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Gates of the Arctic National Park

Pictures by QT Luong

More pictures of Gates of the Arctic Next pictures: Kobuk Valley
[1 : Overview]
[2 : Aerial Views]
[3 : Arrigetch and Alatna Valleys]
[4 : Arrigetch Peaks]
[5 : Inukpasugruk Valley]
[6 : Three River Mountain]
[7 : Eastern boundary]
[8 : Structures and People]
[All]
[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 established trails. 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.

On my first trip to the park, in 2000, Shosh and I were dropped off at Circle Lake by a bush pilot. My backpack weighted 70 pounds. In eight days, we reached the base of the Arrigetch Peaks, a sanctuary of gothic black granite spires and pinnacles reaching haphazardly into the clouds, and explored three of the surrounding valleys (pictures of backpacking). In 2012, encountering daytime temperatures below minus 30F, Regis and I made the hazardous drive up the Dalton Highway in winter to observe the northern lights at the outskirts of the park. In 2023, Tommy and I flew on a mail plane into the Eskimo settlement of Anaktuvuk Pass. Once our newly found Nunamiut friend left us, we didn't see a single person nor even a trace of human activity such as a footprint or user trail for all of our days in the backcountry.

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Aerial view of meandering Alatna river in mountain valley. 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) Clouds above Arrigetch Creek. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Stream and Arrigetch Peaks. 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) Boulders, valleys and slopes with fresh snow in cloudy weather. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Lake in Aquarius Valley near Arrigetch Peaks. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Dark rock and moss, Aquarius Lake. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Lichen covered rocks at the base of Arrigetch Peaks. 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) Tundra and Arrigetch Peaks. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Tussocks. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Boreal forest in autumn. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Panoramic color) Alatna River valley near Circle Lake, evening. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Willows and Inukpasugruk Valley in autumn. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Tundra plants and Inukpasugruk Valley in autumn. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Autumn tundra and Kollutuk Mountain with low rain clouds. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Rocky slope and Kollutuk Mountain in autumn. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Stream and snowy mountains. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Antler, creek, and continental divide peaks. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Close-up of rocks and mosses. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Stream flowing through rocks and mosses. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Field of angular rocks alternating with moss and snowy mountains. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Snowy Three River Mountain reflected in lake. Gates of the Arctic National Park ( color) Boreal forest and snowy Brooks Range. 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)
There are 32 color pictures on this page out of 165 color pictures of Gates of the Arctic.

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