Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Alaska

Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve is a huge national park in Alaska. Covering 8,472,506 acres (34,287 sq km) - an area equivalent to the size of Switzerland, it is the second largest national park in the United States. It is also the northernmost national park in the country, as it is entirely lies north of the Arctic Circle.

The Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve got its name from two mountains, the Frigid Crags and Boreal Mountain. When wildernest activist Bob Marshall saw them in 1929, he named them Gates of the Arctic, as they were on either sides of the Koyukuk River. Gates of the Arctic was made a national monument on 1 December, 1978, and elevated to national park on 2 December, 1980.

Marshall Lake, Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve
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Blueskykurt


This is an extremely remote national park. There are no roads or trains within it. The nearest road, the Dalton Highway, is at the nearest 5 miles from its eastern boundary. Strangely, however, it is a US national park where there are ten small communities of local people living in it, surviving on the park's resources.

The landscape of the Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve is one of wild tundra and rugged mountain ranges. Its wildlife includes a number of large animals such as the moose, barren-ground grizzlies, the Dall sheep, black bears, wolves and caribou.

Visiting Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Alaska

As there are no roads into this national park, going there may involve a lot of hiking through rugged terrain. It is best that you get in touch with the park visitor center in Fairbanks at (907) 457 5752 to seek further advice. The center is open Monday to Friday from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, and closed on public holidays. There are no entrance fees to this national park.

List of National Parks in the United States

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