Facility Activities

Many more people visit these lands than in the past. This vast and remote landscape is a place of great power, but it is easy to scar and slow to heal. As a visitor, your experiences will be intertwined with the wildlife and habitats the refuge is meant to preserve, and your practices will influence the future well-being of this place.

Woman in a small inflatable raft on a river with mountains in background
Image Details
Paddling a river in Arctic Refuge

We all share responsibility to preserve this wild place—the responsibility to have a limited impact on the land and to protect the intricate web of life it supports—so that those in the future may be rewarded and inspired in their turn. Thank you for your efforts to limit your impacts when on Arctic Refuge. We hope your visit is an experience to remember! Explore the following activities for more information.  If you prefer to be guided, see Tours.

Alaskan subsistence hunting and fishing

Local rural residents have the opportunity to harvest for a subsistence way of life on federal public lands. In 1980, the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) added a purpose to Arctic Refuge to "provide the opportunity for...

Backpacking

There are no established trails in the refuge and visitors plan their own backpacking routes. Design your route to accommodate the skill level and physical ability of each member within your group. Remember that foot travel in the Refuge is often slow-going over unstable terrain. Traveling...

Birding

More than 200 bird species have been recorded on the Arctic Refuge. Because of the refuge’s singular location at the northern end of all North American flyways, birds that fly from or through every state in the US, as well as from all corners of the earth, visit the refuge....

Boating - non-motorized

Visitors can travel along Arctic Refuge’s waterways and coasts by a variety of watercraft. Many visitors plan their trips along a waterway, getting dropped off at an upstream location and picked up at a predetermined downstream location. Inflatable rafts are common on the larger waterways, but...

Camping

There are no established campgrounds or camping facilities in the refuge.

Tips for backcountry campers:

A few areas of the refuge receive concentrated use, resulting in unwanted trail formation and trampled vegetation. Take the following measures to limit further deterioration and allow...

Cross-country skiing

There are no trails or designated routes to cross country ski on Arctic Refuge. Come prepared to set your own tracks. Snow depths vary considerably, especially over the "flat" tundra areas. Wind causes deep snow drifts to form in some areas while others are stripped bare of all snow. Fine-tuned...

Fishing

The fresh and marine waters of Arctic Refuge support at least 36 species of fish, and fish are an important subsistence resource to local residents. Visitors camping along or floating refuge rivers typically fish for Dolly Varden and arctic grayling. Follow Alaska state fishing...

Hunting

Hunting is allowed on Arctic Refuge following Alaska state regulations. The refuge supports opportunities for hunting by visitors as well as subsistence hunting by local rural residents. Gwich'in and Iñupiat  cultures depend on hunting caribou and many other species both...

Hiking

Enjoy a day hike from your camp or from the Dalton highway. Arctic Refuge has no designated hiking trails, providing visitors the freedom to respond to the landscape. Hiking on trails may be recommended in other places, but here in Arctic Refuge it is worth the effort to seek your own route,...

Photography

Spectacular scenery or wildlife may appear over a hilltop or around the next river bend. The observant photographer will find the delicate as well as the dramatic.

Please note that commercial still and motion photography may require a special use permit, and photographing certain species...

Education programs

Arctic Refuge staff work with teachers, students, and the community to produce and present a variety of programs. Contact the refuge to request prepared programs, kits, or speak with an environmental educator.

Wildlife watching

Arctic Refuge is home to a variety of wildlife, but their abundance scatters across an immense landscape. However, careful observation can reward the visitor with wildlife watching and photography opportunities including: birding for a glimpse of a blue throat or a grey-headed chickadee, viewing...