Official State of Alaska Vacation Planner

ARCTIC Polar bears, whaling, tundra, mountains, the Arctic Circle, permafrost TravelAlaska.com/Arctic LAY OF THE LAND When you picture the Arctic, do you imagine vast swaths of tundra and open Arctic Sea? You're right, of course. But there's even more in this beautiful place than that. In fact, the Arctic is one of Alaska's most diverse regions, filled with cultural opportunities, wildlife, and dramatic landscapes. In the North, huge coastal plains and frozen wetlands rise to the 9,000-foot peaks of the Brooks Range. To the south, immense boreal forests dominate, and rivers spring to life in frantic abundance for the fleeting summer season. In the deep darkness of winter, magnificent displays of northern lights appear, illuminating seemingly endless nighttime skies. The Arctic is remote—there are only two roads (the Nome-Teller and Dalton Highways), so most travel requires a plane. It's also wild—home to massive whales, enormous herds of caribou traversing millions of acres, as well as moose, red foxes, arctic foxes, marten, minks, and bears. In the Iñupiat community of Utqiaġvik (formerly known as Barrow) and the surrounding villages on the coastal plain, people continue a largely subsistence way of life, hunting and gathering traditional foods from the land and sea. KNOWN FOR: PARKS Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Bering Land Bridge National Preserve Cape Krusenstern National Monument Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve Kobuk Valley National Park Noatak National Preserve Selawik National Wildlife Refuge Will Rogers and Wiley Post Monument HISTORICAL SITES Birnirk National Historic Landmark Cape Nome Mining District Discovery Sites Iñupiat Heritage Center SCENIC BYWAYS Dalton Highway K u s kok w i m R i ve r Y u k o n R i v er K o yu k u k R i v e r Arctic Circle Wrangell-St. Elias Nat'l Park & Preserve Glacier Bay Nat'l Park & Preserve Kluane Nat'l Park Misty Fjords Nat'l Monument Aniakchak Nat'l Monument & Preserve Kodiak Nat'l Wildlife Refuge Togiak Nat'l Wildlife Refuge GULF OF ALASKA CHUKCHI SEA BEAUFORT SEA PACIFIC OCEAN ARCTIC OCEAN MATTHEW NUNIVAK ISLAND Prince William Sound WHITEHORSE ANCHORAGE FAIRBANKS JUNEAU PRINCE OF WALES ISLAND CANADA U.S.A. ALASKA YUKON N.W. TERRITORIES BRITISH COLUMBIA Katmai Nat'l Park & Preserve Lake Clark Nat'l Park & Preserve Kenai Fjords Nat'l Park ST. LAWRENCE ISLAND Auke Bay Gates of the Arctic Nat'l Park & Preserve Arctic Nat'l Wildlife Refuge KODIAK ISLAND Tracy Arm Fjord Wasilla Palmer Girdwood Homer Seward Valdez Sitka Ketchikan Glennallen Denali McCarthy Ross River Nome Point Hope Kotzebue Chena Hot Springs Manley Hot Springs Bethel Emmonak Iliamna Talkeetna Whittier Cordova Yakutat Haines Gustavus Skagway Petersburg Wrangell Hollis Metlakatla Prince Rupert Haines Jct. Dawson City Kennicott Gakona Jct. Tok Chicken Healy Cooper Landing Kodiak King Salmon Fort Yukon Rampart Tanana Galena St. Michael St. Mary's Pilgrim Hot Springs Taylor Noatak Umiat Bettles Goodnews Bay Dillingham Ninilchik Anchor Pt. Seldovia Chenaga Elfin Cove Pelican Tenakee Springs Angoon Kake Hyder/ Stewart Carcross Northway Beaver Creek Destruction Bay Carmacks Boundary Paxson Cantwell Kantishna Eagle Soldotna Kenai Lake Louise Chitna Kenny Lake Copper Center Nabesna Tatitlek Trapper Creek Willow Houston Big Lake Old Harbor Wainwright Huslia Holy Cross McGrath Aniak Quinhagak Chignik Sand Point Cold Bay False Pass King Cove Naknek Mekoryuk Selawik Noorvik White Mountain Council Ouzinkie Port Lions Utqiaġvik (Barrow) Prudhoe Bay Deadhorse Anaktuvuk Pass Wiseman Coldfoot Arctic Village Shishmaref Wales Little Diomede Teller Unalakleet Port Alsworth Kaktovik Hoonah/ Icy Strait Point Hughes Sutton North Pole Delta Jct. 2 2 2 1 1 4 4 1 2 3 4 Seward & George Parks Highways Glenn & Richardson Highways Elliott & Dalton Highways Alaska Marine Ferry Highway Highway Pipeline Ferry Railroad Limited Access Check out these road trips on page XX lower 48 comparison SEASON Spring Summer Fall Winter 6° 41° 18° -8° -5° 32° 10° -19° 17 hrs 23 hrs 9 hrs 4 hrs H L Average temperatures in F° TEMPERATURES & DAYLIGHT T a n a n a R i ver Y u k o n R i v er K o yu k u k R i v e r Arctic Circle Wrangell-St. Elias Nat'l Park & Preserve Glacier Bay Nat'l Park & Preserve Kluane Nat'l Park Misty Fjords Nat'l Monument Aniakchak Nat'l Monument & Preserve Kodiak Nat'l Wildlife Refuge Togiak Nat'l Wildlife Refuge GULF OF ALASKA CHUKCHI SEA BEAUFORT SEA PACIFIC OCEAN ARCTIC OCEAN MATTHEW ISLAND NUNIVAK ISLAND Prince William Sound WHITEHORSE ANCHORAGE FAIRBANKS JUNEAU PRINCE OF WALES ISLAND CANADA U.S.A. ALASKA YUKON N.W. TERRITORIES BRITISH COLUMBIA Katmai Nat'l Park & Preserve Lake Clark Nat'l Park & Preserve Kenai Fjords Nat'l Park Auke Bay Gates of The Arctic Nat'l Park & Preserve Arctic Nat'l Wildlife Refuge KODIAK ISLAND Island Tracy Arm Fjord Wasilla Palmer Girdwood Homer Seward Valdez Sitka Ketchikan Glennallen Denali McCarthy Ross River Nome Point Hope Kotzebue Savoonga Gambell 2 2 2 1 1 4 4 1 2 3 4 Seward & George Parks Highways Glenn & Richardson Highways Elliott & Dalton Highways Alaska Marine Ferry Highway Highway Pipeline Ferry Railroad Limited Access Check out these road trips on page XX lower 48 comparison 43

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