Wildlife Viewing

Wildlife Viewing

Opportunities for wildlife viewing can be found while hiking in the Brooks Range or driving along the Dalton Highway.

Opportunities for wildlife viewing can be found while hiking or driving along the Dalton Highway.  As the trees get more space, visibility increases considerably, making wildlife observation easier. If you travel north of Atigun Pass, the treeless Arctic Coastal Plains are home to musk ox, caribou, arctic fox, and many other birds and animals. The mountainous Brooks Range area and boreal forest region is home to moose, fox, lynx, Dall sheep, wolf, marten, and caribou.

While wildlife habitat surrounds us, animal population densities overall tend to be lower above the Arctic Circle. Spotting an animal in the wild is not always easy or to be taken for granted; we count ourselves lucky if we catch a glimpse. Bring your keen eyes and a pair of binoculars!

Vehicle approaches as muskox cross the James Dalton Highway, Brooks Range, Arctic, Alaska.

Dall sheep rams in the snow along the Brooks Range mountains in Atigun canyon.

Arctic wolf on the snow-covered tundra in Alaska’s Arctic.

Arctic Wildlife photo gallery

Arctic Wildlife photos copyright Patrick J Endres / AlaskaPhotoGraphics.com