Article Summary: Gates Of The Arctic National Park Facts

Gates Of The Arctic National Park Facts! In this article, we provide you with 11 amazing facts about one of America’s most magnificent national parks.

More Than Just Parks is your one-stop-shop when it comes to learning everything you’ll need to know about America’s national parks. We’ve got expert guides, beautiful photos, helpful tips, breathtaking films and so much more.

I’ve been to so many of these amazing places since retiring from teaching in 2018. Did I mention that I taught history? I spent a lifetime teaching about the history behind some of these natural wonders. Then I got to see them firsthand.

And now I’m sharing some of the incredible stories about these beautiful places with you. It doesn’t get any better than that!

More Than Just Parks takes a deeper dive with its national park facts. We’ve done our homework so that you’ll get more than you bargained for.

To get you excited about planning your next visit, in this article we’re covering 11 fascinating facts about Gates Of The Artic National Park & Preserve.

Table Of Contents: Gates Of The Arctic National Park Facts

Gates Of The Arctic National Park Facts

Facts About Gates Of The Arctic National Park
- Some Basic Facts About Gates Of The Arctic National Park & Preserve
Gates Of The Arctic National Park Facts

Facts About Gates Of The Arctic National Park

Some Basic Facts About Gates Of The Arctic National Park & Preserve

Gates of the Arctic National Park is a wilderness area located in the Arctic region of the state of Alaska. It is the northernmost national park in the United States and covers over 8 million acres. It’s known for its rugged, remote landscape and its abundance of wildlife.

The park is home to a variety of plant and animal life, including arctic foxes, caribou, wolves, and bears. The park is also home to several threatened or endangered species, such as the polar bear and the arctic peregrine falcon.

The landscape of Gates of the Arctic National Park is characterized by mountains, glaciers, and tundra. The park is home to the largest contiguous wilderness in the United States and is known for its beautiful and rugged landscape.

There are no roads or developed facilities in Gates of the Arctic National Park, and visitors must fly or hike into the park. The park is popular with hikers, backpackers, and wilderness enthusiasts who enjoy exploring the park’s remote and rugged terrain.

There are also several ranger-led programs and guided tours available to help visitors learn more about the park’s unique ecosystem and its rich history.

Float planes are the typical mode of transportation in the park | Gates Of The Arctic Facts (Courtesy of the NPS)

Here Are Some Of The Basic Facts

Location: Alaska
Acreage: 8.4 million acres
Visitation: Gates of the Arctic is the least-visited national park in America. The park receives around 10-11,000 visitors per year.
Highest Elevation: Mount Igikpak is the highest peak in the Schwatka Mountains region of the Brooks Range. It is also the tallest mountain in Gates of the Arctic National Park, located in the US state of Alaska. Some sources list the height of its summit at 8,510′.
Lowest Elevation: The lowest elevation found in Gates of the Arctic is 280 feet at Kobuk River.
How Cold Does It Get? Snow falls during 8 or 9 months of the year, averaging 60-80 inches. Average minimum and maximum winter temperatures are -67F and 33F. Snow has been recorded in every month of the year and the annual average is 45 inches.
When Did It Become A National Park? First protected as a U.S. National Monument on December 1, 1978, the area was officially designated as a national park and preserve in 1980 with the passage of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act.

gates of the arctic national park alaska — Gates of the Arctic National Park Facts (Courtesy of NPS)

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Gates Of The Arctic National Park Facts

Top 5 Gates Of The Arctic National Park Facts

1. The Inupiaq & Athabascan Were The Earliest Peoples To Explore The Gates Of The Arctic

Nomadic hunters and gatherers traveled between the mountains’ forested southern slopes and the Arctic Coast.

The Inupiaq & Athabascan Were The Earliest Peoples To Explore The Gates Of The Arctic over 10,000 years ago.

Caribou have been vitally important for the survival of all native people whose homelands are now partially encompassed by Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve. The earliest Native American tribes hunted the caribou in the Gates of the Arctic.

During the last 1000 years, ancestral cultures of the Inupiat (Inupiaq) Eskimos and groups of Athabaskan Indian people appeared throughout this region. Artifacts found throughout the park and preserve such as the Eskimo hunting bow, obsidian tools, and the bones of animals including moose, sheep, and fish, reveal how the Inupiat Eskimos and the Athabaskan Indians used natural resources to survive in this harsh environment.

According to the National Park Service, Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve helps to protect the natural resources and also the cultural resources of the Native Alaskan peoples.

Today, 10 small communities with about 1,500 residents depend on these resources to maintain their subsistence lifestyle and their cultural traditions.

Rachel Riley as a child in 1949 at the second school event held at Tulugak Lake, soon after completing The Long Walk as an eight-year-old girl. — Rachel Riley as a child in 1949 at the second school event held at Tulugak Lake, soon after completing The Long Walk as an eight-year-old girl | Courtesy of the NPS

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2. Gates Of The Arctic Is The Northernmost National Park

Gates of the Arctic is the most northern national park in the United States. All of the park’s 8,472,506 acres are north of the Arctic Circle.

It is also the second largest national park, behind only Wrangell-St. Elias, also in Alaska.

hiking gates of the arctic national park alaska — Gates Of The Arctic National Park Facts (Courtesy of the NPS)

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3. The Gold Rush Brought Prospectors To The Gates Of The Arctic

While the Native Americans were the first to explore the Gates of the Arctic, by the 1880s, people of European descent, such as military explorers, gold prospectors and government scientists found their way out there.

By the late 19th century, gold rushes in Alaska significantly altered the traditional lifestyles of the Native Alaskans.

The Klondike and Nome gold rushes brought prospectors and others to the region that is now Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve.

miners at gates of the arctic — Gates of the Arctic National Park Facts (courtesy Wikimedia)

In 1897, when the world heard the news of gold in the Canadian Yukon, Americans from all walks of life succumbed to “Klondicitis” and rushed northward to find their fortunes. Some stampeders went alone and formed partnerships on the way to the gold fields. Others formed mining companies and pooled their talents and resources to increase their chances of success.
-National Park Service

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4. There Are No Roads Within The Park

Here’s an unusual Gates of the Arctic National Park fact that you may find hard to believe. 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 to the park begins in Fairbanks, Alaska. Most visitors access the park by air taxi, in small aircraft equipped with floats or tundra tires.

Another option for accessing the park is to hike in from the Dalton Highway or from the village of Anaktuvuk Pass.

Visitors must fly or hike into Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve | Gates of the Arctic Facts (Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

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5. Gates Of The Arctic Is The Least Visited National Park

With no roads or trails and a landscape carved by glaciers, Alaska’s Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve is for the traveler looking to truly get away from it all.

With just 7,362 visitors in 2021, it was the least-visited national park of the year.

caribou gates of the arctic national park alaska — Gates Of The Arctic Facts (Courtesy of NPS)

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Top 11 Gates Of The Arctic National Park Facts

6. Gates of the Arctic National Park Includes A Village Within Its Boundaries

Here’s another interesting Gates of the Arctic National Park fact for you! Gates of the Arctic National Park is located north of the Arctic Circle in the state of Alaska. Its location is remote, even by Alaska standards.

The village of Anaktuvuk Pass is actually within the park boundaries.

Flying above the small Alaskan village Anaktuvuk Pass, a pilot from A 1-207th Aviation Regiment, Alaska National Guard recons a safe landing zone. The Alaska National Guard flies supplies and personnel to some of the most remote regions in Alaska in support of Arctic Care 2011. (Army Photo by Lt. Col. Brent Campbell, 807th MDSC Public Affairs)

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7. A Wilderness Advocate Gave The Gates Of The Arctic Its Name

Robert Marshall was a man with a love of nature. He earned a degree from the College of Forestry at Syracuse University.

He would later achieve advanced degrees in Forestry from Harvard (Masters) and Johns Hopkins (PhD). After graduation, he worked for the US Forest Service in Montana.

While working there, he would regularly complete 20+ mile daily hikes on his personal time, garnering attention from his coworkers.

In 1929, Bob Marshall decided to explore this vast mountainous region above the Arctic Circle. undertook several expeditions exploring the Brooks Range by boat and on foot.

He named many of the mountains and streams in the Central Brooks Range, the most famous of which is the “Gates of the Arctic,” a dramatic location where two tall mountains (Boreal Mountain and Frigid Crags) frame the North Fork of the Koyukuk River.

When you entered this place, Marshall believed that you were entering into the Arctic, and “leaving the world of man behind.”

Bob Marshall on the summit of North Doonerak Peak (1930s) in what later would become Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve. Gates of the Arctic National Park Facts (Courtesy of NPS)

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8. Gates Of The Arctic Contains A Variety Of Wildlife

If you are someone who loves watching wildlife or catching fish then the Gates of the Arctic will not disappoint.

Common wildlife in Gates of the Arctic includes: grizzly bear, wolves, muskox, caribou, moose, wolverine, fox, Dall sheep and birdlife.

Fish species include grayling, dolly varden trout, arctic char, and chum salmon—it is a sport fisherman’s dream out there!

Grizzly Bears — You will find grizzly bears in Gates of the Arctic, but you should always remember to keep your distance | Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

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9. Sport Hunting & Trapping Are Permitted In The Gates Of The Arctic National Preserve

Sport hunting and trapping are permitted in Gates of the Arctic National Preserve, but not in Gates of the Arctic National Park.

Of course, to hunt and trap in the preserve, you must have all required licenses and permits and follow all other state regulations.

An Alaska State hunting license is required for all hunters age 16 or older. Bag and possession limits vary by species and by area. Always check current Alaska state hunting regulations.

Bear hunter with huge bear head strapped to his back | Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

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10. Gates Of The Arctic Has No Official Trails

If you are someone who loves to hike in America’s national parks then be forewarned that Gates of the Arctic has no official hiking trails.

That having been said, there are countless ‘game trails’ established by animals.

If you’re planning to hike then I recommend using game trails as much as possible, not only for minimizing your impacts on the vegetation, but also for ease of travel.

Common backpacking conditions and scenery in Gates of the Arctic | Courtesy of NPS

There are no established trails, and the dense vegetation, tussocks, boggy ground and frequent stream and river crossings significantly slow your progress. You will find easiest walking above the tree line or in the streambeds, if the water level is low. There are so many rivers in this area that you are likely to have to cross one or more during your trip. The water levels fluctuate continuously due to weather conditions, but the highest levels are generally in the spring during the run-off.
-National Park Service

11. There Are Many Eskimo Tribes Within The Gates Of The Arctic

There are many Eskimo tribes in Gates of the Arctic National Park, which depend on the local wildlife for food. Most of these tribes make everything they own, except for their hunting rifles.

Some of these Eskimo tribes include the Noatak and Kobuk river tribes.

Alaskan Eskimo | Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

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Why Trust Us About Gates Of The Arctic National Park?

We’re Jim Pattiz and Will Pattiz, collectively known as the Pattiz Brothers (and sometimes the Parks Brothers) and we absolutely LOVE the national parks.

You should probably know that we don’t just make this stuff up out of thin air. We’ve spent our entire adult lives exploring and filming America’s national parks and public lands.

We’ve worked with the National Park Service, the Department of Interior, USDA, and the U.S. Forest Service for years creating films on important places and issues. Our work has been featured in leading publications all over the world and even some people outside of our immediate family call us experts on the national parks.

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Map Of Gates Of The Arctic National Park & Preserve

List Of Gates Of The Arctic National Park Facts

The Inupiaq & Athabascan Were The Earliest Peoples To Explore The Gates Of The Arctic
Gates Of The Arctic Is The Most Northern National Park
The Gold Rush Brought Prospectors To The Gates Of The Arctic
There Are No Roads Within The Park
Gates Of The Arctic Is The Least Visited National Park
The Park Includes A Villages Within Its Boundaries
A Wilderness Advocate Gave The Gates Of The Arctic Its Name
Gates Of The Arctic Contains A Variety Of Wildlife
Sport Hunting & Trapping Are Permitted In The Gates Of The Arctic National Preserve
Gates Of The Arctic Has No Official Trails
There Are Many Eskimo Tribes Within The Gates Of The Arctic

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