Gates of the Arctic Trips
The Northern Traverse
The Brooks Range. Backpacking in the Arctic just got even better.
Strenuous
On a scale of 1 – 5, five being the most challenging, five hiking boots is right up there.
1 boot = basecamp/dayhike easy
2 boots = easier backpacking trip
3 boots = intermediate level trip
4 boots = intermediate to advanced backpacking
5 boots = ask yourself are you really ready for this?
Expect whatever level you think might best fit you to be one level LOWER on our scale. Hiking here in Alaska is generally a step or three above what you’ll find in the Lower 48 states.
Expect it to be tougher than you think it will. At least in part, anyway. Some sections will inevitably be easier. Some will make you feel it.
One of the best hikers I’ve walked with, Ben, said it perfectly one day, as we traversed a step sidehill on the Southern Traverse. “Man, Alaska just beats you up, doesn’t it?”
And he’s right. It does. Don’t be fooled by the low mileages and the lower elevations. The catch is the difficulty of traversing rugged country with no trails. However much you think that might impact you, double it.
You need to be athletic, well balanced, in good shape, and an experienced backpacker for this kind of trip. If you’re not that .. well, don’t say you weren’t well warned.
Arrigetch Peaks Backpacking Trip
Access the Alpine. A Remarkable Arctic Adventure.
Strenuous
On a scale of 1 – 5, five being the most challenging, five hiking boots is right up there.
1 boot = basecamp/dayhike easy
2 boots = easier backpacking trip
3 boots = intermediate level trip
4 boots = intermediate to advanced backpacking
5 boots = ask yourself are you really ready for this?
Expect whatever level you think might best fit you to be one level LOWER on our scale. Hiking here in Alaska is generally a step or three above what you’ll find in the Lower 48 states.
Expect it to be tougher than you think it will. At least in part, anyway. Some sections will inevitably be easier. Some will make you feel it.
One of the best hikers I’ve walked with, Ben, said it perfectly one day, as we traversed a step sidehill on the Southern Traverse. “Man, Alaska just beats you up, doesn’t it?”
And he’s right. It does. Don’t be fooled by the low mileages and the lower elevations. The catch is the difficulty of traversing rugged country with no trails. However much you think that might impact you, double it.
You need to be athletic, well balanced, in good shape, and an experienced backpacker for this kind of trip. If you’re not that .. well, don’t say you weren’t well warned.
Beyond The Gates
The Gates are open. Paddle Home.
Mild
On a scale of 1 – 5, five being the most challenging, two hiking boots is at the easier end of the spectrum.
1 boot = basecamp/dayhike easy
2 boots = easier backpacking trip
3 boots = intermediate level trip
4 boots = intermediate to advanced backpacking
5 boots = ask yourself are you really ready for this?
Expect whatever level you think might best fit you to be one level on our scale. Hiking here in Alaska is generally a step or three above what you’ll find in the Lower 48 states.
Realize that backpacking is never “easy”. You’re carrying from 35-50+ pounds on your back day after day. You’ll be hiking for a number of hours each day (varies trip to trip, day to day), and that’s not “easy” for most people.
That said, our “2 hiking boots” level should meet the need for most novice backpackers, and are generally what I recommend for families with younger kids, etc as well. Terrain challenges aren’t usually a problem, and the walking is somewhat more orthodox. You won’t be traversing 1 mile of steep sidehill covered in slippery rocks, or snaking through dense thickets of alder and willow.
Alatna River Packrafting Trip
Alpacka Packrafts. Pristine. Personal. Alaska By River. A Gorgeous, Wild Float Trip.
Mild
On a scale of 1 – 5, five being the most challenging, two hiking boots is at the easier end of the spectrum.
1 boot = basecamp/dayhike easy
2 boots = easier backpacking trip
3 boots = intermediate level trip
4 boots = intermediate to advanced backpacking
5 boots = ask yourself are you really ready for this?
Expect whatever level you think might best fit you to be one level on our scale. Hiking here in Alaska is generally a step or three above what you’ll find in the Lower 48 states.
Realize that backpacking is never “easy”. You’re carrying from 35-50+ pounds on your back day after day. You’ll be hiking for a number of hours each day (varies trip to trip, day to day), and that’s not “easy” for most people.
That said, our “2 hiking boots” level should meet the need for most novice backpackers, and are generally what I recommend for families with younger kids, etc as well. Terrain challenges aren’t usually a problem, and the walking is somewhat more orthodox. You won’t be traversing 1 mile of steep sidehill covered in slippery rocks, or snaking through dense thickets of alder and willow.
More About Gates of the Arctic National Park
Wildlife
Gates of the Arctic National Park is home to both black and grizzly bears. Other wildlife include wolves, wolverine, moose, caribou, Dall sheep, coyotes, lynx, red fox, muskox, beaver, river otter, and more.
An array of birdlife spend the summers here. Golden eagle, bald eagle, Peregrine and Gyr falcon, Great Horned and Snowy Owl, Rough-legged hawk, Northern Goshawk are just a few of the raptors found in the park.
Home of the Wood frog, a 2-3 inch long frog that can freeze solid in the winter, thaw out and come back to “life” in the spring. Pretty amazing feat.
Activities
There are no maintained trails within the park and only a couple of hike able social/game trails exist.
Wilderness is best enjoyed wild. We offer both backpacking trips and packrafting trips inside Gates of the Arctic and strive to maintain a minimal ecological footprint best we can.
Within this Park are six Wild and Scenic Rivers. You can enjoy one of them on our Alatna River Packraft trip.
Winter activities could include snowshoeing and backcountry skiing. The park can also be a great place to view northern lights.
Learn More About Gates
Blog Posts From Gates
Hey Folks, Well, it’s well and truly spring here in Alaska, and the summer/fall hiking season right around the corner. So for anyone heading north this summer, this page might be of interest to you. Gates of the Arctic National Park is one of the less visited national parks in the state, which makes it […]
Hey Folks, I’ve written on the topic of trekking poles a few times in the past. Here also. Every year I receive a lot of questions about the use of trekking poles in Alaska. Nothing’s changed. Use them. The image above illustrates how useful they can be. Backpacking up or down steep terrain like this, often on […]
Hey Folks, It’s that time of the year again. Wrapping up image editing and putting together a quick gallery of photos from the year for you. These are mostly from different photo tours we ran this year. Northern Lights over Brooks Range, Alaska. Polar bear cubs wrestling, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska.
Caliban, Arrigetch peaks, Gates of the Arctic National Park, Alaska.
hey Folks, Whoops sorry about this. I haven’t posted in a while. Things were pretty hectic since July, and I’ve now got a little bit of down time so I’ll try to make up for that. Instead of posting an Image of the Month for November, I’ll upload a handful of photos, one for August […]
