The Hattie Cove Campground is located at the north end of the park and can be accessed via Highway 627, the only road access into the park. There are also a number of backcountry campsites located along the 60 km Coastal Hiking Trail which follows the north shore of Lake Superior. The Coastal Hiking Trail has two suspension bridges; one across the White River at Chigaamiwinigum and one across the Willow River. The Coastal Hiking Trail is part of the long-distance Voyageur Hiking Trail. Backcountry campsites are also located along the Coastal Paddling Route, the White River, and the Pukaskwa River. In 2017, the 24 km Mdaabii Miikna ("go to shore trail" in Ojibwe) was opened as a shorter backcountry alternative to the Coastal Hiking trail. It follows the coastline of Lake Superior in the sheltered Picture Rock Harbour.[3]
Puskaskwa is an Indigenous word with a debatable meaning. Its possible meanings include "eaters of fish," "something evil," or "safe harbour." However, the Ojibway and Cree nations maintain "Pukasu" is the correct spelling. "The word "Pukasu" describes what people do when they cook the marrow inside the bones of animals. Remnants of a carcass are thrown into an open fire and left until any remaining meat has all burned away leaving the marrow cooked.[4]
Black bears, moose, beavers, peregrine falcons, river otters, lynx and timber wolves are found in this park. The park is also home to bald eagles.[9] There was also a small population of woodland caribou but their numbers declined from 30 caribou in the 1970s to about four in 2012 mainly due to wolf predation.[10][11]
In early 2017, after previous failures to locate any remaining caribou, researchers turned to advanced thermal imaging technology to survey the area for caribou. This survey revealed caribou are now extirpated from this park.
Cougars may also be in the park, but numbers are not yet known.[12]
The Pic River enters Lake Superior just north of the park.
The highest point in the park is the peak of Tip Top Mountain which rises to 641 meters / 2106 feet.[14]
Thousand year old rock structures known as Pukaskwa Pits which were created by the original inhabitants of this area can be found on many of the park's cobblestone beaches.
The most recent State of the Park Report for Pukaskwa National Park was published in 2008.
Foster, Robert F.; Harris, Allan G. (19 July 2012), Environmental Assessment for the Marathon PGM-Cu Project at Marathon, Ontario(PDF), Supporting Information Document No. 26: Assessment of impacts on Woodland Caribou, Thunder Bay, Ontario: Stillwater Canada Inc., retrieved 23 September 2014 Pukaskwa National Parks’ population has "declined from approximately 30 caribou in the 1970s to an estimated four currently, largely due to predation by wolves and possibly black bears."