The Nunavik region of Québec’s Far North is a nature lover’s dream come true. This Arctic landscape sits above the 55th parallel: a backcountry wilderness of alpine tundra, gravity-defying mountains, remote coastlines, friendly Inuit communities and four Québec national parks.

To polar bears, muskox and caribou, the tundra, tumbling waterways and craggy shores are their home. The Inuit people have journeyed and settled on this land for more than four millennia. Today, they guide excursions into the inviolable grandeur of the Nunavik Parks, marrying unspoiled adventure with rich cultural experiences and the magical northern lights. 

Pingualuit National Park  

A backcountry trip to Pingualuit goes to the park’s signature feature—the almost perfectly round crater filled with clear blue rainwater, formed when a meteorite slammed into the tundra 1.4 million years ago. The nearby base camp at Lake Manarsulik is the jumping-off point for explorations into the surreal beauty of the parklands. Winter and summer, visitors arrive at the Inuit community of Kangiqsujuaq, nearby the Hudson Strait, to meet their Inuit guides before travelling 120 km (75 mi.) to the crater site, either by panoramic flight or on snowmobile. In summer, adventurers paddle Lake Manarsulik and hike the crater rim with vistas over the treeless Arctic tundra. In winter, there is backcountry skiing, ice fishing, kiteskiing, fat biking, alpine snow-shoeing and a once-in-a-lifetime chance to embrace the snow-covered tundra by returning to Kangiqsujuaq on a multi-day, hut-to-hut ski trek (www.nunavikparks.ca/en/parks/pingualuit).

Kuururjuaq National Park  

Climb Québec’s highest summit, Mont D’Iberville (1646 m), and hike the foothills of the Torngat Mountains, Canada’s tallest peaks east of the Rockies. Its superlatives include:  spellbinding vistas of rolling tundra, spiritual summertime treks or winter snowshoe adventures through ancient boreal spruce forests and camping in traditional Inuit tents while the northern lights play overhead. The headwaters of the Koroc River flow from the Torngats, a place the Inuit call “The Land of Spirits,” a navigable waterway in summer for whitewater paddling and a frozen pathway in winter for exploring by Nordic skis. The welcoming community of Kangiqsualujjuaq is home base for expeditions where experienced Inuit guides share the love of their Arctic homeland and the richness of their culture and history (www.nunavikparks.ca/en/parks/Kuururjuaq).

Tursujuq National Park 

Wilderness adventures into Tursujuq—Québec’s most massive park (26,107 sq. km) and an ancient crossroads where Inuit and Cree have coexisted for more than 3,000 years—begin in Umiujaq, a tight-knit Inuit community on the shore of Hudson Bay. Year-round, guided excursions start at the thundering waters of majestic Nastapoka Falls, a spot renowned for its plentiful wildlife. In summer, hike the Hudson coast’s signature cuestas, paddle campsite-to-campsite while sea kayaking on the inland sea that is the vast Tasiujaq Lake. Or journey further to Lake Wiyâshâkimî, the second largest lake in Québec. With its sandy beaches, rocky hills and plateaus, it is an ideal place to explore on a fat bike. The white blanket of winter transforms the region into an outdoor playground for backcountry skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling. At night, nature may pull out all the stops with a showy display of northern lights while visitors gather in the tupik (the traditional Inuit tent) to listen to guides tell of how the land and culture are intertwined in rich Inuit traditions (www.nunavikparks.ca/en/parks/Tursujuq).