Gates of the Arctic Is the Most Peaceful U.S. National Park — How to Visit

"What number is this for you?" a man asked the couple waiting in the cramped office, his casual tone laced with curiosity. "56," the woman replied, her voice steady, confident. "And you?" "We're at 59," the man said with a nod as if passing an unspoken baton. These numbers weren't random; they were a measure of something bigger — a quiet badge of honor among national park chasers. There are more than 400 National Park Service sites in the U.S., but just 63 carry the title "national park"; they range from the Great Smoky Mountains — the most-visited park, which drew more than 13 million people in 2023 — to the stark solitude of this park, the least-frequented on the list, with just 11,045 visitors in the same period. Covering more than 8.4 million acres, all entirely above the Arctic Circle, there are no roads or trails — "nothing to guide you but your determination." Most visitors arrive by bush plane from gateway towns (Fairbanks, Bettles, Coldfoot, Kotzebue) or, for the very experienced, by hiking about five miles in from the Dalton Highway near Coldfoot. When the plane touched down on a gravel bar near the Ambler River — one of six designated wild rivers in the park — the silence was almost overwhelming: "just the faint sound of water beside me and the crunch of rocks under my hiking boots." The narrator describes a solo day trip that cost $1,750 — "a steep price, but one that was worth every penny as I stepped into a world so untouched, it felt sacred" — and the emotional payoff: "I couldn't help but cry... I found a version of myself I hadn't seen in a long time." Practical notes preserved in the text: there are no designated campsites or lodging inside the park (backcountry camping and backpacking are options only for very experienced travelers or those with guided outfitters), most visitors fly in on chartered bush planes, and the recommended season is July to mid-August for long days and melted snow, with mid-August to mid-September offering fall colors, cooler temperatures, and increased flight availability." - Emily Hart