Discover the Wild: Top 14 Fun Facts About Gates of the Arctic National Park

1. No Pavements, No Problem

When Mother Nature decided to open her gates, she certainly wasn't kidding about that Arctic draft! Nestled between the cunningly named Frigid Crags and Boreal Mountain, the Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve boasts rambunctious residents such as caribou, bears, and Dall sheep, and a distinct lack of pavements or signs for human guests: it's a haven to enjoy nature's rugged wilderness that has been home to humans for over 12,000 years, but don't expect any red carpets or lamp posts to light your way!
Source => nps.gov

2. Arctic VIP Lounge

If Alaska is the land of the midnight sun, then Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve must be the VIP lounge: Spanning over 8.4 million acres, this vast wilderness park in Alaska's central Brooks Range is the headwaters for six Wild Rivers and features a splendid array of Arctic ecosystems, giving it the prestigious title of the premier Wilderness park in the national park system.
Source => nps.gov

Did you know that Wrangell-St. Elias National Park boasts nine out of the sixteen highest peaks in the US, including North America's second highest peak, Mount St. Elias? Scale new heights with these fun facts! 🏔️💡

=> Fun Facts about Wrangell-St-Elias

3. Caribou Trailblazers

Move over, Santa's reindeer, there's a new squad in town: Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve is home to the Western Arctic caribou herd, boasting approximately 200,000 animals – one of the largest herds in Alaska. Bonus fact: the only trails you'll find in the park are made by these hoof-tastic creatures themselves, giving hikers an exclusive behind-the-hooves experience.
Source => travelalaska.com

4. Alaska's Ginormous Playground

Alaska: home to the world's largest refrigerator and Gates of the Arctic, a ginormous playground measuring a whopping 8.5 million acres: Sprawling across the central Brooks Range of northern Alaska, it stands as the second largest national park in the United States, serving equal doses of wilderness and wonder.
Source => thegreatestroadtrip.com

5. Polar Party Time

Have you heard about the Arctic's "land of the midnight sun and the noon moon"? Well, this isn't some psychedelic Arctic rave: Gates of the Arctic National Park experiences polar day during the summer and polar night during the winter. In the summer of 2023, the sun will be partying above the horizon for 1.6 months straight, while in the winter, it slips below the horizon and takes a 3-week break to recover.
Source => weatherspark.com

6. Survival Edition: Waldo's Arctic Adventure

If you've ever wanted to test your skills in a real-life game of "Where's Waldo: Survival Edition," look no further than the Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve: With neither set routes nor established campsites, communication options limited to echoes, and a terrain more challenging than a Sudoku puzzle for a goldfish, this park demands its visitors to be survival skill aficionados and practically give French-kisses to the Leave No Trace principles when camping overnight.
Source => nps.gov

7. Critter Cruise Extravaganza

Step aside, Noah's Ark: Gates of the Arctic National Park is the ultimate critter cruise for nature lovers and wildlife enthusiasts. From furry to feathery and everything in between, this park has got it all: Within its borders lie thriving populations of black and grizzly bears, wolves, wolverines, moose, caribou, Dall sheep, coyotes, lynx, red foxes, muskoxen, beavers, river otters, golden eagles, bald eagles, Peregrine and Gyr falcons, Great Horned and Snowy Owls, and Rough-legged hawks – especially during those happening summer months.
Source => expeditionsalaska.com

8. Frosty Rapids Adventure

Who says you can't stay frosty while riding the rapids? At Gates of the Arctic National Park, adventure-seekers dip their oars in ice-cold fun: Home to six Wild Rivers - John, Noatak, Kobuk, Alatna, Tinyaguk, and North Fork of the Koyukuk - travelers navigate Class I to IV rapids using collapsible boats, braving chilly waters, fluctuating levels, and the unique spectacle of aufeis (overflow ice).
Source => nps.gov

9. Seasonal Daylight Extremes

Who needs an alarm clock when nature's got your back? At Gates of the Arctic National Park, you can witness the sun pulling an all-nighter or taking a lengthy winter holiday: During the summer months, the sun remains above the horizon for up to 24 hours, while in the winter, it retreats below the horizon for several weeks at a time, offering a fascinating experience of extreme seasonal daylight variations.
Source => weatherspark.com

10. Wall Street of Wilderness Encounters

If silence is golden, the Gates of the Arctic National Park must be sitting on a pot of auriferous tranquility, until a bear brought in a stock market crash: Covering an area larger than Rhode Island, Delaware, and Connecticut combined, this park features Karupa Lake, a remote location that requires a four-hour skiplane flight from Fairbanks. It's so quiet that when scientists recorded sounds they could hear footsteps and sniffs, only to have their equipment destroyed by a bear months later, making it the Wall Street of wilderness encounters.
Source => nytimes.com

11. Limited-Time Arctic Welcome Offers

Step right up, folks, and gather 'round the slightly less Arctic, somewhat gate-like, office-to-behold! Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve bids you a warm welcome – while supplies last, of course: Featuring year-round access with visitor centers like the Fairbanks Alaska Public Lands Information Center ready to serve you Monday through Saturday. But wait! Our summer special also grants you entry to the Bettles Ranger Station, Arctic Interagency Visitor Center, and Anaktuvuk Pass Ranger Station. So hurry on over, and just in case Mother Nature puts up her icy barricade, let our official website be your trusty informant.
Source => nps.gov

12. Avian All-Nighters

Birds of a feather flock together, especially when they've got endless sunsets to feast their wings upon: At Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, over 145 avian species, from migratory wonders like the Arctic Tern to full-time citizens like the ever-resilient ptarmigan, come together in an array of colors and tunes, creating a paradise for birdwatchers and geographically confused humans suffering from jet lag.
Source => nps.gov

13. Sunlit Escapades in Arrigetch Peaks

Forget your usual Netflix marathons; try a 24-hour daylight hike instead: In the Gates of the Arctic National Park, the Arrigetch Peaks region offers thrilling challenges and jaw-dropping beauty in the traditional territory of indigenous groups like the Inupiaq-speaking Kuuvanmiit and Nunamiut people and the Athapaskan-speaking Koyukon, giving the adventurous souls and photography fanatics an unforgettable sunlit escapade.
Source => davidmoskowitz.net

14. Permafrost Plumber's Nightmare

What do you get when you cross a leaky faucet with the Midwestern United States? You get Gates of the Arctic National Park, with more water and bogs than a plumber's nightmare: Surprisingly, this park receives less precipitation than many eastern and midwestern US regions, but due to the unique effects of permafrost, it's home to a wealth of boggy areas, wetlands, and small lakes. Thawing permafrost drastically affects the ecosystem, causing effects such as lake drainage, soil erosion, shifting river patterns, increased sedimentation, and vegetation changes.
Source => nps.gov