Hello everyone and welcome back to my National Park blog! While all of the previous parks discussed on this site are places that I, myself, have had the privilege of visiting, there are plenty of beautiful parks outside of the American West I feel are deserving of some recognition. Even though there are countless attractions to visit in America’s now settled frontier, some lesser known spectacular sites exist outside of both that region, and this country entirely. As a result, this week’s national park is a little different, with it being even farther from any sort of civilization or connection to the outside world than any of the previously mentioned parks.
Auyuittuq National Park, located on Baffin Island, Nunavut, is truly a unique destination for any sort of a vacation, especially when compared with some of the other previously mentioned parks. The park sits far into the Canadian North, resulting in relatively extreme weather conditions, especially for those not used to snow. In contrast with other locations mentioned in the United States, this park is much less accessible. In order to even get to the park, one must fly to the Baffin Island city of Iqaluit, fly north to one of several small towns listed on the park’s website, and from there, either boat or snowmobile as far as 22 miles to reach the park itself. This process can take a considerable amount of time and dedication, but the reward appears to be well worth it.
Auyuittuq is home to countless fjords, ice, and its impressive and sheer cliffs and ledges. The most famous of these is found on Mount Thor, one of the park’s star attractions, which boasts the world’s steepest and tallest cliff. This mountain is undoubtedly one of the world’s most impressive features, with Thor’s west face being an insane 4,100 foot vertical drop. Because of this, hikers and thrill-seekers from across the globe brave the areas’s frigid arctic conditions and remoteness to visit, or even climb the massive structure.
However, Mount Thor is not the only Norse-Themed attraction found in the park, with Mount Odin and Mount Asgard being among the many similarly named structures Auyuittuq has to offer. Mount Asgard, despite not being quite as steep as Mount Thor, is still an impressive attraction, with its signature twin peaks making it a staple of the park. Likewise, Mount Odin, as the tallest point in the park and on Baffin Island, is a must see when visiting this stunning park.
Despite its harsh climate, remoteness, and overall lack of accessibility to casual visitors, Auquittuq National Park is certainly a bucket-list vacation spot for me. The sheer cliffs and jagged peaks make for a uniquely beautiful experience that cannot be mimicked in other parks. While it may mean some sort of training or at least hiking more seriously, this park seems to have some sort of draw to it that I personally need to see for myself.