being expanded in 2009. It's no surprise that visitors spend up to a month exploring the park because there's so much to see and do.
Location: Nahanni National Park Reserve, Northwest Territories, Canada
