Hiking and skiing

Sirmilik National Park

Bylot Island can be seen from Pond Inlet. Visitors who only have a day or two can hire local outfitters to bring them to the island by boat or snow machine depending on the season for a short day hike or visit to Sermilik Glacier.

Hiking and skiing opportunities are endless in Sirmilik National Park. While there are no designated travel routes, park staff will be able to help you with trip planning.


Hiking

A high plateau and broad river valleys of the Borden Peninsula and the variety of terrain of Bylot Island are prime hiking destinations in the park. In the Southwest region of Bylot there are extensive opportunities for wildlife viewing from foxes to geese. Most hikes on Bylot Island will put you up-close to numerous ancient glaciers whose grandeur can occupy your entire view. With 16 glaciers to choose from on Bylot Island alone, the hardest part of your trip will be deciding which ones to visit. Your approach to the glaciers is across varied terrain that will provide you with a hands-on experience into the world of glacial features and how their movement sculpts this land.


Skiing, mountaineering and glacier travel

Sirmilik National Park is ‘the place of glaciers’. Spring (late March to early June) is the ideal time for ski touring and mountaineering here, especially on Bylot Island. Groups planning to do glacier travel should have an experienced leader and have thorough knowledge of glacier travel including crevasse rescue.

Mountain Travel in Sirmilik National Park

Transcript

Canada Parks logo.

Music starts

[Images of Canada's Arctic and Pond Inlet, Nunavut]

[Map showing Sirmilik National Park]

[Parks Canada staff preparing sleds]

[Text: "Eclipse Sound" appears while snowmobiles move across the landscape]

[Snowmobiles travel across the landscape]

[Text: "Aktineq glacier" appears as skiers ski across glacier]

[Parks staff set up winter camp in stormy conditions]

[Text: "Sirmilik National Park covers 22,000 square kilometers on Nunavut's Baffin and Bylot Islands" with image of glacier landscape.]

[Text: "Near Mount Mitima"]

[Parks staff performing snow profile tests]

[Parks staff practicing crevasse rescue techniques]

[Still image of the Visitor Safety team]

Parks Canada logo.

© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, represented by Parks Canada, 2016.

Canada wordmark.

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