07-02-2025
We flew through America's least-visited national park. What was it like?
Julie and I love visiting national parks, but a few, like Gates of the Arctic National Park, Alaska, are more challenging to reach. The remote park sits above the Arctic Circle and only received 11,045 visitors in 2023. I never dreamed that our nineteenth park would be America's least-visited national park.
Most of our national park visits involve scenic drives and hikes. Admittedly, this one was quite different. We flew through the park. What was the experience really like, and what can you expect when planning your adventure?
A flightseeing tour above the Arctic Circle requires advance planning. Northern Alaska Tour Company was founded in 1987 and has a strong track record of unparalleled experiences, so we felt comfortable partnering with them for our bucket list adventure. We found the company easy to work with and great with communication before and during our trip.
The outfit offers many adventures, including trips to Denali National Park, the Arctic Circle, and the Yukon River. Our excursion is called "Gates of the Arctic Air Adventure." It is an evening round-trip flight above the Arctic Circle through the Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve.
You can review trip options and make reservations through the company link above or by calling 800-474-1986. Northern Alaska Tour Company is located on the East Ramp of the Fairbanks International Airport, at 3820 University Avenue South, Fairbanks, AK 99709.
Gates of the Arctic National Park, Alaska, presents several challenges. The park does not contain any official roads or trails, and the weather is very unpredictable. While the best way to truly explore the park is by backpacking or floating along one of its many rivers, only those with extensive wilderness experience and survival knowledge should attempt it.
For many of us, flying through the park is the most practical option. But that comes at a cost. Prices vary depending on the timing of your visit and which adventure you choose, but it can run upwards of $700 per person.
I consider flying above the Arctic Circle a once-in-a-lifetime event. Among our travels, Julie and I rank Alaska as our favorite place due to its surreal natural beauty and unique adventures. Yes, flying through Gates of the Arctic costs considerably more than your average national park visit. However, the jaw-dropping scenery is unparalleled, and the experience is something we will never forget.
When you make reservations, the tour company will ask for your weight. This is not one of those times to give an artificially low number due to embarrassment. The pilot must balance the aircraft and ensure the total weight stays within safe limits. You may bring a bag aboard, but the maximum weight is typically five to ten pounds. Yes, they weigh your bags upon check-in.
The tour usually takes four to five hours. We advise you to use the restroom before your flight. The pilot will stop in Coldfoot, Alaska, for a restroom break and a brief ground tour. Coldfoot sits about sixty miles north of the Arctic Circle and is a gateway town to the Gates of the Arctic National Park.
Food is not included with the tour. You can order a bag lunch at check-in, and your guide will deliver it when you land in Coldfoot. Julie and I chose to do this. Although not fancy, the food was fresh, ample, and tasty. You can choose from several sandwich options and add chips, fruit, a cookie, and a drink.
The flight is nothing like a large commercial aircraft. Most tours use a 9-passenger twin-engine Navajo Chieftain. A single row of double seats lines the plane from front to back, behind the pilot. You do not need to stress about where to sit for the best view. Each passenger has a window and a spectacular view.
Because the plane is small, you will feel it bouncing in the wind. Please do not let that prevent you from this trip of a lifetime. If we can handle it, anyone can. Julie struggles with motion sickness, and I have a fear of heights. She took a Dramamine before the flight and felt fine. I was so enamored with the jaw-dropping scenery that I did not experience any issues.
While the views are fantastic, capturing quality photos is a challenge. Because our plane bounced in the wind, nearly every picture I snapped included a section of a wing or propeller.
The plane is rather loud due to the engines. Our pilot gave everyone a headset to cushion the noise and mention highlights. Although not necessarily a bad thing, do not expect to have a casual conversation with your travel partner. You will enjoy the tour but mostly communicate through smiles, thumbs up, and pointing.
Because you are flying over the Arctic Circle, it can get a bit chilly, even in summer. Dress for warmth and comfort.
I cannot think of a more appropriate name for an Alaska town than Coldfoot. It was originally a gold rush town, named in 1900 when early prospectors supposedly got "cold feet" and left before winter. To call it a town is a bit of a stretch, though. Our tour guide advised us that Coldfoot has a permanent population of two.
So, what can you see in Coldfoot? The two primary attractions are Coldfoot Camp and the Arctic Interagency Visitor Center. Coldfoot Camp is a truck stop for weary travelers on the famous Dalton Highway, a rough industrial 414-mile road from Livengood to Prudhoe Bay, some of the planet's most remote places. The Arctic Interagency Visitor Center serves as the visitor center for Gates of the Arctic National Park, Alaska.
Our guide for the ground portion of the tour greeted us at the Coldfoot Airport. Much like calling Coldfoot a town, this is being generous. I would describe it as a landing strip. We loaded into a van and received our lunch bags while she talked about the area, providing history and insightful tips.
Most tour groups go to Coldfoot Camp. Due to our strong interest in national parks, I was thrilled to see the visitor center for Gates of the Arctic National Park instead. The facility has fantastic exhibits, a theater, restrooms, and a small gift shop. We proudly got our passport stamps and purchased a Gates of the Arctic patch to officially commemorate our visit.
Our time on the ground may have totaled half an hour. However, it is the thrill of a lifetime to know we landed above the Arctic Circle and entered the Gates of the Arctic Visitor Center. Our primary goal was to see the national park, so the "Gates of the Arctic Air Adventure" was perfect. If you want to spend more time on the ground above the Arctic Circle, look at Northern Alaska Tour Company's other options.
After our ground tour, we hopped back on the plane and headed toward the park. Two iconic peaks, Frigid Crags and Boreal Mountain, form the Gates of the Arctic, the passage to the national park. It is America's second-biggest national park and one of the eight amazing Alaska national parks.
To give you a sense of how big it is, we flew through the park for over an hour and only glimpsed a third of it. Gates of the Arctic is genuinely an untouched masterpiece of nature in its most raw and pure form. It feels like a picture-perfect Bob Ross painting, with wild rivers snaking through massive valleys between snowcapped mountains. Touches of green, yellow, and red highlight the landscape here and there.
I have never seen a place so vast and beautiful in my life. The massive vista seemed to stretch into eternity. As we flew, layer after layer of mountains came into view. The park is so beautiful and surreal that it is practically beyond comprehension.
After basking in the glorious park views for over an hour, we returned to Fairbanks with euphoric smiles. The Northern Alaska Tour Company presented us with certificates to document our achievement in crossing Alaska's Arctic Circle.
Visiting the Gates of the Arctic National Park in Alaska requires more planning and money than a typical park visit. However, it is a bucket list destination with scenery, unlike anything we have seen before.
The Northern Alaska Tour Company does an outstanding job. AJ, our pilot, expertly guided us and provided meaningful insight. Although the ride was a little bouncy, we felt safe in AJ's capable hands. Everyone within Northern Alaska Tour Company was friendly, helpful, and competent, making our experience something I will always cherish.
Typically, I prefer to explore a national park by driving and hiking. It makes me feel more connected to the park. That said, Alaska's unparalleled beauty mesmerized us from the back of a cruise ship in Glacier Bay and now from a plane in Gates of the Arctic. Those are two of my fondest travel memories.
Not only was this trip a dream come true for Julie and me, but it also landed us a spot in two elite groups. We already mentioned that Gates of the Arctic was our nation's least visited national park last year. According to our Coldfoot tour guide, only about 4% of Alaska visitors travel above the Arctic Circle.
Plan your Gates of the Arctic National Park, Alaska adventure, and you will be in rare company. We welcome you with open arms.
