Gates of the Arctic National Park | Wilderness Adventure | Arctic Wild

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Guided Wilderness Trips in Gates of the Arctic National Park, Alaska.

We offer Noatak River Canoe Trips, Arrigetch Peaks Backpacking Trips, Alatna River Canoe Trips, Nigu River, and  Kobuk River Rafting Trips. (See details below)

 

About the Gates of the Arctic National Park
All of the Alaska National Parks are spectacular, but Gates of the Arctic National Park just might be the best. Clear, free-flowing rivers, majestic peaks, endless vistas and undisturbed wildlife are the standard fare in Gates of the Arctic. A hugely diverse and largely unknown 11 million acre park in the Alaska Brooks Range, with endless opportunities for wilderness backcountry adventures. With less than 5,000 visitors per year, you are more likely to see an Arctic wolf or Alaskan caribou than other people.

 

 

Geography

Like the rest of the Alaska Brooks Range, Gates of the Arctic is accessible only by air. The South slopes of the Brooks Range are forested and similar to interior Alaska, though tundra peaks are always within sight and easy hike. The high country and North-slopes of the Brooks Range are tundra; wide open, treeless and beautiful. Glacier carved peaks like the Arrigetch and Mt. Igikpak tower above good canoeing rivers like the Alatna and Noatak, while to the west and north, the Kobuk and Nigu provide whitewater rafters with some fun paddling.

 

Wildlife

In the Gates of the Arctic National Park, you may see small bands of Alaska caribou in quiet alpine canyons, Arctic Poppies and Alaska spring beauty flowering on the tundra and Common Loons or Tundra Swans in the numerous glacial lakes. Perhaps you will visited by an Alaskan moose or see musk oxen or a grizzly bear feeding near camp. Golden Eagles and Dall sheep frequent the high country. Lake trout, pike, sheefish, salmon and greyling are found in the rivers and lakes and the 300,000 member Western Arctic Caribou herd roams the park during July, and August.  Whether you’re a wildlife photographer, into Alaska birding, or just enjoy watching wildilfe, Gates of the Arctic offers a true backcountry wilderness experience.

 

Human History

Inland Eskimos (Nunamiut) have lived in the Brooks Range for thousands of years, fishing the productive waters and hunting caribou and sheep. Tent rings, stone fences and chipped stone are found through out the park in places like the Nigu River and lend a depth of history to the facinating landscape. In the Koyukuk country in the southern part of the park the gold rush and wilderness visionaries like Bob Marshall enrich our experience with stories and artifacts.

 

Trips in Gates of the Arctic National Park

We offer professionally guided raft, canoe, basecamp and backpacking trips on both forested south slopes of the mountains and the wide open tundra north of the divide. Whether your interest is Rafting the Kobuk, Canoeing the Noatak or backpacking in the Arrigetch Peaks, Gates of the Arctic National Park is sure to exceed your expectations.

For those of you interested is seeing more National Parks in Alaska we offer custom trips to Kobuk Valley, Noatak Preserve and other Alaska National Parks, which can combine with a trip to Gates of the Arctic.

 

2010 Trips in the Gates of the Arctic National Park
Itineraies	Location	Start	End	Days	Price	Type
Spring in the Arctic	Noatak River	June 2	June 11	10	$4,400	Canoe
Arrigetch Peaks	Arrigetch Peaks	Aug 9	Aug 16	8	$2,800	Backpack
Autumn Caribou Basecamp	Nigu River	Aug 9	Aug 16	8	$3,900	Basecamp
Boreal Backwoods Canoe	Alatna River	Aug 16	Aug 22	7	$3,100	Canoe
Artifacts, Animals, and Adventure	Nigu River	Aug 16	Aug 25	10	$4,400	Raft
Kobuk Fishing and Rafting	Kobuk River	Aug 16	Aug 25	10	$4,300	Raft
Don't see the Gates of the Arctic trip you are looking for? Contact us about a Custom Trip.

Arctic Wild is the premier guide service in the Gates of the Arctic National Park offering backcountry river rafting trips, Alaska canoe trips, hiking and backpacking trips and base camp trips for wildlife photography and Alaska birding.