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Bay du Nord Wilderness Reserve is located in the central part of the island of Newfoundland in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
The reserve encompasses an area of 2,895 km2 (1,118 sq mi) and is considered one of the last remaining unspoiled areas of the province devoid of human habitat. It was officially created as a wilderness reserve in 1990.
The reserve contains the largest protected river system in the province. Bay du Nord River, from which the reserve takes its name, was nominated as a Canadian Heritage River in 1992. The reserve also includes Mount Sylvester, a monadnock formed during the last glacial period, as well as the Tolt.[ clarification needed ] The area is also the winter calving ground for the province's largest caribou herd and contains the largest Canada goose habitat on the island.
Early visitors to the area included the Mi'kmaq and geologist James Patrick Howley, who was the first European to travel the entire river system. Howley had erected a cairn as a surveying aid in triangulation on the summit of Mount Sylvester. This cairn still stands.