Nature: Kluane National Park, Canada, desktop wallpaper nr. 40415

Kluane National Park and Reserve are two units of Canada's national park system, located in the extreme southwestern corner of Yukon Territory. Kluane National Park Reserve was established in 1972 (40 years ago), covering 22,016 square kilometres.

The park includes the highest mountain in Canada, Mount Logan (5,959 m) of the Saint Elias Mountains. In fact, mountains and glaciers dominate the park's landscape, covering 82% of its area. It contains close to 105 species of birds, including such birds as the Rock Ptarmigan and the mighty Golden and Bald Eagle (19 pics).

A day-use area with boat launch, picnic facilities and campground is located at Kathleen Lake, and is operated from mid May to mid September. Hiking is a popular activity, on trails such as St. Elias Lake, Mush Lake Road, Shorty Creek, Cottonwood, Rock Glacier, King's Throne, Kokanee, Auriol, Dezadeash River Trail, Alsek Trail, Sheep Creek Trail, Bullion Plateau Trail, Slims West or Soldiers Summit. Rafting on the Alsek River (a Canadian Heritage river), mountain biking on old mining roads, horseback riding through the Alsek Pass, boating on Kathleen Lake and Mush Lake as well as fishing for lake trout, arctic grayling, rainbow trout, northern pike and sockeye salmon are also among activities available in the park.

The bi-national Kluane-Wrangell-St. Elias-Glacier Bay-Tatshenshini-Alsek park system comprising Kluane, Wrangell-St Elias, Glacier Bay and Tatshenshini-Alsek parks, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979 (33 years ago) for the spectacular glacier and icefield landscapes as well as for the importance of grizzly bears, caribou and Dall sheep habitat.