Atikaki Provincial Park is a wilderness park in
Manitoba,
Canada, located east of
Lake Winnipeg along the
Ontario boundary in the
Canadian Shield
The Canadian Shield (french: Bouclier canadien ), also called the Laurentian Plateau, is a geologic shield, a large area of exposed Precambrian igneous and high-grade metamorphic rocks. It forms the North American Craton (or Laurentia), the anc ...
. The area of Atikaki Provincial Park is .
Atikaki Provincial Park is north of
Nopiming Provincial Park and borders the
Woodland Caribou Provincial Park
Woodland Caribou Provincial Park is a provincial park in Northwestern Ontario, Canada, west of the municipality of Red Lake. It borders Atikaki Provincial Park and Nopiming Provincial Park in eastern Manitoba, and is made up of Canadian Shield ...
in Ontario.
Atikaki Provincial Wilderness Park was designated a provincial park by the Government of Manitoba in 1985.
The park is considered to be a
Class II protected area under the IUCN protected area management categories. It became part of the
Pimachiowin Aki UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2018.
Geography
Most of the water of the park flows west to Lake Winnipeg. Although the vast majority of the park's land is located east of 95° 46' W, there are three very long thin corridors of parkland along streams that flow westward toward Lake Winnipeg. These streams are the
Pigeon River, the
Leyond River, and the
Bloodvein River
The Bloodvein River is a river in Canada. It flows west from its headwaters in Red Lake in northwest Ontario to the east side of Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba through the boreal forests of the Canadian Shield. It is around long. Lakes along its ...
. The lakes and rivers are warmer than most rivers that are fed by cold mountain streams. The majority of the population north and east of the park are
First Nations and the closest town is
Bloodvein at the mouth of the
Bloodvein River
The Bloodvein River is a river in Canada. It flows west from its headwaters in Red Lake in northwest Ontario to the east side of Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba through the boreal forests of the Canadian Shield. It is around long. Lakes along its ...
.
Atikaki is home to wildlife such as
moose,
elk,
black bears,
loon
Loons (North American English) or divers (British / Irish English) are a group of aquatic birds found in much of North America and northern Eurasia. All living species of loons are members of the genus ''Gavia'', family Gaviidae and order Gavi ...
s,
bald eagle
The bald eagle (''Haliaeetus leucocephalus'') is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla''), which occupies the same niche as ...
s,
woodland caribou, and other creatures of the
boreal forest.
It is known mostly for its beautiful waterways, and is a popular destination for more adventurous canoe trippers. Most popular are the
Bloodvein River
The Bloodvein River is a river in Canada. It flows west from its headwaters in Red Lake in northwest Ontario to the east side of Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba through the boreal forests of the Canadian Shield. It is around long. Lakes along its ...
,
Gammon River, and the
Sasaginnigak River.
There are several fly in fishing lodges in the area.
Atikaki Park was initially to become a National Park but ended up as a Provincial Park. The park was partially mapped out by Marc Wermager.
No logging roads, logging areas, or major developments are allowed in the park.
See also
*
List of provincial parks in Manitoba
*
List of protected areas of Manitoba
References
External links
*
Pimachiowin Aki World Heritage ProjectAtikaki Provincial Park on iNaturalistAtikaki PP eBird Hotspot
{{Authority control
Provincial parks of Manitoba
Protected areas established in 1985
1985 establishments in Manitoba
Protected areas of Manitoba
Parks in Eastman Region, Manitoba