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Gates of the Arctic National Park

Arctic Circle, Native Culture, Wildlife Viewing, Tundra, Anaktuvuk Pass

Alaska’s Gates of the Arctic National Park is a wilderness paradise. For over 11,000 years, Alaska Natives have lived and survived on the land now encompassed by Gates of the Arctic National Park in Alaska’s Far North Region, primarily by hunting caribou. The cultural history of the area is still visible today in the daily lives of the people living within the park boundaries. The beautiful Brooks Mountain Range spans the park and offers explorers an ultimate Alaska wilderness adventure. Backpackers sometimes spend weeks traveling through the park’s sub-arctic landscape. The wildlife in the park includes muskoxen, bears, moose, and caribou. Three different herds of caribou migrate through the region.

Gates of the Arctic National Park’s summer season is from mid-May to mid-September. The main park ranger station is located in Anaktuvuk Pass Village. The village hosts visitors from around the world, and offers tours about life in the village. It is important to note that Anaktuvuk Pass Village is not a recreated model, it is a real Alaskan village, and the privacy of its residents must be respected during tours. Most visitors fly from Fairbanks to Anaktuvuk Pass for a day tour, though drive/fly combination tours to the area are also offered. These escorted van tours travel north from Fairbanks on the Dalton Highway to Coldfoot. From here, visitors then fly on to Anaktuvuk Pass. While this tour is longer, it provides a better feel for the sub-arctic Alaska landscape. All of these tours cross the Arctic Circle, and each visitor receives a personal Arctic Circle certificate for this accomplishment.

There are no overnight accommodations inside the Gates of the Arctic National Park boundaries. Only day excursions are offered into the park. However Bettles Lodge is nearby, located in the Brooks Range, and perfect for guests wishing to overnight in the Far North. From Bettles you can take day tours or flightseeing tours into Gates of the Arctic.

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