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Gates of the Arctic National Park

Pictures by QT Luong

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[Backpacking to the Arrigetch Peaks ]

Large format photos of Gates of the Arctic National Park· Panoramic photos of Gates of the Arctic National Park

Gates of the Arctic National Park, covering much of the Brooks range in northern Alaska, is one of the finest wilderness areas of the world. With a surface area of 8.4 million acres (336 thousand squares kilometers), it is four times the size of Yellowstone, and only slightly smaller than Switzerland. What is remarkable is that such a large chunk of land has remained one of the most remote and unspoiled places in the world. No roads lead into the park, and there are no trails or bridges inside. One has to find and earn his way into the tundra, immensely vast but still subtle in the texture and wetness variations of its miniature habitats.

The Brooks range is so vast that each of its mountains have a different character, however the Arrigetch Peaks area, a place of gothic black granite spires and pinnacles reaching haphazardly into the clouds, is considered by many to be the most spectacular part. Shosh Moalem and I flew into the frontier town of Bettles, then used an air taxi to be dropped off and picked up at Circle Lake. In eight days, we backpacked to a base camp near the Arrigetch Peaks, and explored three of the surrounding valleys. Our timing of mid-August let us admire the dazzling splendor of the tundra in fall colors. See also the pictures of backpacking.

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Aerial view of meandering Alatna river in mountain valley. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Aerial view of cliff and mountain side. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Aerial view of snowy Arrigetch peaks. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Alatna River valley near Circle Lake. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Caribou antlers. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Bright berry leaves, boreal forest, Arrigetch Creek. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Tundra, valley, and mountains with fresh snow. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Arrigetch valley with caribou. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Boulders, valleys and slopes with fresh snow in cloudy weather. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Fresh snow dusts the Arrigetch Peaks. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) The Maidens with fresh show and a thin veil of clouds. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Lichen covered rocks at the base of Arrigetch Peaks. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Dark rock and moss, Aquarius Lake. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Lake II in Aquarius Valley near Arrigetch Peaks. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Arrigetch peaks above pond in Aquarius Valley. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Stream and Arrigetch Peaks. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Tundra and Arrigetch Peaks. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Taiga forest and peaks with fresh dusting of snow. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Panoramic color) Tundra tussocks and Arrigetch Peaks in the distance. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Boreal forest in autumn. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Panoramic color) Tussocks. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Alatna River valley near Circle Lake, evening. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Boreal forest and snowy Brooks Range. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Alatna River valley near Circle Lake, sunset. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Brooks range, winter sunset. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Aurora and Jupiter over Brooks Range. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Northern lights over Brooks Range, winter. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Aerial view of plain with meandering Alatna river and mountains. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Aerial view of meanders of Alatna river and valley. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Aerial view of vast landscape of meandering Alatna river and mountains. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Aerial view of meandering river and mountains. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Aerial view of mountains. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Aerial view of lake, tundra and taiga. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Aerial view of mountains with meandering Alatna river in the distance. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Alatna River valley. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Black Spruce and berry plants in autumn foliage, Alatna Valley. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Berry plants in fall color and Arrigetch creek. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Mountain landscape with berry plants in fall colors, forest, and snow-dusted peaks. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Panoramic color) Boreal forest landscape. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Panoramic color) Distant Arrigetch Peaks seen from Arrigetch Creek. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Arrigetch Peaks from boulder field in Arrigetch Creek. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Arrigetch valley and clouds. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Arrigetch Peaks from Arrigetch Creek entrance at sunset. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Arrigetch Peaks and tundra from Arrigetch Creek entrance, early morning. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Arrigetch Peaks and spruce forest from Arrigetch Creek entrance, morning. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Red tundra shrubs and Arrigetch Peaks in the distance. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Arrigetch Peaks and tundra from Arrigetch Creek entrance, morning. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Taiga scenery with stream. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Panoramic color) Clouds above Arrigetch Creek. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) River flowing over boulders, Arrigetch Creek. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Tussocks near Circle Lake, Alatna River valley, early morning. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Alatna River valley near Circle Lake, evening. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Sky and Alatna River reflections,  sunset. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Alatna River reflections, sunset. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Arrigetch Creek and Peaks. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Aquarius Valley near Arrigetch Peaks. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Tundra and Arrigetch Peaks partly hidden by clouds. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Arrigetch Peaks, tundra in fall colors, and clearing storm. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Tundra and Arrigetch Peaks in fog. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Brooks range landscape in the fall. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Panoramic color) Taiga landscape in the fall. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Panoramic color) Low tundra in autum color and Arrigetch Peaks. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Jagged peaks of the Brooks range. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Panoramic color) Brooks range peaks with fresh snow in autumn. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Panoramic color) Mountain valley. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Panoramic color) Shrubs and mountains in mist. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Tundra on mountain side in autumn. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Tundra and spruce trees on mountain side below snow line. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Arrigetch Valley in autumn. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Arrigetch Valley. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Valley and mountains, clearing storm. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Boulders at the base of Arrigetch Peaks. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Fresh snow near Arrigetch Peaks. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Fresh snow dusts the Arrigetch Peaks. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Stream and Arrigetch Peaks. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Arrigetch Peaks mineral landscape. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Panoramic color) Arrigetch peaks. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Brooks range stormy scenery with fresh snow. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Panoramic color) Brooks range landscape after snowstorm. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Panoramic color) Mineral landscape with scree, rocky peaks, and lake. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Panoramic color) Mountain lake with reflections in rocky environment. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Panoramic color) Dark rocks, lichen, and mountain lake. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Panoramic color) Turquoise lake and scree slopes. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Panoramic color) Stream, granite slabs, and boulders. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Panoramic color) Lake II in Aquarius Valley near Arrigetch Peaks. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Lake I in Aquarius Valley near Arrigetch Peaks. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Lake II in Aquarius Valley near Arrigetch Peaks. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Aquarious Lake II. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Lake I in Aquarius Valley near Arrigetch Peaks. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Aquarious Lake III. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Forest and snowy Brooks Range mountains. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Winter landscape. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Brooks Range mountains in winter. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Brooks Range near Aitigun Pass in winter. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Brooks Range mountains above Artic Plain. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Boreal forest and brooks range in winter. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Northern lights over Brooks Range. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Colorful aurora curtains over Brooks Range. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Northern lights over Brooks Range mountains. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Venus, Jupiter, and Aurora. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Northern lights and starry sky. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color)
All the 101 color pictures of Gates of the Arctic National Park are on this page

Themes: Alatna River, Gates Arctic Landforms, Gates Of The Arctic Fall Colors, Gates of the Arctic Night, Gates of the Arctic Winter