Boat-based polar bear viewing on waters of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge around the village of Kaktovik is currently unavailable.
Plan Your Visit
A trip to Arctic National Wildlife Refuge can be an inspiring, life-changing experience. Whether you want to photograph, fish, hunt, challenge yourself with travel in the backcountry, or just spend quiet time in an immense and humbling landscape, this is a truly remarkable place.
All refuge lands are open to the public, and there are no visitor fees or specific entry points. Visitors plan and arrange their own transportation, trip locations, and itineraries; careful preparation, and self-reliance are a must. There are no roads, established trails, or facilities of any type within the refuge's 19 million acres. Most bring their own food and gear, and access the refuge by air taxi, flying in from nearby communities.
Locations:
- Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Office: Located at 101 12th Ave, Rm 236, Fairbanks, AK 99701-6237. Open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Arctic Interagency Visitor Center: Located in Coldfoot, Alaska, along the remote Dalton Highway. Open in the warmer months, this is the only visitor center representing the refuge. It offers trip planning assistance and award-winning exhibits.
- Refuge Lands: Remote lands with no roads or facilities. Access is primarily via air taxi from gateway communities like Coldfoot, Kaktovik, Deadhorse, Arctic Village, and Fort Yukon, or by foot or boat from the Dalton Highway.
A list of guides and operators in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
No visitor fees or entry passes are required for general public access to Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Activities
Services
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge does not provide facilities or services within its boundaries. A Special Use Permit is required to conduct commercial activities (guiding, transportation), scientific research, and specific non-recreational activities. Learn more about obtaining a Special Use Permit.
Visit us in person at the Arctic Interagency Visitor Center
The nearest road to Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is the Dalton Highway, which runs north-south to the west of the refuge's boundary. Along this remote highway is the small community of Coldfoot, which is home to the Arctic Interagency Visitor Center, the only visitor center representing the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. This visitor center has staff who offer trip planning assistance and orientations to the backcountry, and the center itself boasts award-winning exhibits. Please visit Arctic Interagency Visitor Center for more information.
About
America's largest and northernmost refuge covers 19.64 million acres, approximately the size of South Carolina, and encompasses five different ecological regions from coastal marine to boreal forest in northeast Alaska. Established in 1960 and expanded in 1980, it serves to conserve natural diversity, ensure subsistence hunting and gathering, and protect water quality and quantity. These lands are the homelands of the Iñupiat and Gwich'in peoples.
Many people may know of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge by an abbreviation: ANWR (pronounced an-whar). The full name reminds us that the refuge is part of our national heritage, designated for wildlife conservation.
Learn More About:
- Our History and Mission
- Projects and Research
- Rules and Policies
- Maps of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Bear Safety:
Conservation in Color: Alaska's Wildlife
