Photo:
Paul Gierszewski / CC BY-SA 3.0
Quttinirpaaq, “top of the world” in Inuktitut, sits at the far northern tip of Ellesmere Island, one of the most remote and northerly places on the planet. A polar wilderness of ice caps, jagged mountains and glacier-carved fjords, it is the second-most-northerly park on Earth, a realm of 24-hour summer sun, surprising oases of life, and utter, humbling isolation.
The park is a High Arctic world of extremes, enormous ice caps and glaciers, the rugged Grant Land Mountains (including Barbeau Peak, the highest in eastern North America), and deep fjords reaching the frozen Arctic Ocean. Amid the ice lie surprising thermal oases like Lake Hazen, a relatively lush pocket that supports muskoxen, Arctic hares, wolves and nesting birds in the endless summer light.
Only the brief High Arctic summer allows access, under 24-hour daylight but still bitter cold, windy and unpredictable, with snow possible any day. There is no other season for visiting, the rest of the year is polar darkness and extreme cold, and even summer trips are rare, costly and demanding.
Reaching Quttinirpaaq requires long-range chartered aircraft, typically staging through Resolute, at considerable expense; there are no roads, communities or services within reach. Travel inside is on foot or ski, and every visit is a major, fully self-supported expedition undertaken by highly experienced parties or specialized outfitters.
This is a park for serious expeditions, trekking between Lake Hazen and Tanquary Fiord, mountaineering in the Grant Land Mountains, and experiencing a polar wilderness almost no one ever sees. Wildlife viewing at the oases, glacier travel and the sheer experience of standing near the top of the world are the rewards.
Few places on Earth are less forgiving: extreme cold, glaciated and crevassed terrain, river crossings, polar bears, and a remoteness so total that rescue may be days away. Only expert, fully equipped and self-sufficient parties should attempt it, with satellite communication, meticulous planning, and Parks Canada’s mandatory orientation.
A Parks Canada pass, registration and orientation are required, and access is by costly long-range charter for experienced expeditions only. This page is a general overview, not a live conditions report; always confirm current access, conditions and requirements with Parks Canada before your trip.
Set this declination on your compass, then align it to the map's north lines; it is the angle between true north and magnetic north, refreshed each year.
