Located in the Brooks Range, inland from the Northern Arctic Coastal Plain, Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve is a true wilderness alpine area. It is an incredibly remote, trackless and environmentally sensitive area. You need to be very experienced in wilderness and alpine trips and have advanced training in wilderness first aid to safely and comfortably take an unguided backpacking trip in this park.
As with all wilderness and alpine trips, you should bring all the equipment necessary to be self-sufficient, such as water purification, wilderness first aid supplies, extra food and stove fuel. Make sure the supplies used do not cause damage to the fragile arctic alpine environment. Though Gates of the Arctic is open year round, you should call the park office to check conditions, operating hours, and to find approved fly-in air transportation operators and recommended routes and equipment before planning your trip. These safety, environmental and trip planning guidelines apply to all wilderness trips in Alaska.
Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve
Fairbanks Administrative Center
4175 Geist Road
Fairbanks, AK 99709
907-457-5752
nps.gov/gaar/
Choose a pack trip in Denali State Park on Kesugi Ridge, a part of the Alaska Range, if you want to follow an established wilderness backpacking trail in Alaska and see Mt. McKinley. The trip is either 27 miles, which takes three to four days one way, or 54 miles, which takes a minimum of seven days if you plan an out-and-back trip. On this challenging pack trip, you will hike along the Kesugi Ridge through thick forest, across wet and, occasionally, swampy ground and cross over a suspension bridge. A campground and parking lot are at the end of the trail.
Alaska State Parks
MatSu District
HC 32, Box 6706
Wasilla, AK 99654
907-745-3975
http://dnr.alaska.gov/parks
Glacier Bay is a United Nations World Biosphere Reserve and a World Heritage Site. The bay was shaped by a glacier that retreated just 250 years ago, leaving a few tidewater glaciers that feed into the upper bay area. Its a remote trackless wilderness area where you will have the chance to see whales, moose, mountain goats, and fragile alpine flowers, such as the Chocolate Lilly. As of September 2010, there is no entry fee for the park, but a free permit is required for wilderness camping.
Glacier Bay
National Park and Preserve
P.O. Box 140
Gustavus AK 99826-0140
907-697-2230
nps.gov
The historic 33-mile Chilkoot Pass Trail traces a route that gold prospectors took during the 1897 to 1898 Klondike Gold Rush. The Chilkoot Pass Trail runs through Klondike Gold Rush International Historical Park, which is jointly owned and managed by the United States and Canada. The challenging trail runs between in Dyea, Alaska, and ends in Yukon Territory, Canada. This popular and challenging, unguided Alaska wilderness pack trip covers a great diversity of terrain, including swamps, snowy passes, canyons, alpine lakes, and rocky alpine deserts. Trail information can be obtained from either country's parks service. Parks Canada issues trail permits. Hikers should have appropriate documents to enter both Canada and the United States.
Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park
P.O. Box 517
Skagway, AK 99840
Headquarters & Visitor Information
907-983-2921
Trail Center (June through August)
907- 983-9234
Parks Canada (Trail Permits)
S.S. Klondike National Historic Site
Room 205, 300 Main Street
Whitehorse, YT
Canada Y1A 2B5
800-661-0486
pc.gc.ca
