Encyclopedia : G : GA : GAT : Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve
Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve
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Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve is one of several large U.S. National Parks in Alaska. The park lies just north of, and is entirely within, the Arctic Circle. The Park consists primarily of portions of the Brooks Range of mountains and covers 13,238 mi² (39,460 km²), about the same size as Switzerland. It was first protected as a U.S. National Monument on December 1, 1978 before becoming a national park two years later in 1980. A large part of the park is preserved as a wilderness area; some 11,321 mi² (29,322 km²) of wilderness which with the adjoining Noatak Wilderness Area forms the largest contiguous wilderness in the United States.
Unusual for a U.S. national park, some 1,500 people reside in 10 small communities in the park's "resident subsistence zone" where they rely on park resources for survival.
There are no established roads, trails, visitor facilities, or campgrounds in the park. However, the Dalton Highway (Alaska State Highway 11) comes within five miles of the park's eastern boundary. The National Park Service maintains a small visitor center in nearby Coldfoot on the highway.
