The Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve is a mountain range and wilderness in northern Alaska. It is the second-largest national park with an area of 8,472,506 acres, which is slightly larger than the nation of Belgium. It is also the northernmost national park in the U.S.
While a park rich in historical and cultural significance, less than 10,000 people visit the park every year. This is largely due to its location—too far to be visited. For those who do visit, they will find themselves having a grand time enjoying the magnificent vista.
The majority of the area—some 7.2 million acres—is a marvel of nature. When adjoined with the Noatak Wilderness, it forms the largest contiguous wilderness in America. The park also protects parts of the Brooks Range.
History
Nomadic people who live on wildlife sustenance started inhabiting the Brooks Range, some 12,500 years ago. This is apparent based on the tools discovered in the area: net sinkers, stone knives, and projectile points. Evidence of Arctic Small Tool tradition, a collective group of cultures who were noted to be the first settlers of Arctic Canada and Greenland, was also found in the area.
Exploration of the interiors of the state of Alaska didn’t happen until the late 19th century—the place was too far and usually too cold. But when gold was discovered in the Klondike, a Canadian territory just east of the Alaskan border, miners and traders finally took notice of the Gates of the Arctic area. Nothing substantial ever came out of the mining exploration.
Activist Bob Marshall, though, was more concerned about the wilderness rather than the mineral deposits. While exploring the area of the Koyukuk River in 1929, Marshall came across the Frigid Crags and Boreal Mountain. He named the region, the Gates of the Arctic, and also mentions it in his book “Arctic Village”, which was followed by talks of making the area a national park.
On Dec. 1, 1978, President Jimmy Carter signed into law the Gates of the Arctic National Monument. Two years later, the monument was designated as a national park.
Wild and Scenic River System
Activities are limited in the park due to a lack of support from the local governments. There aren’t even proper roads leading to the park, which could be the reason for only a handful of people visiting it every year. However, the park is rich in beautiful scenery.
The federal government created the National Wild and Scenic River System to “preserve rivers with outstanding natural, cultural and recreational values.” Six of the so-called nationally preserved river systems just happened to be at this park: Alatna River, John River, Kobuk River, Koyukuk River (just the North Fork), Noatak River (part of it) and the Tinayguk River. Each river system has a different ecosystem that provides a different vista.
The rivers also provide opportunities for canoeing and kayaking (there are no concessionaires in the area that will rent out equipment), hiking (there are no trails set up), photography, fishing, sightseeing, and swimming. Some of these rivers are also migration routes for the caribou herd. That would be an exciting activity for visitors to witness.
Mountain range
The Endicott Mountains, which is in the middle of the Brooks Range, will make for a great subject in painting and photography. The most popular part of Endicott is the Arrigetch Peaks, a cluster of rugged granite spires. The name means “fingers of the outstretched hand” because of the long-ish spikes resembling fingers. The view from the lowland is so serene—both during the summer and winter. The Schwatka Mountains are also part of the park’s beautiful mountain ranges. The highest peak in the Schwatka is Mount Igikpak, with its highest elevation recorded at 8,276 feet.
Hunting is one of the more popular activities in the area—not as a hobby but as a necessity—as the boundaries of the park are residential zones. The communities surrounding the park depend on the park’s resources for sustenance. That’s why hunting is popular in the area.
Among the popular hunting, targets are deer and caribou. Those who enjoy sport hunting require a permit as well as the required licenses.
Flora and fauna
Since the park is mostly wilderness, visitors can expect splashes of colors from the different plant life, thriving in the area. The different scenic rivers, for example, have different hues owing to the established fauna in the banks.
Aside from the caribou, the park is also home to the following: Arctic foxes, bears, beavers, coyotes, Dall sheep, lynxes, marmots, moose, muskoxen, muskrats, porcupines, river otters, snowshoe hares, wolverines, wolves, and some species of large birds, among others.