The Brooks Range in Alaska’s far north is one of the most remote and unspoiled mountain ranges in the world. For those who crave adventures on the edge of the world, you will find all the pristine wilderness you desire at the Gates of the Arctic National Park.
You can take an air taxi into the park from the nearby villages of Ambler, Bettles, or Coldfoot. Hiking, backpacking and communing with nature is the agenda as there is virtually no sign of humans. Head to this wilderness paradise with the idea of leaving no trace and taking only pictures. You will find the slice of brutal, unforgiving, gorgeous wild Alaska that is absolutely unforgettable.
Information Office:
4175 Geist Road
Fairbanks, AK 99709
Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve lies to the west of the Dalton Highway in northern Alaska. The park includes the Brooks Range, the Endicott Mountains and part of the Schwatka Mountains.
There are no roads or trails in this remote wilderness locale, probably contributing to this being the least visited park in the National Park System. Although, over 10,000 people visited last year.
The park is the second largest in the US at 8,472,506 acres, covering an area slightly larger than Belgium. Discover complete ecosystems where people have lived with the land for thousands of years.
Six National Wild and Scenic Rivers - Alatna, John, Kobuk, Noatak, North Fork Koyukuk, and Tinayguk - head out from the high alpine valleys to the forests below.
While the park is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, the wild arctic weather changes all the time and the extreme cold must be factored into any plans. Plan an epic adventure in June-July for the warmest weather.
Robert Marshall wrote in the 1930's: "No sight or sound or smell or feeling even remotely hinted of men or their creations. It seemed as if time had dropped away a million years and we were back in a primordial world." Not much has changed.
A large part of the park is also the Gates of the Arctic Wilderness, and along with the Noatak Wilderness and it forms the largest contiguous wilderness in the United States.
It remains virtually unchanged except by the forces of nature. The park lies entirely above the Arctic Circle meaning endless summer light May-August and aurora-lit nights in the winter.
Alaska brown bears, wolves, wolverines, and foxes also roam the tundra. Ptarmigan and gyrfalcons dot the landscape.
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The caribou migrate along ancient trails and the along with Kobuk Valley National Park and Noatak National Preserve, Gates of the Arctic protects much of the habitat of the western arctic caribou.
This remote and wild part of Alaska is as pristine as wilderness gets. For the truly adventurous, plan a fly-in hiking trip someday to see the majesty and glory of the Gates of the Arctic National Park.
