Overview

The northernmost national park in the United States, Gates of the Arctic is true wilderness, with nary a road or trail in sight. Larger than the nation of Belgium, the park's 8.47 million acres can only be accessed by foot or — more commonly — floatplanes or bush planes. The latter deposit visitors on lakes and rivers for an unadorned backcountry camping experience. Float trips also are popular on the park's six major rivers: the Alatna, Noatak, North Fork Koyukuk, Kobuk, John, and Tinayguk. Some of these have rapids up to Class V. Park visitors, many of whom join guided trips organized by local outfitters, will experience a wide variety of intact ecosystems as well as wildlife ranging from migrating caribou to moose, Dall sheep, grey wolves, and muskoxen. Unescorted visitors need to be completely self-sufficent in this vast, wild, lonely, and unforgiving yet beautiful land. Established: December 2, 1980 Area: 8,472,506 acres Website: [www.nps.gov/gaar](http://www.nps.gov/gaar)