Thirty miles north of the Arctic Circle, Bathurst Inlet carves a deep notch in the Arctic coast of Nunavut. During its brief but intense summer, the hills erupt with arctic poppies, white mountain avens, and purple arctic lupine – some 120 species of wildflowers in all. Yellow-billed and red-throated loons, eider ducks, and tundra swans join ringed seals in the inlet’s clear waters, while peregrine falcons, golden eagles, and rough-legged hawks nest on the cliffs.

Caribou and musk-oxen graze the hills, and wolves and grizzlies make an occasional appearance. Ice-cold rivers roar into spectacular waterfalls; 161-foot-high Wilberforce Falls on the Hood River is the highest falls north of the Arctic Circle.

Any visit to this remote location will likely involve the renowned Bathurst Inlet Lodge. Located at the head of the bay, the lodge partners with the local Inuit community to offer various ecotourism experiences.