Pukaskwa National Park
Encyclopedia
Pukaskwa National Park is a national park
located south of the town of Marathon, Ontario
in the Thunder Bay District
of northern Ontario
, Canada
. Established in 1978, Pukaskwa is known for its vistas of Lake Superior
and boreal forests. The park covers an area of 1,878 km².
There is a campground at Hattie Cove located at the north end of the park which can be accessed via Highway 627, the only road access into the park. There are also a number of backcountry campsites located along a hiking trail which follows the north shore of Lake Superior. This trail is part of the long-distance Voyageur Hiking Trail
.
A small population of Woodland Caribou can be found in the park. There are also black bear
s, moose
, Canadian Lynx and grey wolves.
Rivers in the park include the:
The Pic River
enters Lake Superior just north of the park.
The highest point in the park is the peak of Tip Top Mountain which rises to 641 meters / 2106 feet.
Thousand year old rock structures known as Pukaskwa Pit
s which were created by the original inhabitants of this area can be found on many of the park's cobblestone beaches.
This park was named after the Pukaskwa River.
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
located south of the town of Marathon, Ontario
Marathon, Ontario
Marathon is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in Thunder Bay District, on the north shore of Lake Superior north of Pukaskwa National Park, in the heart of the Canadian Shield.- History :...
in the Thunder Bay District
Thunder Bay District, Ontario
Thunder Bay District is a district and census division in Northwestern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario. The district seat is Thunder Bay....
of northern Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Established in 1978, Pukaskwa is known for its vistas of Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
and boreal forests. The park covers an area of 1,878 km².
There is a campground at Hattie Cove located at the north end of the park which can be accessed via Highway 627, the only road access into the park. There are also a number of backcountry campsites located along a hiking trail which follows the north shore of Lake Superior. This trail is part of the long-distance Voyageur Hiking Trail
Voyageur Hiking Trail
The Voyageur Hiking Trail is a public hiking trail between Sudbury and Thunder Bay in Northern Ontario, Canada. The name honours the early European fur traders of the region who traveled largely by canoe and were known as 'voyageurs’ and ‘coureurs des bois’ The trail is used by all ages and levels...
.
A small population of Woodland Caribou can be found in the park. There are also black bear
American black bear
The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
s, moose
Moose
The moose or Eurasian elk is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a dendritic configuration...
, Canadian Lynx and grey wolves.
Rivers in the park include the:
- Pukaskwa RiverPukaskwa RiverThe Pukaskwa River is a river in northern Ontario which empties into the north shore of Lake Superior at the south end of Pukaskwa National Park...
- Cascade River
- North Swallow River
- Swallow River
- White RiverWhite River (Ontario)White River is a river in Ontario Province, Canada. It is one of many tributaries that feeds Lake Superior.-Sources:...
- Willow River
The Pic River
Pic River
The Pic River is a river in the east part of Thunder Bay District in northwestern Ontario, Canada. It flows from McKay Lake southeast of the community of Longlac and empties into Lake Superior southeast of the town of Marathon.-Course:...
enters Lake Superior just north of the park.
The highest point in the park is the peak of Tip Top Mountain which rises to 641 meters / 2106 feet.
Thousand year old rock structures known as Pukaskwa Pit
Pukaskwa Pit
Pukaskwa Pits are small holes dug in the ground by ancestors of the Ojibwa, named after the Pukaskwa River, near Lake Superior. Estimations of the dates of their digging range from between 1100 and 1600 CE on the near end, to 3,000 to 8,000 BCE on the far end....
s which were created by the original inhabitants of this area can be found on many of the park's cobblestone beaches.
This park was named after the Pukaskwa River.
See also
- National Parks of Canada
- List of National Parks of Canada
External links
- Official site
- Friends of Pukaskwa
- Watch the short documentary by Bill MasonBill MasonBill Mason was an award-winning Canadian naturalist, author, artist, filmmaker, and conservationist, noted primarily for his popular canoeing books, films, and art as well as his documentaries on wolves. Mason was also known for including passages from Christian sermons in his films...
Pukaskwa National Park