NPS Photo

Litter left in the Park and Preserve

Trash is a major concern in Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve. If you pack it in, pack it out.  Never burn, bury or litter unused food or trash in the field.

Trash is also a major concern in many bush communities. Landfills are small and filling up fast. You can help by taking your trash all the way to a transfer station in Fairbanks.

One way to save weight and time when traveling into the park, is to leave excess packaging at home. Repackaging dry food into resealable bags makes the food fit easier into bear resistant food containers as well.

Sometimes items such as fire rings, rock cairns and old cans that appear to be recent impacts are potentially cultural or historic artifacts. If you find trash or impact sites in the Park and Preserve do not remove them, please report them to a ranger.