Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve: History, Highlights, and One- to Three-Day Adventures

Gates of the Arctic has no roads, no trails, and no campgrounds, and that is exactly why people go. Getting there means a small plane from Bettles, Coldfoot, or Anaktuvuk Pass, and the wilderness on the other side asks for real planning. This guide shows you how to see the park in one, two, or three days, from a flightseeing trip to a short backpack, with the flights, gear, and bear rules worked out.

What's inside

• Nine ready-made itineraries: one, two, and three days, each at easy, moderate, and strenuous effort, built around air taxis, lake landings, and walks from Anaktuvuk Pass, each with a backup plan for low cloud, high water, or a late plane
• The park's history, from the Koyukon Athabascan and Nunamiut peoples who still live here to the gold rush, Bob Marshall's Arctic Village, and the making of the park
• Sightseeing highlights including the Gates themselves, the Arrigetch Peaks, the Alatna River, Walker Lake, the John River, and the gateway towns
• A wildlife chapter profiling 14 commonly seen animals, from caribou, grizzlies, and Dall's sheep to ptarmigan and longspurs, each with a photograph and notes on where and when to look
• Trip planning for flights, orientations, bear-resistant food containers, river crossings, communication, mosquitoes, and respecting local land
• 33 photographs and 5 orientation maps

What you'll receive

• EPUB ebook (Gates_of_the_Arctic_National_Park_and_Preserve_Brian_D_Russ.epub, about 10 MB) for Apple Books, Kobo, Google Play Books, and most e-reader apps. Kindle readers can send it to their library with Amazon's Send to Kindle.
• PDF (Gates_of_the_Arctic_National_Park_and_Preserve_Brian_D_Russ.pdf, 102 pages including the cover, about 22 MB) for any device, and for printing the pages you want to carry. It opens on the illustrated cover.

Your download link arrives by email right after purchase.

Edition

First illustrated edition, October 2026, with research completed October 17, 2026. Flights, hours, and bear advisories change, so check the park's current alerts before you travel.

Pack for rain, leave a spare day, and let the weather set the pace.

This is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Park Service.