Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve is an area of superlative natural beauty and exceptional scientific value in Alaska's Brooks Range. The maze of glaciated valleys and gaunt, rugged mountains is cut by wild rivers and covered with boreal forest and arctic tundra. Moose, caribou, Dahl sheep, wolves, and grizzly and black bears inhabit the land.
Gates of the Arctic encompasses 8.4 million acres including the national park, two national preserves, six Wild and Scenic Rivers and two National Natural Landmarks. The park and preserve offer visitors unparalleled opportunities for solitude, wilderness travel, and adventure.
Congress recognized the special value of its wild and undeveloped character when they designated 7.2 million acres of the Park and Preserve wilderness and 1 million acres wilderness appropriate. The National Park Service protects this special place's physical resources and maintains the intangible qualities of the wilderness and the opportunity it provides for people to learn and renew its values.
