When was gates of the arctic established

Covering 8. Despite the harshness of the land, Koyukon Athabascan and Nunamuit and Kobuk Inupiat peoples have lived in this region for thousands of years. In fact, 1, residents in 10 camps still call the park home today.

Adventurers searching for a primitive and challenging environment should look no farther than Gates of the Arctic National Park. Explore this magnificent setting, and you will be convinced that you are really in one of those "end of the world" places. Sign up for our Newsletter! Mobile Newsletter banner close. Mobile Newsletter chat close. Mobile Newsletter chat dots. Mobile Newsletter chat avatar. Mobile Newsletter chat subscribe.

National Parks. Gates of the Arctic National Park. National Parks Image Gallery. See pictures of America's national parks. Gates of the Arctic National Park Facts.

Read More. Sightseeing at Gates of the Arctic National Park " ". Alatna River: Alatna River has given many visitors a stunning tour of the park. The river runs gently down from the treeless Arctic Divide in the northwest corner of the park through lovely tundra to a confluence with the Koyukuk River in a spectacular forested valley. These smooth and steep granite peaks lure many mountain and rock climbers. To the north are lovely mountain lakes, a scattering of diminutive cottonwoods, and a vast wilderness of pale-green tundra, which turns all shades of red, yellow, and orange in the fall.

The Kobuk River: The Kobuk, an excellent float river, was the site of a minor gold rush at the turn of the last century. It courses south and west from its headwaters in the Endicott Mountains and Walker Lake, passing through two scenic canyons. First protected as a U. National Monument on December 1, , the area was officially designated as a national park and preserve in with the passage of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act. There are no roads, campgrounds, or designated hiking trails in the park.

The Arctic Interagency Visitor Center , which provides information about the park, is located in Coldfoot along the Dalton Highway, miles north of Fairbanks. Most visitors arrive via scheduled or charter air service from Fairbanks to Anaktuvuk Pass , Bettles , or Coldfoot.

Bush charters are available from Bettles and Coldfoot into the park boundaries. The Dalton Highway, open year-round, comes within five miles of the park, and some visitors choose to hike in from there, often beginning in Wiseman or Coldfoot.

For more information, visit the Gates of the Arctic National Park website. Gates of the Arctic is a trail less park and most backpackers follow the long, open valleys for extended treks or work their way to higher elevations where open tundra and sparse shrubs provide good hiking terrain. Regardless of where you hike, trekking in the Arctic is a challenge and not like following posted trails in the Lower The headwaters for the Noatak and Kobuk Rivers are in the park and popular waterways for rafters and canoers.

Of the various rivers, the North Fork of the Koyukuk River is one of the most popular, because of the location and level of difficulty - the float begins in the shadow of the Gates and continues downstream miles to Bettles through Class I and II waters.

There are no roads to the park itself as most visitors arrive via scheduled or charter air service from Fairbanks to Anaktuvuk Pass, Bettles or Coldfoot. The Dalton Highway, open year round, comes within five miles of the park, and some visitors choose to hike in from there, often beginning in Wiseman. For a list of outfitters and air charter operators contact the Gates of the Arctic Headquarters Add To My Alaska Trip. If you would like to compare where services are located, you can Add to My Alaska to compile a list and see all the points on the same map.

Escape to the transformative natural beauty of Alaska. Get the inside scoop with our official State of Alaska Vacation Guide. This website uses cookies to analyze traffic and customize content on this site.

Blog Post Protecting an Amazing Migration Jul By Alex Johnson A proposed mining road would cut through national park land critical to one of the longest land migrations on Earth and harm communities that depend on Arctic caribou for food.

Blog Post Protecting the Value of Wild Places Nov By John Gaedeke Alaska is home to some of the last untamed landscapes in the country — but a proposed mining road could forever slice through part of the Brooks Range and harm two Arctic parks. Blog Post Dreaming of Spring? What better way to shake off the winter doldrums than watching the landscape come alive with color at a national park?

Several spots are surprisingly close to major cities. Resource Ambler Mining Road Fact Sheets Alaska recently proposed a private industrial road along the southern Brooks Range to facilitate construction of an open pit copper mine near Ambler, Alaska. View All. Donate Preserve Our Parks.