Blackstone Territorial Park is located between Fort Liard and Fort Simpson on the Liard trail, a popular hiking trail that follows Liard River surrounded by woodlands and the Nahanni Mountains. A spectacular scenic destination that not only offers breathtaking natural beauty but also plenty to do for campers and picnickers alike. The park is located at the best location possible for campers to take full advantage of Liard River's cool and placid water that are teaming with a variety of fish.
Boating enthusiasts can bring their canoes, kayaks, and power boats to enjoy these beautiful river waters and the surrounding mountain scenery. This absolutely stunning river-side location is also rich in historical significance and home to abundant wildlife and many exotic and rare species of birds. Blackstone Territorial Park's unique location connects to both the Liard Trail and the Deh Cho Travel Connection which makes it an ideal starting and ending point for hikers and boating enthusiasts alike. The park's Visitor Information Center is also worth a visit if you are passing by as it is the only one for miles around.
The park also offers RV and tent camping with spacious and shaded gravel sites that are situated close to washrooms, showers, firewood, kitchen shelter, drinking water, playground and firewood. Experience Northwest Territories' beautiful wilderness and wildlife from this simply majestic river-side camping destination. Have a luxurious and comfortable camping holiday as Blackstone Territorial Park also features Northwest Territories first lodge that comes equipped with furniture and a woodstove fireplace.
The drive to Blackstone Territorial Park is perhaps just as enjoyable as actually being there. Dempster Highway features some of the most beautiful wilderness scenery in the world with snow-capped mountains, dense woodlands, lakes, rivers, grasslands, waterfalls, and plenty of wildlife that you can enjoy as you drive along the wide and well-maintained highways. To get to the park simply follow Liard Hwy North until you reach Blackstone. The Park entrance is just off Liard Hwy. Watch out for signs.
The park offers 19 non-powered campsites that vary in size. The smaller sites face the river and beach area and are mostly situated amid trees, offering plenty of shade and privacy, while the larger campsites are situated towards the back of the campground closer to the amenities such as washrooms, water pump, and sani station. A small playground, picnic shelter, and picnic tables are located near the park entrance in an area dedicated for day-use only. Seven of the campsites are pull-through while the rest are back-in campsites.
Blackstone Territorial Park features two of the most popular hiking trails in the Northwest Territories; the Liard Trail and the Deh Cho Travel Connection. These hiking trails offer spectacular views of Liard River as well as the Nahanni Mountains and rivers. These challenging hiking trails take you past dense woodlands, river-side crossings, wetlands, marshes, and low lying hills that offer aerial views of this enchanting wilderness.
Fancy a day-out surrounded by pristine wilderness and vast open skies? Blackstone Territorial Park is a guaranteed fun-filled picnic destination that offers visitors picnic tables, fire pits, washrooms, showers, a beach area, sani station and a small playground. Fish, boat, hike or relax by the beach enjoying the views of mountains, rivers, woods, and wildlife. Picnickers and campers alike can also enjoy the view of Nahanni Butte in the distance.
Blackstone Territorial Park features an Interpretive Center that providers visitors with information regarding local adventure tours, weather and river conditions, as well as First Nation history. This particular location had significant importance to the First Nation people as the meeting point of the three rivers made it an important transportation route for hunting and fishing. Historical artifacts have been uncovered in the area and you can learn all this and more from the friendly staff at Blackstone Territorial Park.
Blackstone Territorial Park is home to plenty of wildlife and many exotic local and migratory bird species. The convergence point of the three rivers makes it a great hunting ground for wildlife and visitors can often spot black and brown bears, elk, moose, snowshoe hares and plenty of bugs. Mosquitoes can be an issue here so getting a campsite away from bushes and keeping your RVs and tents close is definitely recommended. Visitors will also spot plenty of butterflies and other insects that thrive of the rich minerals found by the river banks. Wildflowers grow on the bushy areas around the river and nearby woods with beautiful wild roses and bluebells blooming during spring.
Blackstone Territorial Park offers the ideal river-side setting for boating enthusiasts to enjoy kayaking, canoeing, and power boating on these placid river waters. The park itself is a great starting/ending point for boaters and anglers to take advantage of the rich waters near the confluence of South Nahanni and Blackstone Rivers with the Liard River. Spectacular scenery and wildlife make for a truly entertaining boating experience. The wide and long boat launch area is the ideal launching point for boats, kayaks, canoes and rafts.
Liard River, Blackstone River, and the South Nahanni rivers provide anglers with excellent fishing spots especially when fishing from boat or canoe. With three rivers converging the waters here are teaming with Arctic Grayling, Bull Trout, and Char. The best fishing experience is by boat but one can also enjoy fishing by the shoreline.
