Gates of the Arctic National Park
Alaska Est. 1980

Gates of the Arctic National Park

Mountains Arctic River
Plan a visit Check conditions
Established
1980
Size
7,523,898 acres
Visitors / yr
11.9K
Entrance
Free
Best season
June through August
Nearest airport
BTT Bettles Airport
01

Why Gates of the Arctic is worth the trip

Alaska · Established 1980

There are no roads here, no trails, no campgrounds, and no cell bars, across a park roughly the size of Belgium. Gates of the Arctic sits entirely above the Arctic Circle in Alaska's Brooks Range, and the few thousand people who visit each year arrive by bush plane and leave no path behind them. This is what every park was before the first road, and the last place in America where you can still test that idea at full scale.

Those who go get the Arctic undiluted. Granite spires, braided rivers made for packrafts, the Western Arctic caribou herd flowing through on migrations older than any border, and a summer sun that never quite sets. Plan it for a year, carry out everything you carry in, and come home with a different definition of quiet.

02

Top things to do in Gates of the Arctic

Where we would start, and what we would plan a day around.

01 Backpack the Brooks Range's Arctic Wilderness Backcountry Hiking · nps.gov Backpack the Brooks Range's Arctic Wilderness Traveling through the park on foot affords opportunities of exploration and discovery. Mountain ridges and passes reveal splendid vistas and can take you to... 02 Float a Wild & Scenic River Canoe or Kayak Camping · nps.gov Float a Wild & Scenic River From wide glacial valleys to sweeping vistas in the headwaters, to rolling tundra, the wild rivers of Gates of the Arctic can take you...
Before you go

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03

Plan your trip

Our guides for the big decisions, plus the gear, maps and lodging we would actually use for Gates of the Arctic.

Fun Facts

Where to stay

Gateway towns with lodging, food and outfitters.

  • Bettles, AKGateway town
  • Coldfoot, AKGateway town
  • Fairbanks, AKGateway town
Compare stays near Gates of the Arctic

Maps & guides

Carry paper. Cell service dies fast inside most parks.

Gates of the Arctic Trails Illustrated map
Waterproof National Geographic topo of the park.
View on Amazon
Gates of the Arctic field guide
Trail-by-trail detail and planning help in print.
View on Amazon
America the Beautiful pass
$80 a year. Covers entrance fees at more than 2,000 federal recreation sites.
Get the pass

What to bring

Field-tested picks we bring on park trips.

  • Bear Spray
    Required carry in grizzly country. Practice the quick-draw before you need it. View on REI
  • Trekking Poles
    Save your knees on steep descents and river crossings. View on REI
  • Rain Jacket
    Mountain weather turns fast. Pack a shell even on clear mornings. View on REI
  • Fleece Jacket
    Mid-layer warmth for alpine mornings and evening campfires. View on REI

Getting there

  • BTT Bettles Airport 5 mi
  • FAI Fairbanks International 260 mi
NPS Official Page Reservations Google Maps

Some links in this section are affiliate links. If you book or buy through them we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend what we would use ourselves.

Gates of the Arctic map

VC Visitor Center CG Campground Nearby Park
04

When to go

Loading weather...

Month-by-Month Conditions

Tap any month for details

Month
High
Low
Crowds
Roads
Jan
-2°
-19°
Low
Partial
Feb
6°
-13°
Low
Partial
Mar
17°
-9°
Low
Partial
Apr
36°
13°
Low
Partial
May
56°
34°
Light
Open
Jun Best
70°
47°
Peak
Open
Jul Best
70°
49°
Peak
Open
Aug Best
63°
43°
Peak
Open
Sep
50°
33°
Peak
Open
Oct
28°
14°
Low
Partial
Nov
8°
-7°
Low
Partial
Dec
2°
-14°
Low
Partial
Best months to visit Crowd level (low to peak)
05

More Gates of the Arctic guides

06

Parks near Gates of the Arctic

Within reach if you are building a longer trip.

Kobuk Valley National Park
Alaska

Kobuk Valley

160 miles away
Denali National Park
Alaska

Denali

315 miles away
Lake Clark National Park
Alaska

Lake Clark

469 miles away
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park
Alaska

Wrangell-St. Elias

515 miles away

Worth protecting

Gates of the Arctic belongs to all of us

Protections that took generations to win can be rolled back in a single session of Congress. We keep watch so they hold.

See what's at stake Join the fight for Alaska

Threatened Lands Map

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