ATIA, Matt Hage

Arctic

The Arctic is one of Alaska’s most remote and diverse regions, filled with cultural opportunities, unique wildlife, and a landscape ranging from the Arctic coastline to broad stretches of tundra to the dramatic peaks of the Brooks Range. Vast areas of the Arctic are protected as national parks and wildlife refuges, including Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve and Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Located primarily above the Arctic Circle, the Arctic region is one of the best spots to view the northern lights and see abundant wildlife including huge herds of migrating caribou and flocks of migratory birds, wolves, musk ox, Arctic foxes, and even polar bears. The Arctic region provides opportunities for rugged backcountry expeditions, off-the-beaten track road trips on the Dalton Highway, and unique cultural experiences. For those that are interested in visiting the Arctic Circle but are limited on time, day trips are available from Fairbanks that give you just a taste of this beautiful, wild landscape.

Alaska’s Arctic region is home to the Inupiat people, many of whom still live a subsistence lifestyle and preserve their history verbally from generation to generation. The Arctic is filled with a rich history and culture, from the gold rush days of yore to the Bering Land Bridge National Preserve, where the first humans passed from Asia into the Americas over 10,000 years ago.

The communities of Alaska’s Arctic are remote and accessibly primarily by plane. Regularly scheduled flights to top destinations like Nome, Kotzebue, Utqiagvik (Barrow), and Prudhoe Bay/Deadhorse are available from Anchorage and Fairbanks, and smaller communities and villages are accessible by bush planes and air taxis. The famed Dalton Highway, stretching 414 miles from north of Fairbanks through Coldfoot and on to Prudhoe Bay/Deadhorse, travels through the heart of the Arctic region to the Arctic Coast.