Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve

Gates of the Arctic is a national park and preserve in northern Alaska that covers the Brooks Range and its valleys. The landscape consists of granite peaks, open tundra expanses, and six rivers that wind through the mountains.

Explorer Robert Marshall traveled through the region in the 1920s and gave it its name after seeing two peaks, Frigid Crags and Boreal Mountain. Congress created the preserve in 1980 as part of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act.

The Inupiat and Athabaskan peoples have lived alongside this wilderness for thousands of years, following caribou migration routes through the valleys. Their traces and camp sites remain visible today in remote valleys where hunters once tracked the herds.

Access is by small plane from Fairbanks to communities like Bettles, as no roads reach the area. Hiking and paddling trips are off-trail only, so experience with navigation and self-sufficiency is required.

The two peaks Frigid Crags and Boreal Mountain form a natural gateway through which the North Fork Koyukuk River flows. This narrow valley separates the central Brooks Range from the eastern foothills and has served as a passage for animals and people for centuries.

Location: North Slope Borough

Location: Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area

Location: Northwest Arctic Borough

Inception: 1980

Operator: National Park Service

Website: https://nps.gov/gaar

GPS coordinates: 67.78330,-153.30000

Latest update: December 12, 2025 18:16