AK Range & River – The Ultimate Arctic

⇒  13 days trip, small group up to 10 people
⇒ Starts on SUNDAY, finishes FRIDAY

ARCTIC RANGE & RIVER – The Ultimate Arctic

Beginning from Anchorage we will follow the Range & River itinerary through the Chugach region north to the Alaska range and Denali National Park.
For day 1 to day 6, the first part of this tour please see here.

Day 6: Via Fairbanks to Chena Hot Springs

Depart Denali, drive to Fairbanks (120 miles, 2 hours),  brief stop in Fairbanks, continue to Angel Tors Trailhead, Chena Hot Springs Rd. (Mile 48, 1 hour driving)
Hike Angel Tors trail (3.6 miles, 1,200 ft elevation gain)
Drive to Chena Hot Springs (10 miles, 15 minutes)
Camp, dinner in Chena lodge, hot springs in evening

On Friday morning, instead of returning south to Anchorage we will continue north to Fairbanks and then detour east for a day hike through the granite tors region surrounding the Chena Hot Springs. This is the region known as Beringia, the ice free corridor that served as the Asiatic land bridge permitting migration of large scale animal populations and the nomadic hunters that followed their movements and populated North America. The granite tors, literally towers of stone that jut out of the hillsides, are proof the region was never scoured by glaciers. After our hike, we will camp at the developed hot springs, taking dinner in the lodge with time for an evening soak in the large outdoor pool.

Day 7: Via White Mountains Recreation Area to Arctic Circle

Drive Chena Hot Springs to White Mountain Recreation Area (110 miles, 2 hours)
Hike White Mountains Recreation Area, Wickersham Dome, 2 hours
Drive White Mountain Rec Area to Arctic Circle (120 miles, 2.5 hours)
Camp at Arctic Circle

From Chena we will return to Fairbanks and then turn north into the White Mountains. A popular playground for cross country skiing in the winter, the hiking in summer is full of sweeping views without the -50 bite. We’ll take a lunch with us to enjoy the wide open expanse before we return to the van and drive to our camp at the Arctic Circle.
Now on the Dalton Highway, known locally as the Haul Road since it was originally built to haul supplies to the oilfields at Prudhoe Bay, the sense of adventure grows with every mile, as the familiar developed world of the southern regions yields way to a road truly less travelled.

Day 8 & 9: Arctic Circle to Brooks Range Camp

Drive from Arctic Circle on Haul Road to Brooks Range Camp (65 miles, 1.5 hours)
Visit Arctic Interagency Visitor Center
Hike from camp, approximately 2 hours

Drive to Sukakpak Mountain (24 miles one way, 30 minutes)
Hike Sukakpak Mountain (approx 4 miles, 2,500 feet elevation gain, 6 hours rugged)
Return to camp, option for showers, dinner at Coldfoot Camp just south (5 miles) of camp

From the Arctic Circle we will continue north into the Brooks Range, Alaska’s northernmost mountain range and the farthest reach of the birch and spruce dominant boreal forest.  From our base camp for two nights in this region we will have a daylong hike onto mount Sukakpak. An arduous hike with an incredible view few people have seen.

Day 10 & 11 Brooks Range Camp to North Slope Camp

Drive from camp to gold rush village of Wiseman (10 miles, 15 minutes)
Walking tour of Wiseman, approx 1.5 hours
Drive Wiseman to North Slope Camp (85 miles, approx 2 hours) Numerous photo stops at Chandalar Shelf, Atigun Pass
Camp at North Slope Camp
Cross road by vehicle to hike Atigun Gorge (4.5 miles one way, 1,500 feet elevation gain, 6 hours)
Return to camp

Next we will make a morning visit to the old gold rush village of Wiseman, home to a handful of hearty souls descended from those early prospectors who still live close to the means provided by this vast wilderness. Departing Wiseman, we will cross the highest point of the Haul Road via the impressive Atigun Pass, leaving the forested landscape behind as the vast tundra plains slope away to the north. Characterized by continuous permafrost, the north slope is a place like no other. Where trees can not grow, a dense matrix of wildflowers and tundra vegetation thrives. Numberless kettle ponds attract migratory birds from all over the hemisphere. Bordering on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the last intact ecosystem in North America which includes indigenous human populations wholly subsisting on natural resources, we will now travel a landscape that offers a glimpse of an ancient time while simultaneously facing radical transformation due to a changing climate. We will establish a base camp for another two night stay to allow ourselves ample opportunity to hike the hills and drainages from our camp in search of migrating caribou herds and Dall sheep. Incredible views await with each step.

Day 12:  North Slope Camp to Prudhoe Bay

Drive to Prudhoe Bay (150 miles, approx 5 hours)
Numerous stops and short hikes en route
Stay In Prudhoe Bay, hotel, dinner in restaurant

Breaking camp in North Slope region we will complete the 400 plus mile drive from Fairbanks to the developed area known as Prudhoe Bay. Ice cored hills known as pingos will dot the otherwise flat landscape as the coastline approaches. Avid birders will find new additions to the life lists among the exotic northern species that visit the coastal plains in the summer. We’ll scan the riverbanks for musk oxen and perhaps even see a barren ground grizzly bear. No trip this far north would be complete without dipping a toe, or more, in the Arctic Ocean, polar bear certificate available so after a final night in the north we will join a short excursion to the ocean access point before returning to Anchorage via plane.

The Ultimate Arctic Range & River. A very special adventure in North America’s grandest wilderness expanse we are proud to invite you to join from July 21 to August 2.