The Valley of Headless Men
By: Liam Hall
Tags: Murder, Canada, History, Parks, Gold

The National Park Reserve

The Nahanni River Valley forms the Nahanni National Park Reserve in the Northwest Territories. This large, nearly 12000 square mile (roughly 30,000 square kilometres) park contains some of the most breathtaking landscapes that Canada has to offer, including Mount Nirvana — the largest mountain in the Northwest Territories, many hot springs, whitewater rapids, and an incredible waterfall.

The Virginia Falls in the Nahanni Valley is a massive 295-foot drop (90m), and if you include the Sluice Box Rapids above the falls, it is more than twice the height of Niagra Falls. In the middle defiantly stands a large spike of rock, named Mason’s Rock. It is absolutely breathtaking.

“A tropical valley set in the midst of Arctic wastes,” one writer called it. “An evil, poisonous Shangri-La in the heart of the Yukon.”

The falls are so large that the mist it creates actually makes the perfect habitat for many species of rare orchid.

Good luck if you ever want to see the sights of the Nahanni Valley for yourself. There are no roads going to this park, the only way in is by floatplane or traveling up the river. Its isolation has kept the area pristine for thousands of years.

“Men vanish in that country… and down the river, they say it’s a damned good country to keep clear of.” — Advice given to a hopeful prospector.

The Nahanni Valley name comes from the indigenous Dene language for the area — Naha Dehe, meaning river of the land of the Naha people. The Dene people tell stories of hidden tropical gardens, mythical creatures, and ghosts haunting the valley.

“I once heard a Dehcho chief tell stories of an ancient giant of Gahnhthah (Rabbitkettle Hotsprings), who would cook his food in the springs,” says Joel Hibbard, owner of a guiding outfit in Nahanni Park

The Legend

Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash

The spectacular scenery of the Nahanni Valley stands in stark contrast to its sinister past that birthed its many myths and legends.

In 1904, brothers Willie and Frank McLeod decide to make an expedition to the isolated Nahanni Valley in search of gold. It was so difficult for anyone to get to, it should be a good place to prospect.

The brothers were right, that first trip netted them around 40 ounces of high-quality ore. It wasn’t long before the two brothers decided to make another trip into the valley. In 1905, the two brothers once again make the trek back to the Nahanni Valley.

That was the last anyone heard of Willie and Frank. So in 1908, another brother, Charlie McLeod, decides to journey to the valley to see if he can find any sign of his missing brothers.

On the bank of the Nahanni River, Charlie’s expedition found the bodies of his brothers. Both men had been decapitated, and their bodies left almost like a warning to anyone who dared take the Valley’s gold. One man had his arm reaching toward his gun, his blankets thrown over his brother as if he had lept suddenly from his bed. To this day, no one knows who or what killed the two brothers.

Legend has it that the Lost McLeod Mine, where the two brothers found their fortune, still remains hidden somewhere in the park.

Nine years later, in 1917, Martin Jorgenson heads to the Nahanni Valley lured by the promise of gold. And strike it rich he did. Martin sent word that he had found the mother load, but when other expeditions went into the area, they found Martin’s cabin burned to the ground. Martin himself was apparently shot from a distance, and all that was left of him was a headless skeleton. There was no sign of the gold he had found.

Virginia Falls. Photo Public Domain

Strange deaths and mysterious disappearances abound in the Nahanni Valley. In 1931 Phil Powers' cabin in the Nahanni burned down. RCMP said that the fire was caused by a faulty stovepipe, but people have been skeptical of that explanation. First, as an experienced prospector, Phil knew how to route the stovepipe so it didn't touch the timbers in the roof making it unlikely he would make that mistake. Second, the fire burned so hotly, there wasn't much left of the cabin or of poor Phil Powers. If the roof was on fire, you would think the roof would have eventually collapsed, potentially suffocating the fire and there would be some larger burned logs left in the rubble.

Others have been murdered or have gone missing in the valley. An outlaw known as the “Yukon Fisher” was found dead, along the same river that the McLeod’s bodies were found years earlier. Somewhere in the valley lies the remains of Anne Laferte. She wandered away from a hunting party in 1926 and disappeared into the bush. Months later she was seen climbing a hill nearly naked. The viewer thought she was possessed by the devil and refused to follow her.

Bill Epier and his partner Joe Mulholland disappeared on the Nahanni River in 1936. A partner of Mulholland’s spent years searching for them without success. All that was found of them was their burned down cabin.

With all of these murders and missing people, there is no wonder that the valley has many stories of ghostly prospectors still looking to strike it rich. In one of the steep canyons called Deadman’s Valley, the wind ceaselessly howls an eerie wail, leading explorers to believe there was some kind of vengeful spirit nearby.

The Nahanni Valley has some of the most breathtaking scenery that you can find in Canada. Its isolation and lack of ways to get to the park means the area will stay just as it has for the last few thousand years. If you go to take in some of the best Canada has to offer:

Protip: If you find any gold, just leave it where it is.