Paddlers can descend the South Nahanni's "rock garden" by starting at Nááts’ı̨hch’oh Tué (Moose Ponds), or take the less technically-difficult Broken Skull.

[7] Fauna of the region includes many iconic North American species, such as American black bear, grizzly bear, gray wolf, boreal woodland caribou and moose,[8] in addition to Dall sheep and Rocky Mountain goats in the montane areas (the northernmost Canadian population of the latter).

These largely herbivorous animals are, in turn, followed by and hunted by several species of smaller carnivores, including the Canada lynx, red fox, marten, mink, ermine, and the largest mustelid, the wolverine; North American river otters hunt for fish in the riverine habitats.

[11] The area is becoming industrialized with "roads, pipelines, exploration for minerals, oil and natural gas, and development of mines and wells."

The first scenario would have made the park 6,450 km2 (2,490 sq mi), protected 94 per cent of the upper watershed of the South Nahanni River, 95 percent of the grizzly bear habitat and 81 percent of the woodland caribou summer habitat, leaving 20 per cent of the overall mineral potential outside of the park's boundaries and potentially available for development.

That August, Prime Minister Stephen Harper visited the area, and announced the reserve's boundaries and its establishment,[14] which was realized just over two years later, on December 16, 2014, following passage of legislation under the National Parks Act.