Gates+of+the+Arctic+National+Park

By: Trayton V.

Gates of the Arctic National Park is a place where people had lived for thousands of years. The park is virtually untouched by anything except for the forces of nature. This park has no roads or trails. The wildlife at the park is a variation of lots of different animals.

Location, Size,and Distance:
Gates of the Arctic is located in Fairbanks, Alaska. From Oskaloosa, Iowa (my town) it would take 56 hours and 57 minutes to get there by car. It is 3352.12 miles away from here. The park is really big. Its total size is 8,202,517 acres.

Park Hours:
The park is open everyday of the year. Thats 365 days or 366 days on a leap year. The visitor center is open Memorial Day to Labor Day. It is open 7 days of the week, 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Climate:
During the winter, visitors will get long, cold periods of darkness and twilight. In spring and fall, it begins to thaw in late April and breakup in early to mid May. There is also continuous daylight from mid April to mid August. In summer, there is lots of rain. Lowlands get 2 inches of rain while the mountains get enough to cause streams and rivers to rise quickly.

History:
It became a national park on December 2, 1980. President Jimmy Carter helped found the park. The first people came in 1850 and were Kobuk Eskimos

and Koyukon and Kutchin Athabaskans and made seasonal journeys into the area. In the 1880's, American explorers began exploring the area. In 1893, gold was discovered. Then they started making trading posts and riverboats since they had discovered gold so they can transport it. People used to have mines near the Noatak River.

Facts:
The name of the Arrigetch Peaks in the park come from the word for "outstretched fingers." Three caribou herds migrate through the park in the spring and fall. Bob Marshall namedFrigidCrags and Boreal Mountain "The Gates of the Arctic."

Things to See:
You can see lots of animals. There are lots of birds and bears. You can visit the historic village of Wiseman. In Coldfoot, there is ruins of an old cemetery called "Old Coldfoot."

Things to Do:
There are extreme wilderness activities such as backpacking, river running, mountaineering, dog mushing, and other activities. You can go fishing on the lakes and rivers. Some of the fish you can catch are Char, Chum Salmon, Grayling, Lake Trout, and Sheefish. There are no campsites at the park but you can bring your own tent and go "backpack camping."

Resources:
[|**http://www.gates.of.the.arctic.national-park.com/**] [|**http://www.mapquest.com/**] [|**http://www.nps.gov/gaar/index.htm**] []