Aerial view of the Alatna River as it winds through a valley
Photo: NPS Photo / Sean Tevebaugh
About
This vast landscape does not contain any roads or trails. Visitors discover intact ecosystems where people have lived with the land for over ten thousand years. Wild rivers meander through glacier-carved valleys, caribou migrate along age-old trails, endless summer light fades into aurora-lit night skies of winter. Virtually unchanged, except by the forces of nature.
Location
101 Dunkel St
Fairbanks, AK 99701
Hours
wednesdayAll Day
mondayAll Day
thursdayAll Day
sundayAll Day
tuesdayAll Day
fridayAll Day
saturdayAll Day
Activities
CampingBackcountry CampingCanoe or Kayak CampingClimbingRock ClimbingMountain ClimbingHikingBackcountry HikingOff-Trail Permitted HikingHunting and GatheringHuntingPaddlingCanoeingKayakingWhitewater RaftingJunior Ranger Program
Directions
Gates of the Arctic is a wilderness park, with no roads or trails into the park lands, so visitors must fly or hike into the park. Access begins in Fairbanks, Alaska & there are several small airlines that provide daily flights into the communities of Bettles, Anaktuvuk Pass, and Coldfoot. Most visitors access the park by air taxi or hike in from the Dalton Highway or from the village of Anaktuvuk Pass. River crossings are necessary from both locations.
Get directions →Weather
The climate of Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve is generally classified as arctic and sub-arctic, with exceptionally cold winters, relatively mild summers, low annual precipitation, and generally high winds. The weather is influenced by many different systems, and can change rapidly.!!