Gates Of The Arctic National Park & Preserve

Arrigetch Peaks

Granite pinnacles rise thousands of feet from the central Brooks Range, with walls climbing 3,000 to 4,000 feet above the valleys. Glacial ice and running water wore away the surrounding rock, which sits several thousand feet below the summits. Where the granite meets surrounding rock, contacts are sharp and well exposed, showing how the intrusion joins its edge and host rock. The peaks have long served as a landmark for the Inupiat of northwestern Alaska, and their name means fingers of the hand extended. Technical climbers come to test the faces, while hikers and backpackers fly in by floatplane, since no roads or trails reach the area. Lower Arrigetch Creek has few campsites that see heavy use, so campers should stick to existing spots and bring a stove. The peaks also hold National Natural Landmark status.

Walker Lake

A 14-mile-long mountain lake, this National Natural Landmark sits where the spruce forest runs out to the north, and few places show so plainly how the lay of the land and the living things around it depend on each other. Clear, still water holds the reflections of the mountains that rise around it, and paddlers in canoes come to take in the lake in quiet and be alone with the scenery. No roads reach the lake, so most visitors arrive by floatplane, which drops them on the shore. From there, they can make a wilderness camp on lakeshores or gravel bars. Camping here is primitive, since the park has no established campgrounds, so campers need to bring every piece of gear and the skills to look after themselves.

Alatna River

The Alatna River is one of six National Wild and Scenic Rivers in the park, and its 83 miles wind through glacier-carved valleys and rolling tundra. Most river travel here is done in rafts, inflatable canoes, or packrafts, since charter operators rarely haul rigid canoes. Reaching the river means flying in by air taxi, and operators decide where they can drop off and pick up each group. Depending on the stretch, gravel pull-outs may suit backcountry camping. Expect very cold water, shifting water levels, logjams, and a few rapids. Backpackers who hike in will also face river crossings, which are among the riskiest tasks in the park. Arrigetch Peaks, with their granite walls, rise in the southwest of the park.

John River

Among the six national Wild and Scenic Rivers in the park, this 52-mile waterway flows through glacier-carved valleys of the Brooks Range and, in places, steep V-shaped canyons. Most trips are made in rafts, inflatable canoes or packrafts, since bush planes are a common way in, and the air taxi operator you book with will help decide where you can be dropped off and picked up. Water temperatures stay cold, and levels can shift quickly with the weather, while logjams, strainers and sweepers add hazards to the rapids. Depending on the river, gravel pull-outs may suit backcountry camping. Hiking the river valleys is another option, as they often serve as corridors for crossing mountain passes. With no roads or trails to reach the river, the setting offers real wilderness solitude.

Kobuk River

A designated National Wild and Scenic River, this waterway runs about 110 miles within the park and is one of six such rivers here. Its headwaters rise in the Kobuk-Selawik Lowlands at the park's southern edge. Black and white spruce mixed with poplar grow along the valley, part of a boreal forest that reaches north to about the spine of the Brooks Range. With no roads in the park, most visitors arrive by bush plane or on foot, then float the river in rafts or pack rafts. Wilderness camping is allowed throughout the park, and gravel bars serve as campsites along the banks. Keep an eye out for brown bears, black bears and moose from the water, and watch for eagles and other birds of prey overhead.

North Fork Koyukuk River

The North Fork Koyukuk River is one of six rivers in this park with National Wild and Scenic River designation. Robert Marshall, a wilderness advocate who traveled North Fork Koyukuk country frequently, called two peaks, Frigid Crags and Boreal Mountain, the gateway from the central Brooks Range into the far north Arctic. Glacier-carved valleys and remote wilderness frame the river corridor. Visitors float the river, hike and backpack the surrounding terrain, and camp in the wilderness, where Brooks Range weather can shift from day to day and even within a single 24-hour period. Temperature extremes are possible even in summer, so come prepared.

Tinayguk River

The Tinayguk is one of six rivers in the park carrying National Wild and Scenic River designation, and its 44-mile corridor runs through remote wilderness with no roads or trails. Paddlers often float it by packraft, inflatable canoe, or other collapsible boat, and most trips are likely to involve at least one river crossing. Crossings rank among the most dangerous activities in the park, so travelers wait for the water to drop and cross together. Hikers travel across the Brooks Range, where glacier-carved valleys and arete-topped mountains make up the predominant landscape. Campers can set up tents on the stony riverbanks along the Tinayguk Wild River. Getting there takes a bush plane or a hike in, and travelers find the solitude and isolation of wilderness.

Bettles Ranger Station and Visitor Center

This small ranger station in Bettles, Alaska, sits just outside the park's boundaries and serves as a jumping-off point for anyone heading into the backcountry. Staff help visitors plan their trips and orient themselves before they go. Access is by air, and the station sits about 300 yards from the airstrip along a gravel walkway. Its blue wooden A-frame building holds exhibits on the park and its wildlife, and a large wall map shows the region's geography and topography. Films about the park and interpretive programs add to what a visit offers. The entrance is reached by an accessible ramp, and accessible restrooms are on site.

Anaktuvuk Pass

Perched on a broad 2,100-foot pass through the Brooks Range, this small village is home mostly to inland Iñupiat, known as Nunamiut, many of whom still hunt caribou as part of daily life. Because it sits off the road system, commercial flights from Fairbanks are the usual way in. The Anaktuvuk Pass Ranger Station can point you toward hiking routes and lends out bear-resistant food containers. Hikers can set out on foot from the village, but no trails lead into the park, and rivers must be crossed along the way. Campers can pitch tents on ground the city council has set aside near the airstrip's east access road. The Simon Paneak Memorial Museum shares Nunamiut history and culture, and the Nunamiut Corporation Store and Hotel offers groceries and lodging.

Coldfoot and Wiseman

Both communities grew out of gold rush booms along the Middle Fork of the Koyukuk River, just off the Dalton Highway. Coldfoot earned its name when prospectors arriving in 1899 lost their nerve as winter approached and turned back. Its full-service truck stop now offers lodging, dining, gasoline and a post office, and the Arctic Interagency Visitor Center is based here. Wiseman, founded in 1908 along Wiseman Creek, keeps many of its old log cabins, and residents lead heritage tours through town. Robert Marshall spent a full year there in the 1930s, and his book Arctic Village portrays the community. Hikers can reach the park from the Dalton Highway, which passes within five miles of its eastern side, though the park has no established trails and river crossings are needed.