Pukaskwa National Park


Pukaskwa National Park is a national park located south of the town of Marathon, Ontario in the Thunder Bay District of northern Ontario, Canada. Established in 1978, Pukaskwa is known for its vistas of Lake Superior and boreal forests. The park covers an area of, and protects part of the longest undeveloped shoreline anywhere on the Great Lakes.
The Hattie Cove Campground is located at the north end of the park and can be accessed via Highway 627, the only road access into the park. There are also a number of backcountry campsites located along the 60 km which follows the north shore of Lake Superior. The Coastal Hiking Trail has two suspension bridges; one across the White River at Chigaamiwinigum and one across the Willow River. The Coastal Hiking Trail is part of the long-distance Voyageur Hiking Trail. Backcountry campsites are also located along the , the White River, and the Pukaskwa River.

Fauna

s, moose, beavers, peregrine falcons, river otters, lynx and timber wolves are found in this park. There was also a small population of woodland caribou but their numbers declined from 30 caribou in the 1970s to about four in 2012 mainly due to wolf predation.
In early 2017, after previous failures to locate any remaining caribou, researchers turned to advanced thermal imaging technology to survey the area for caribou. This survey revealed caribou are now extirpated from this park.

Climate

The park has a humid continental climate under the Köppen climate classification that is strongly influenced by Lake Superior.
Rivers in the park include the:
The Pic River enters Lake Superior just north of the park.
The highest point in the park is the peak of Tip Top Mountain which rises to 641 meters / 2106 feet.
Thousand year old rock structures known as Pukaskwa Pits which were created by the original inhabitants of this area can be found on many of the park's cobblestone beaches.
The most recent State of the Park Report for Pukaskwa National Park was published in 2008.

Footnotes