Pingualuit National Park (french: Parc national des Pingualuit) is a

provincial park Ischigualasto Provincial Park A provincial park (or territorial park) is a park administered by one of the provinces of a country, as opposed to a national park. They are similar to state parks in other countries. They are typically open to t ...

located in the

Ungava Peninsula The Ungava Peninsula of Nunavik, Quebec, Canada, is bounded by Hudson Bay to the west, Hudson Strait to the north, and Ungava Bay to the east. This peninsula is part of the Labrador Peninsula, and covers about . Its northernmost point is Ca ...

south-west of the

Inuit Inuit (; iu, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ 'the people', singular: Inuk, , dual: Inuuk, ) are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic and subarctic regions of Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories ...

village of Kangiqsujuaq. The park protects the

Pingualuit crater The Pingualuit Crater (french: Cratère des Pingualuit; from Inuit "pimple"), formerly called the "Chubb Crater" and later the "New Quebec Crater" (french: Cratère du Nouveau-Québec), is a relatively young impact crater located on the Ungava Pe ...

, a young

meteorite crater An impact crater is a circular depression in the surface of a solid astronomical object formed by the hypervelocity impact of a smaller object. In contrast to volcanic craters, which result from explosion or internal collapse, impact craters ...

. The park is managed by the

Kativik Regional Government The Kativik Regional Government (french: Administration régionale Kativik, KGR) encompasses most of the Nunavik region of Quebec. Nunavik is the northern half of the Nord-du-Québec administrative region and includes all the territory north of ...

Flora and fauna

The park is located about 350 kilometres north of the tree line, in an area of continuous permafrost. The Arctic tundra is characterized by the total absence of trees and discontinuous vegetation. The flora is very little diversified due to the climatic conditions which subject the vegetation to violent winds, intense cold and dehydration. Lichens, mosses and sphagnum dominate the territory with a few species of rare herbaceous plants and shrubs. Traffic is restricted in a few areas to ensure no unnecessary damage caused by trampling throughout the park. Arctic fauna is very low in diversity, but is often compensated by its abundance. The Rivière aux Feuilles caribou herd stays in the park from May to July. There are also Canada geese, snow geese, wolves, foxes, snowy owls, and Arctic hares that are present in the park. The park territory also hosts Hudson Strait polar bears, which move inland.

Tourism and activities

The months of July and August as well as the beginning of September are the best times to go on an expedition in the park. The temperature is very mild, although it can become negative. In winter it is possible to do dog sledding or ski touring, March and April would be the best months. Several outdoor activities are possible such as hiking, kayaking, fishing, ice fishing, nature observation, dog sledding and cross-country skiing. In addition, it is possible to participate in the construction of an igloo and spend a night there. The community of Kangiqsujuaq also organizes tours of the permanent exhibition. An interpretation centre is located in the community of Kangiqsujuaq, relating customary stories and legends.

External links

Official site (by Kativik Regional Government)
National parks of Quebec Tourist attractions in Nord-du-Québec Protected areas of Nord-du-Québec Protected areas established in 2004 2004 establishments in Quebec {{Canada-protected-area-stub

Flora and fauna

Tourism and activities

See also

External links