Accessibility

Gates of the Arctic is a vast wilderness area without trails or any developed infrastructure, designated by Congress to remain a "primitive" area in most respects. The National Park Service strives to make the parks' visitor centers as universally accessible as possible. The remote wilderness of this park means that most access is backcountry and may be difficult to get to. Park staff are here to assist you with your trip planning to experience this special place.

 
 
Image of Access Pass showing flying owl, blue stylized compass. Text at top left reads: America The Beautiful The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass. Text at lower right reads: ACCESS
America the Beautiful Access Pass

USGS Photo

Fees and Passes


The America the Beautiful Access Pass is a free lifetime pass for US citizens and permanent residents who have been medically determined to have a permanent disability that severely limits one or more major life activities. It provides free entrance to recreation areas managed by the National Park Service, US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Reclamation. Passes can be obtained at the Fairbanks Alaska Public Lands Information Center or online from the US Geological Survey.

Holders of America the Beautiful Access Passes and Golden Access Passes are entitled to 50% discounts on camping fees for sites occupied by the passholders. Provide the pass number to the reservation company when the reservation is made.
 
A-frame wooden building with accessible ramp leading to the entrance
The Bettles Ranger Station has a wheelchair-accessible ramp that leads to its entrance.

NPS/ Claire Dal Nogare

Access

Visitor Centers


The Bettles Ranger Station, located in Bettles, Alaska, is open 7 days a week, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., from July 1 to September 25. Access is via air travel. Visitors can speak with a ranger, receive a backcountry orientation, and finalize the details of a trip into the park.The Ranger station is approximately 300 yards from the airstrip and is accessed via a gravel walking surface. Entrance is via an ADA accessible ramp. Accessible restrooms are available.

 
View of the entrance area of the Arctic Interagency Visitor Center with gravel praking lot, wooden stanchions, and cement sidewalks
View of the entrance area of the Arctic Interagency Visitor Center with gravel praking lot, wooden stanchions, and cement sidewalks.

Bureau of Land Management/Craig McCaa

The Arctic Interagency Visitor Center is open daily in summer and is located at mile 175 of the Dalton Highway. Visitors can speak with a ranger, receive a backcountry orientation and finalize details of their trip into the park. Accessible parking is located approximately 70 feet from the parking area and is via an uneven gravel and concrete walkway. The main entrance has a ¾" threshold leading into the facility. Accessible restrooms are available.

The Fairbanks Alaska Public Lands Information Center is open 7 days a week 8am-6 pm from May 25-September 11th and is located in downtown Fairbanks, AK. Visitors can speak with a ranger, receive backcountry information and finalize details of a trip to the park. Accessible parking is approximately 120 feet from the front of the facility and accessible restrooms are available.
 

Things to Do


While there are no trails or NPS facilities in the park, there may be commercial facilities and services that are accessible. A list of commercially authorized businesses can be found on the Alaska NPS website. Visitors are encouraged to contact businesses directly with any accessibility questions.

Bear resistant food containers are required for food storage in the backcountry. Typically, canisters are designed with a screw on lid or require some maneuverability. These canisters are available for check out at all park visitor centers and ranger stations. The Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee maintains a list of approved canisters for the park. If a model on that list is more appropriate for a visitor, they are welcome to use their own.
 

Trails


Gates of the Arctic is a designated wilderness park. There are no developed or maintained trails in the Preserve. Access to the park and preserve is primarily by air taxi, or as a river trip from outside the park. Contact an air taxi operator to find out where they are able to drop you off and pick you up. There are several road accessible points to initially access air taxi service.

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, wheelchairs and Other Mobility Devices are permitted anywhere foot travel is allowed, including Wilderness, if the device is "designed solely for use by a person who has mobility impairment for their locomotion, and is suitable for use in an indoor pedestrian area." This includes "mechanized" wheelchairs; e.g. battery-powered, as long as it is suitable for indoor use (gasoline powered would not be suitable for indoor use.) Electric Personal Assistance Mobility Devices (EPAMD), which are two-wheeled, electrically propelled human transport devices, including Segways™, do not meet the legal definition of a wheelchair. If you have questions about access and wheelchair use, please contact the park for assistance.
 

Rivers


Rivers inside the park average Class I and II difficulty, with a few Class II-IV rapids, but river conditions constantly change. Challenges associated with arctic river travel include very cold water temperature, dramatically fluctuating water levels, logjams, strainers and sweepers, and some rapids. River conditions will dictate access and the type of flight needed. Contact an air taxi operator to find out where they are able to drop you off and pick you up on each river. Depending on which river you choose, there may be gravel pull outs suitable for backcountry camping. Contact the one of the park's visitor centers for specific river backcountry information.
 

Brochures


Braille and large-print versions of our park brochure are available at the Fairbanks Alaska Public Lands Information Center and the Bettles Ranger Station.
 
Audio Description pictogram

Audio-Described Version

Audio description of the park brochure for Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve is available using the UniDescription app, available for free on iOS and Android devices. Park brochures for more than 50 National Park sites across the country are available through the app.

We highly recommend downloading the app and content prior to visiting the park. WiFi and cellular service are may be limited or nonesistant in most of the park. The UniD app automatically downloads the park content (its text and MP3s) when the app is opened and the particular park file is selected (while online). Once downloaded the content is available in the app, even with no connectivity.

Additionally, audio description of the following publications is available as a zipped collection of audio files.

Download a folder of audio files. Open the files in your preferred mp3 player to listen to each section of the brochure.
 
Braille Pictogram

Braille

The park has a limited number of copies of the text from the park's official map/brochure in Braille format available at the Fairbanks Alaska Public Lands Information Center and the Bettles Ranger Station. Download the Braille Ready File version of our map brochure, for printing at home on your Braille embosser/printer.
 
 

Service Animals


Service animals that have been individually trained to perform specific tasks for the benefit of persons with disabilities are allowed in the park. A service animal that is allowed in park facilities, trails, etc., must be doing so in the service of a disabled person. Emotional support ("therapy animals") are not service animals under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), but are pets, and may access trails, other non-motorized areas, and park buildings. Service dogs-in-training are not service animals under ADA, but are considered pets. Well behaved pets are allowed in all areas of Gates of the Arctic National Park and some government facilties.

Last updated: May 25, 2021

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Contact Info

Mailing Address:

101 Dunkel St.
Suite 110

Fairbanks, AK 99701

Phone:

907-459-3730

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