Northwest Territories · Remote access
Broken Skull Hot Springs
Parks Canada identifies Broken Skull Hot Springs as a wilderness hot-spring experience in Nááts’įhch’oh National Park Reserve. It belongs within the northern river-expedition landscape.
Historical source coordinate; not a trailhead. Accuracy and datum have not been independently verified. Historical water readings describe source samples, not safe soaking temperatures.
A 2.5 km walk up a tributary
Broken Skull Hot Springs sit a short distance off the Broken Skull River, just past Swallow Falls, reached by a hike of about 2.5 kilometres up a small tributary. For paddlers it is one of the standout stops on the trip rather than a detour.
The springs are known in Mountain Dene as Pı̨́ı̨́p'enéh łéetǫ́ǫ́ Gaǫfáá, and the river itself as Pı̨́ı̨p'enéh łéetǫ́ǫ́ Deé.
Reached only by river
The Broken Skull runs about 150 kilometres south from Divide Lake through the peaks and gorges of Nááts'ihch'oh and Nahanni National Park Reserves before emptying into the South Nahanni, the river best known for its whitewater.
There is no road, no trail in and no day-trip version. Visiting means a flown-in, multi-week canoe expedition, typically arranged through one of the licensed northern outfitters.
A newer name on the paddling map
The Broken Skull has become a prominent paddling destination comparatively recently, often described as one of the best newer river trips in the Canadian North, and interest in it has grown alongside the creation of Nááts'ihch'oh National Park Reserve.
That also means current, reliable information comes from outfitters and Parks Canada rather than from any accumulated body of visitor reports. Treat planning here as expedition planning.
Opening hours & season
No verified visitor timetable
Access depends on land-manager permission, closures and local conditions. No published timetable should be interpreted as 24-hour access.
All times are local to the spring. Checked 2026-10-01; this is not a live opening-status display. Closure notices override regular hours.
Our take
A spring to consider as part of a properly organized remote journey. The surrounding wilderness is the main commitment, not simply the time spent at the water.
Editorial assessment based on published information. No firsthand visit or customer score is implied.
Before you go
Sources & record notes
Geoscience BC’s 2016 compilation · 1 historical sampling record · Source name: Broken Skull. References recorded in the dataset: NWT 2010.
Sources used for this guide
- Paddling Magazine — the Broken Skull, the best new river in the Canadian North
- Wikipedia — Nááts'ihch'oh National Park Reserve
- Spectacular NWT — the Broken Skull River
- Canoe North Adventures — Broken Skull River
Written from the published sources above. Operator hours, access rules and closures change; the official link is authoritative.