About the Park

Wabakimi Wilderness Park is the world’s largest pristine paddling reserve. It was created in 3 stages over 25 years. If you include attached nature reserves, conservation reserves, and waterway parks, it covers 5 million acres: twice as big as Yellowstone Park or Prince Edward Island or the State of Connecticut! It has 3 main functions.

• First and foremost is the preservation and protection of a huge piece of boreal forest aquatic and boreal ecosystems large enough to allow fire and other natural forces to reign.
• Second, it is the world’s largest preserve for several hundred threatened woodland caribou
• Third, it offers some of the best wilderness paddling (both flatwater and whitewater) anywhere.

Wabakimi Outfitters founder Bruce Hyer started lobbying for its creation in 1978, and many call him the Father of Wabakimi. For his dedication to Wabakimi, he is the only person to have ever twice received the prestigious Conservation Trophy from Ontario Nature. If you join him for a coffee or malt beverage, he can share many tales of how and why he has spent 40 years of his life fighting for it, building portage trails, and studying its woodland caribou for many years while working toward his forestry/wildlife master’s degree.

Wabakimi is a three hour drive north of Thunder Bay (which is three hours north of Duluth Minnesota). There is virtually no direct access to Wabakimi by car. Access to Wabakimi is a bit tricky, but we specialize in solving that problem!

Waterfalls & Wilderness Nature Tour»