[jl6]

I speculate that it is possible, but unlikely. Settlements need to be near a resource of some sort. Forest, lake, ocean, large mammal population, mineral deposit, strategic vantage point... or similar. Something that can sustain livelihoods. I would expect the resources of the far north to have been fairly well documented. There may be large empty spaces that attract almost no attention, but I would guess they would never attract a settlement either.

[eloff]

The northern part of Canada before you get into the tundra is one massive contiguous forest 1/3 the size of the United States. It's filled with lakes, streams, rivers, and game - but almost no people. You could easily have small groups of people live there for decades without being discovered. It's so wild that there are places where the wolves have not learned to fear humans.

See a map here (PDF): https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/sites/www.nrcan.gc.ca/files/cfs/asse...

[rgould]

That's even just the Boreal forest. There's even more to it: https://www.sfmcanada.org/images/Forest_Types_EN.pdf

The areas around the cities are dotted with farmland, but it is not difficult to find some kind of a forest nearby. Even Vancouver has a fairly dense forest downtown in Stanley Park. It's possible to wander into it and (sometimes, maybe not during peak tourist season) not encounter anyone

[eloff]

I got lost in the forest in the mountains in North Vancouver a month ago. It's surprisingly rough terrain and there were very few people. Google maps and GPS was how I managed to find the trail again.

[core-questions]

People do die in there ever so often, especially if they get over a ridge and can no longer count on "heading downhill will take me outta here". Lots of cliffs and other hazards to deal with. It's wilderness for hundreds of kilometers...

[harryVic]

Sorry but Stanley Park is not a forest.

[SketchySeaBeast]

It's funny seeing that "forest" - apparently I grew up in it, but I grew up surrounded by farm land. There's even cities in it. I mean, yes, there's lots of land up there you could conceivably hide in, but it's kind of miserable, with bitterly cold winters. I don't know why anyone would want to.

[gorbypark]

That's a cool map, I don't think I've ever seen it laid out fully like that. Any idea why the boreal forests extend so far north in the NWT/Yukon/Alaska but not in Nunavut?

[eloff]

Probably equal parts map protection distorting things as you get nearer to the poles and the effect of the ocean moderating the climate in Alaska.