Park Archives: Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve

Few landmarks bear names on topographic maps here. The park name came from wilderness advocate Robert Marshall, who traveled the North Fork Koyukuk country frequently from 1929 to 1939. Marshall called two peaks. Frigid Crags and Boreal Mountain, the gates from Alaska's central Brooks Range into the far north Arctic. Wind, water, temperature, and glacial and tectonic actions sculpted wildly varied landscapes in this east-west trending part of the Rocky Mountains. Southerly foothills step into waves of mountains rising to elevations of 4,000 feet that culminate in limestone or granite peaks over 7,000 feet in elevation. Then the ranks reverse at the Arctic Divide: tundra stretches to the Arctic Ocean. Six national wild rivers—Alatna, John, Kobuk, Noatak, North Fork Koyukuk, and Tinayguk—and other waterways cross the park. Many people seek remote wilderness and solitude here. A primary goal of park management is to protect these opportunities.

People have been a part of the ecosystem here for 10,000 years. Nomadic hunters and gatherers traveled between the mountains' forested southern slopes and the Arctic Coast. Now their descendants depend on and use park and preserve resources. A Nunamiut Eskimo village, Anaktuvuk Pass, lies inside the park. Winter is long, and summer is active. Plants and animals move through life cycles quickly before winter sets in.

From November to March, most activity ceases while -20°F to -50°F temperatures persist. The dry interior climate sees little snow, but what falls stays to wrap land and rivers in ice and silence. As a low-riding Sun starts its warming ascent in April, dogsledders come out. Backpackers and river runners arrive in mid-June, as the rivers become free of ice. No trails or visitor services exist in the park. You must be self-sufficient.

Created to ensure the arctic environment's integrity, the park contains major parts of the range and habitat of the Western Arctic caribou herd. Grizzly and black bear, wolf, moose, Dall sheep, wolverine, muskox, and fox also live here. At spring breakup the few resident bird species are joined by migratory species from Europe, South America, Asia, tropical archipelagos, and the contiguous United States. Wildlife is varied but widely dispersed—because large areas are needed to sustain life in the Arctic. Wildlife sightings may be greatly affected by your party size, travel patterns, and the weather.

Sparse black-spruce forests called taiga (Russian for "land of little sticks") dot north-facing slopes and poorly drained lowland. Boreal forests of white spruce, aspen, and birch typically are found on south-facing slopes. Near tree line, the shrub-thicket community of dwarf and resin birch, alder, and willow appears. Heath, moss, and fragile lichen make up the understory. Alpine tundra communities occur in mountainous areas and along well-drained, rocky ridges. Alder thickets and tussocks in valleys and on slopes often impede hiking in the Arctic. Backpackers often make only five miles per day. Take your time: don't try to squeeze a 21-day arctic trip into a 14-day "lower-48" trip.

The 1980 legislation that created the park and the preserve protected 8.4 million acres. It mandated that the area be managed to maintain its wild and undeveloped character, opportunities for solitude, and the environmental integrity of its natural features and to provide for wilderness recreation. Fish and wildlife, arctic habitats, cultural resources, and traditional subsistence uses also were protected. With the adjacent Noatak National Preserve and Kobuk Valley National Park, Gates of the Arctic comprises one of the world's largest parkland areas.

Gates of the Arctic, in the central Brooks Range, is a wilderness park accessible to backcountry travelers. The park has no signs, facilities, roads, or trails. Travel is by foot or boat (canoe, raft, or kayak). In this arctic wilderness you must be well prepared and self-sufficient. In much of the park it may be days or weeks before you encounter another person. It is your responsibility to: 1 choose where to go, 2 decide how to travel, and 3 have the appropriate equipment and skills for a safe, enjoyable trip.

Preparation For backcountry information visit www.nps.gov/gaar or contact the Bettles Ranger Station. Our website covers trip planning, bear safety, river crossings, boating safety, wildlife viewing, weather, insects, Leave No Trace practices, designated Wild Rivers, further reading, commercial accommodations, guide services, outfitters, commercial air services, and air charter services. Our website is more detailed and complete than our printed material. For maps and map information visit store.usgs.gov.

Choosing Where To Go Deciding where to go can be a challenge. Gates of the Arctic is huge—2.6 times the size of Connecticut—and access is limited. Read about the park, study maps, determine your access points, and make a plan. Park staff, air charter services, guides, or outfitters can provide information. Flexibility is key to successful trips. Weather can delay, by days, your flights in or out of the park. How far you can hike in a day may vary greatly from the "typical" five miles. Do not use the map in this brochure for hiking. Use USGS topographical maps.

Getting to the Park Charter planes can fly you into the park. Access points are limited to gravel bars or bodies of water accessible by float plane. Hiking from the Dalton Highway is popular but limited by river crossings. Commercial air service serves Anaktuvuk Pass, and you can hike from there into the park.

Backcountry Orientation Get a backcountry safety and Leave No Trace orientation from a park ranger at the Bettles Ranger Station, Arctic Interagency Visitor Center, or Anaktuvuk Pass Ranger Station. Backcountry permits are not required but registration is strongly encouraged for your safety.

Leave No Trace Please be responsible and practice the principles of Leave No Trace:

• Plan ahead and prepare.
• Travel and camp on durable surfaces.
• Dispose of waste properly.
• Leave what you find.
• Minimize campfire impacts.
• Respect wildlife.
• Be considerate of other visitors.

Subsistence Use Local residents use the park for subsistence activities (hunting, fishing, trapping, and gathering). Camps, fishnets, traps, and equipment are private property. Private land exists in the park; use restrictions may apply.

The contents of brochures, site bulletins and trading cards (denoted with a colored caption) can be viewed by clicking on the cover. Most modern-day brochures, however, are cover only (denoted by a white caption) due to photograph copyrights. These items are historical in scope and are intended for educational purposes only; they are not meant as an aid for travel planning. The dates under each brochure do not reflect the complete range of years that a particular brochure was issued.

cover only 1988-1995	cover only 1999-2002	cover only 2008-2013

Date Unknown	Arrigetch Peaks National Natural Landmark Date Unknown	Keeping Tabs on Caribou and Moose Populations Date Unknown
Eskimo Hunting Bow Date Unknown	Paleo-Eskimo Culture and Matcharak Lake Date Unknown	Uncovering Prehistory at Lake Matcharak Date Unknown
Prehistoric Networking: Obsidian in Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve Date Unknown	Snowshoe Hare Project Date Unknown	Subsistence Management in Gates of the Arctic Date Unknown
Walker Lake Archaeological Survey Date Unknown	Dalton Highway: A Guide to Backcountry Access Date Unknown	Searching for Koyukuk Gold 2021
Are "Not-So-Warm Springs" a Haven for American Dipper? c2021	Food Storage Requirements Date Unknown
Trading Cards
(©Jefferson National Parks Association)