The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) includes nearly 20 million roadless acres, three designated Wild Rivers, and the largest designated Wilderness (eight million acres) in the National Wildlife Refuge system. The Brooks Range, with mountains and glaciers rising up to 9,000 feet, is the primary geologic feature of the Refuge. The mountains of the Brooks Range run east to west, approximately 75 miles wide, rising up from a flat, tundra-covered plain. The Refuge contains the greatest wildlife diversity of any protected area in the circumpolar north, including nearly 180 bird species, 45 species of mammals, boreal & arctic tundra plant communities, and 36 species of fish.
The people native to the Refuge include the Gwich'in Indians and Inupiat Eskimos. Many of these indigenous people still depend on the Refuge for their subsistence lifestyle and preservation of their culture.
Alaska Wildland Adventures supports permanent wilderness protection of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. We feel that the risk of irreparable damage to the refuge is too great a risk to take when more efforts could be made to reduce our energy needs.
If you would like to extend your Alaska vacation with us to include a trip to the Arctic, visit our Alaska trip add-ons section for details on special Alaska trip additions.
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