10 of 59 : Gates of the Arctic National Park

Our 10th park in the trip was Gates of the Arctic National Park in Alaska. Gates is easily one of the most remote parks in the entire National Park Service. It is in the upper northern reaches of Alaska and above the Arctic Circle. Usually people fly in, but we opted for the less popular option of driving. You can take the Dalton Highway to a point where it is about 2-miles away from the park and then bush whack your way in.

One of the greatest parts of Gates of the Arctic is that it is absolute wonderland for exploration. The purpose of the park is not to have trails, but to provide people with a last frontier to explore and commune with nature.

The entrance sign to the Dalton Highway

The entrance sign to the Dalton Highway

What the drive looks like on Google maps, the water in the north is the Arctic Ocean

What the drive looks like on Google maps, the water in the north is the Arctic Ocean

Officially in the Arctic

Officially in the Arctic

The biggest trout that I have ever caught in my life

The biggest trout that I have ever caught in my life

This picture was taken about 30-seconds before we ran into a bear, on foot

This picture was taken about 30-seconds before we ran into a bear, on foot