About Gates Of The Arctic National Park & Preserve
This vast landscape does not contain any roads or trails. Visitors discover intact ecosystems where people have lived with the land for over ten thousand years. Wild rivers meander through glacier-carved valleys, caribou migrate along age-old trails, endless summer light fades into aurora-lit night skies of winter. Virtually unchanged, except by the forces of nature.
Plan a Visit
Core visitor information on this page is sourced from the National Park Service. NPD proximity sections use NPS reference coordinates and straight-line distance. Local source bundle updated Sep 27, 2026. View the official NPS page.
Weather & Conditions
The climate of Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve is generally classified as arctic and sub-arctic, with exceptionally cold winters, relatively mild summers, low annual precipitation, and generally high winds. The weather is influenced by many different systems, and can change rapidly.!!
NPS Reference Location
Park state / territory membership: Alaska. This map uses the National Park Service reference coordinate. It may represent an administrative or reference point rather than a park entrance, trailhead, visitor center, or the nearest access point. Use the official NPS directions below when planning travel.
Operating Hours
No closed times or seasons for Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve. Visitor Center hours vary greatly by location and season. See Visitor Center Hours for more information!
Activities
Current Alerts
On August 13, 2026 a brown bear entered camps and food caches in the Arrigetch Peaks area, obtaining food from a soft-sided, bag-type Bear Resistant Food Container (BRFC). At this time, we strongly recommend hard-sided BRFCs for all visitors to the Arrigetch Peaks area. Hard-sided BRFCs can be checked out at the Bettles Ranger Station. Backpackers in the area should maintain a high level of bear awareness and continue to follow best practices for camping in bear country.
Getting There
Gates of the Arctic is a wilderness park, with no roads or trails into the park lands, so visitors must fly or hike into the park. Access begins in Fairbanks, Alaska & there are several small airlines that provide daily flights into the communities of Bettles, Anaktuvuk Pass, and Coldfoot. Most visitors access the park by air taxi or hike in from the Dalton Highway or from the village of Anaktuvuk Pass. River crossings are necessary from both locations.
View Official DirectionsContact & Address
The NPS-listed address may be an administrative office, visitor center, mailing/contact location, or other park facility rather than a park entrance.
Topics & Themes
Things To Do
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…
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…
Visitor Centers
Fairbanks Alaska Public Lands Information Center
Explore world-class exhibits, watch a free informative movie, and receive assistance on your trip planning needs while at the Alaska Public Lands Information Center, located…
Bettles Ranger Station and Visitor Center
Bettles Ranger Station is situated outside of the boundaries of Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve, in Bettles, Alaska. This small ranger station…
Arctic Interagency Visitor Center
Multi-agency visitor center located on the Dalton Highway in Coldfoot, Alaska
Anaktuvuk Pass Ranger Station
The Anaktuvuk Pass Ranger Station is staffed during the summer season from April through September, typically Monday-Friday, 9-5:30. Here you can learn about the park,…
Nearby National Park Service Sites
These sites are ordered by straight-line distance between NPS reference coordinates. This is useful for comparison, but it is not road mileage. Trails, parkways, rivers, and distributed units may extend far from their reference point.
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