Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge or Arctic Refuge is a national wildlife refuge in northeastern Alaska, United States, on traditional Iñupiaq and Gwich'in lands. The refuge covers an area of 19,286,722 acres (78,050.59 km2) in the Alaska North Slope region, with a northern coastline and vast inland forest, taiga, and tundra regions. ANWR is the largest national wildlife refuge in the country, slightly larger than the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge is administered from offices in Fairbanks. ANWR is home to a diverse range of endemic mammal species; notably, it is one of the few North American locations with all three endemic American bears, the polar bear, grizzly bear, and American black bear, each of which resides predominantly in its own ecological niche. Besides bears, other mammal species include moose, caribou, wolves, red and Arctic foxes, Canada lynx, wolverine, pine marten, American beaver, and North American river otter. Further inland, mountain goats may be seen near the slope. Hundreds of species of migratory birds visit the refuge yearly, and it is a vital, protected breeding location for them. Snow geese, eiders and snowy owls may be observed as well.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
| Designation | National Wildlife Refuge |
| Managed by | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| State | Alaska |
| Size | 20 million acres (computed from the boundary polygon) |
| FWS region | Region 7 |
| Center point | 68.5839, -144.2495 |
| Night sky | Some glow on the horizon (Black Marble reading 47) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground
The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.
Where to camp
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. 2 are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Most refuges do not allow overnight camping. The campgrounds listed are outside the refuge.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 0.1 miMission Church ↗Arctic Village, AK
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Arctic National Wildlife Refuge?
20 million acres, measured from the published boundary polygon. The agency’s own figure can differ where the boundary includes water or inholdings.
Source: How acreage is computed
Who manages Arctic National Wildlife Refuge?
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
What state is Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in?
Alaska.
Source: How states are assigned
Can I camp at Arctic National Wildlife Refuge?
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Galbraith Lake Campground, 2.7 miles out. 2 in all are within ten miles. Most refuges do not allow camping inside the refuge, so the campgrounds listed are outside it.
Source: Where to camp
How do I get to Arctic National Wildlife Refuge?
A point inside the boundary is at 68.584, -144.250. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
How dark is the night sky at Arctic National Wildlife Refuge?
NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 47 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, some glow on the horizon.
Source: NASA Black Marble
Are there historic places near Arctic National Wildlife Refuge?
1 National Register listing within 15 miles, including Mission Church.
Source: Register Atlas
Sources
- Boundary, name: the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge boundary layer.
- States: computed by intersecting the boundary with Census state polygons; a state is listed when it holds at least one percent of the area.
- Acreage: geodesic area of the published polygon. The agency’s official acreage can differ where the boundary includes water, easements or inholdings.
- Description: Arctic National Wildlife Refuge on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. The article was accepted because its title contains this unit’s name.
- Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
- Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
- Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.