Hiking in Parc national des Pingualuit (Pingualuit National Park): trails, map and practical info

A meteorite crater in the tundra

According to Nunavik Parks, the park lies in the middle of the Ungava plateau, about 350 kilometres north of the treeline, in a continuous permafrost zone. It protects a crater created some 1.4 million years ago by a meteorite impact, one of the youngest and best-preserved craters on the planet. Inside the crater lies Pingualuk Lake: with no surface outflow and only rainwater as its source, its water is renewed just once every 330 years.

The Inuit call the area "pingualuit," which Nunavik Parks says means "pimple," a humorous reference to the rippled crater rim.

Hiking: guided packages, undeveloped trails

Nunavik Parks does not describe any free-access day trail. Walking starts from Manarsulik Camp, the base of the summer "Crater Trek" packages (6 or 9 days) and the 3-day weekend. For the crater day, Nunavik Parks offers three options from the camp:

• walk to the crater: 5 km round trip;
• go down to the water: 2.5 km round trip;
• do the whole tour: 18 km round trip to the camp.

Nunavik Parks warns that the trails are undeveloped, over rocks that are often loose and sometimes slippery. It recommends caution, walking sticks, and a day pack with snacks and water. According to Nunavik Parks, the trails suit beginner and intermediate hikers depending on the area, and the trip suits anyone reasonably fit. Nunavik Parks does not publish a duration or an elevation gain for these walks.

On the 6- and 9-day packages, another outing crosses Lake Manarsulik by motorboat, then follows an 8 km hike to Sangummaaluk Camp above the Puvirnituq River canyon. The terrain alternates between wetlands and rocky areas. Over roughly 40 kilometres the river flows through a wide canyon with sheer cliff walls, where birds of prey such as peregrine falcons nest. The itinerary can change with the weather.

Getting to the park

No road goes to Nunavik. Air Inuit offers scheduled flights from Montréal and Québec City, and Canadian North a weekly flight from Ottawa (Saturdays). In summer, charter flights (Twin Otter or helicopter) are the only way into the park, according to Nunavik Parks. The host village is Kangiqsujuaq, on Wakeham Bay. In winter the park is reached by snowmobile or on cross-country skis.

Packages and fees (2026 price list, before taxes)

• Weekend, 3 days: $900. Flights from Kuujjuaq or Kangiqsujuaq, two nights at Manarsulik Camp and guide services; meals are not included.
• Crater Trek, 6 days: $3,800. Charter flight to the park, park access and camping fees, all meals, 5 nights in shelters, cultural activities, accident and search-and-rescue insurance.
• Crater Trek, 9 days: $6,800. Same inclusions, plus the round-trip flight from Montréal and 3 nights at the hotel. Six people are needed to guarantee a departure.
• Nunavik Parks publishes a fee schedule shared by all its parks: an access fee (age 18 and over) of $8.96 per day, $44.79 per year for one park or $80.89 for all parks; camping is $25 per night. The 6- and 9-day packages include the access fee.
• On October 23, 2026, Nunavik Parks listed only 2026 departures (April winter packages included), all "sold out"; these prices are the 2026 ones.

When to go

Nunavik Parks recommends July to mid-September for a summer visit and late February to mid-April for winter. Mid-September to mid-February is not recommended (cold, short days, blizzard risk); mid-April to June is "more or less" recommended because the thawing ground is very wet and water levels are high. In the park's sector, the average daily temperature is -28 °C in January and 5.6 °C in July.

Rules and safety

• Everyone entering the park must be authorized by park management. Before an excursion you must register with the park, then log out at the visitor centre in the host village when you return.
• Recreational drones are not permitted. Flying over Pingualuk Lake and the interior of the crater is strictly prohibited. Fishing or swimming in Pingualuk Lake is strictly prohibited: it is an extreme preservation area.
• Hunting, trapping and firearms are prohibited in the park; Inuit nevertheless keep their subsistence rights. Fishing elsewhere in the park requires a provincial fishing licence and a park permit.
• Dogs: see the dogs question in the FAQ.
• In its safety advice for all of its parks, Nunavik Parks points to changing weather, easy disorientation without landmarks, black bears and, more rarely, polar bears. Nets and insect repellent are necessary from June to August.

Wildlife and nature

The Leaf River caribou herd uses the park from May to July. Lake trout and Arctic char are the most common fish in the lakes.