This 8.2 million square-mile park is located in the Brooks Range in northern Alaska, the northernmost mountain range in the country. Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve is home to a designated wilderness area, six wild rivers, two national-natural landmarks and the Noatak Biosphere Reserve.* There are also 10 small communities within the park and many of the approximately 1,500 residents depend on park resources to maintain their subsistence lifestyle as well as their cultural traditions.
Vast and essentially untouched, Gates of the Arctic consists of a maze of glaciated valleys and gaunt, rugged mountains covered with boreal forest and arctic tundra vegetation, cut by wild rivers and inhabited by far-ranging populations of caribou, Dall sheep, wolves and bears.
Activities and Attractions
The expansive, remote park mainly draws adventurous backcountry travelers who enjoy float trips, hiking, camping, climbing and fishing. There are several adventure tours that offer summer rafting and hiking trips in the park. Although winter visitors are few, dog mushing, cross country skiing, northern lights viewing and snowshoeing are winter options. Summer or winter, independent or package, you'll come away with memories of having walked a corner of the globe so untouched that most of the peaks have never even been named.
Accessibility
Gates of the Arctic is primarily accessible by air taxi from Fairbanks to Anaktuvuk Pass, Bettles and Coldfoot. Charter flights may also be arranged. Bush charters are available from Bettles and Coldfoot into the park and preserve boundaries. The Dalton Highway, open year round, comes within five miles of the park, and some visitors choose to hike from there. The Arctic Interagency Visitor Center, which provides information about the park, is located in Coldfoot along the Dalton Highway, 260 miles north of Fairbanks. There are no roads or facilities in the park itself.
Fees and Visitor Count
There are no entrance fees in Gates of the Arctic and visitors average a little more than 5,000 per year.
Weather and Climate
Summer temperatures range from 30°F to 85°F. Winter temperatures are typically -35°F, occasionally dropping to -60°F.
Facilities
Anaktuvuk Pass Ranger Station, Anaktuvuk Pass - 907-661-3520 (call for current hours)
Bettles Ranger Station/Visitor Center, Bettles - 907-692-5494 (open year round, call for current hours)
Arctic Interagency Visitor Center, Coldfoot - 907-678-5209 (open Memorial Day to Labor Day - 10 a.m.-10 p.m. daily)
Fairbanks headquarters - 907-457-5752
History
Established as a national monument in 1978, it was named a wilderness area as well as a national park and preserve in 1980. The park was designated as a biosphere reserve* in 1984.
*Bioshpere reserves are areas of terrestrial and coastal ecosystems promoting solutions to reconcile the conservation of biodiversity with its sustainable use. They are internationally recognized, nominated by national governments and remain under sovereign jurisdiction of the states where they are located. Biosphere reserves serve in some ways a 'living laboratories' for testing out and demonstrating integrated management of land, water and biodiversity.
http://www.nps.gov/gaar/index.htm