Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge, National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska Interior, United States.
Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge is a vast conservation area in Alaska's interior covered by wetlands, forests, and thousands of lakes where major rivers converge. The landscape is dominated by water and low vegetation across an enormous territory.
Congress established this refuge in 1980 as part of a major effort to protect Alaska's remaining wild lands and their wildlife. The decision reflected growing recognition of the need to safeguard these northern ecosystems.
The Gwich'in and Koyukon Athabascan peoples have shaped life here for generations, and you can still see their hunting and fishing traditions practiced across the land. These ways remain central to how communities use the refuge today.
You reach the refuge mainly by air from Fairbanks to nearby villages, where charter services can arrange river and float trips. The best time to visit is summer and early fall when conditions are more stable.
The refuge experiences complete darkness in winter and continuous daylight in summer, creating stark contrasts that shape all life here. Temperatures swing from near 100 degrees Fahrenheit to below minus 70, defining survival for every creature.
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