Paddling in Tursujuq National Park

Tursujuq National Park sits on the east shore of Hudson Bay in Nunavik, northern Québec — a 26,107-square-kilometre expanse straddling the transition between boreal forest and tundra.

The water here is the defining feature: a largely unexplored network of lakes and rivers that holds some of the most remote paddling in the province, with conditions ranging from open sea-kayaking water to genuine whitewater.

Lac Wiyâshâkimî (also known as Lac à l'Eau-Claire) anchors the park's flatwater paddling. Formed by a double meteorite impact roughly 300 million years ago, its two circular basins together make it the second-largest natural lake in Québec.

The scale and clarity of the water make it sea-kayak territory — long crossings, exposed conditions, and the real possibility of paddling alongside beluga whales and seals.

This is not a lake to underestimate; the fetch is enormous and the nearest help is far away. The Rivière Nastapoka drains south toward Hudson Bay and gives the park its whitewater character.

The watershed also shelters a population of landlocked freshwater seals — an unusual ecological fact that shapes how the park thinks about the river and its protection.

The Rivière à l'Eau Claire and Rivière du Nord round out the main moving-water routes, feeding into the broader lake system and offering canoe-camping travel through country that sees very little traffic. Access to the park is fly-in, based out of Umiujaq.

The park can loan boats and life jackets for paddling around Tasiujaq Lake — notify the park team before arrival so equipment can be arranged.

Given the remoteness, self-sufficiency is not optional; conditions at these latitudes can change fast, and the distances between any two points are real. Tursujuq is a Québec provincial park managed under Nunavik Parks.

Check directly with the park for current regulations before you go — fishing, camping, and on-water travel in a protected area of this scale come with rules that matter and that change.