Arrigetch Peaks Backpacking Trip

The Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve is home to the Brooks Mountain Range and the stunning Arrigetch Peaks region; this backpacking trip is some of the most incredible scenery in Alaska.

We head north up the Dalton Highway to explore this amazing region. Gates of the Arctic National Park, while smaller than Wrangell - St. Elias National Park, is an incredible wilderness, at over 8 million acres in size. That's a whole lot of walking! We fly in to the Arrigetch Peaks area and spend 8 days exploring the region.

The Arrigetch Peaks area is a world famous climbing region, though we'll not be climbing, but backpacking and exploring the landscape. By scheduling a combination of basecamping and backpacking, we get the best of both worlds. We'll see some of the most popular peaks and vistas here in the Arrigetch Peaks, but won't have to endure the burden of a heavy pack every day. Some of the day hikes will include Valley of the Maidens and the Aquarius Valley, home to a stunning array of alpine tarns and lakes so clear and turquoise.

The hike is a combination of terrains and landscapes, including tundra, alpine and subalpine, boreal forest, and all the transitional landscape along the way; Gates of the Arctic National Park is a fantastically diverse area. Starting out low, near the designated Wild and Scenic River, the Alatna River, we traverse through the boreal forest, mixed black and white spruce forest, interspersed with a few small groves of hardwoods here and there. Then it's the transition to the alpine region, where we backpack through dwarf birch and brushy willow to reach the high subalpine country and those amazing views of this special landscape; simply jaw-dropping granite peaks towering above our camp that we move beneath in amazement.

Endless talus and moraine tell the story of the harsh arctic climate here, and the hiking is not always easy. It is, however, incredibly rewarding, and the camera snaps incessantly; this landscape is simply beyond description. View the slideshow of Arrigetch Peaks and Gates of the Arctic Photos to the left here and see for yourself.

Massive granite spires and craggy pinnacles soar skyward around us, and we'll be sure to have a grand time walking the alpine valleys and passes, basins and meadows.

"Arrigetch" is an Inupiat word that translates in English to, approximately, 'fingers of the outstretched hand', an apt phrase to outline the almost lifelike, clawing scrapes of rock here. The Arrigetch Peaks, part of the Endicott Mountains in the central Brooks range, are a designated National Natural Landmark, recognized as an "outstanding example of natural history both biological and geological features in the US"; all this means is that the Arrigetch Peaks are amazing.