The best camping near Ukkusiksalik National Park

On the shores of Wager Bay, Ukkusiksalik is mostly made up of vast, desolate tundra and mudflats—so don’t expect a welcome committee, much less any maintained trails or designated campgrounds. The park wasn’t always uninhabited like it is now, with the scattered remains of food caches, tent rings, and even an old Hudson’s Bay Company trading post set here. Polar bears, caribou, orcas, golden eagles, peregrine falcons, and beluga whales are among the creatures you might spy. With backcountry permit, you can camp anywhere aside from archaeological sites, designated wildlife habitats, and other preservation areas. Getting here is a slog and requires a lot of careful planning, but the rewards are awesome: you’ll tread where few others have.

• Best for wildlife-watching: Sila Lodge offers five guest cabins from July to late August, when it also serves as a starting point for wildlife tours and excursions.
• Best for history buffs: The area around Hudson’s Bay Company Post at Ford Lake is full of character.
• Best for boating: Douglas Harbour makes for a waterfront experience.

1. Ukkusiksalik is polar bear country. With that, the extreme weather, and the inhospitable landscape, camping is anything but simple. You’ll have to get a permit and notify Parks Canada of your plans well in advance.
2. Even the most self-sufficient adventurers should use licensed outfitters who can set up a safe base camp, complete with electric fences and polar bear guards.
3. A former Inuit-run naturalist site on the northeast shore of Wager Bay, Sila Lodge is a good place to start explorations.

The park can be accessed by snowmobile in spring (March and April) or by boat in summer (July and August). In May and June, the sea ice on Hudson Bay breaks up, making Ukkusiksalik inaccessible. The park is closed to visitors the rest of the year, with extreme winter temperatures, darkness, and heightened polar bear hazards making it a no-go zone.

• All visitors must register and de-register their park visit, and attend a mandatory orientation session with park staff.
• The nearest gateways to the park are Baker Lake, Rankin Inlet, Chesterfield Inlet, and Naujaat (formerly Repulse Bay) in Nunavut. None are near enough for day trips, so you’ll need to make a base in the park itself, likely with a local outfitter.
• Many arctic birds build their nests on the ground in Ukkusiksalik—watch out for eggs and chicks underfoot as you explore.