Where To See Alaska’s Tundra & What To Know Before Visiting

There are three tundra regions (along with their types of tundra) – the Arctic tundra, alpine tundra, and Antarctic tundra. Alaska is home to both alpine tundra and Arctic tundra. While alpine tundra is found in at high elevations around the state, Arctic tundra covers much of Alaska north of the permafrost. They are a big part of why Alaska really is the last frontier of the United States.

For many, the tundra is a cold and barren wasteland. But for others, it is one of the few pristine landscapes largely untouched by the hand of man. They offer a part of the world few ever get to see and explore and a land of freedom far from modern life. Only very small towns and communities cling on in these regions, and getting there can be quite a challenge.

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a sign surrounded by mountains that says ‘welcome to alaska’

The Surprisingly Rich Biome Of The Tundra

Tundra is one of the great types of the world’s biomes, but one that few people ever get to see. These are tracts of land bereft of trees with vegetation composed of dwarf shrubs, sedges, grasses, mosses, and lichens (there may be some scattered trees clinging on in some tundra regions). Animals that call the tundra home include the caribou and polar bears (in some coastal regions).

Tundra soil is rich in phosphorus and nitrogen with a large amount of biomass and decomposed biomass. This biomass stores carbon dioxide and methane in the permafrost (the tundra is one of the great carbon sinks of the world). The tundra is very different from the likewise treeless peat bogs of Ireland (which also preserve many archeological treasures).

The main defining characteristic of the tundra is the lack of trees. There are a number of factors why the trees can’t grow – short growing seasons, strong, persistent winds, permafrost, and cold soils slowing decomposition.

In these zones, the summers are short, and the temperatures are often cold and have strong winds. By growing in low-lying mats, tundra plants are able to retain heat and moisture that can otherwise be drained by the howling winds. Plants clinging on here are in miniature, often with the tiniest of flowers and leaves. Like other biomes of the world (like deserts), the tundra is not barren – it is an ecosystem with great beauty and abundance.

Location Alaska state, map with red push pin pointing close up

Related: Here’s What You Can Do On The Mysterious Island Of Unalaska

What To Expect Visiting The Tundra Zones Of Alaska

Go during midsummer, and one will see a world lit with sunlight 24 hours a day. In the winter, the days shorten until the day disappears entirely. Alaska’s tundra is also a “cold desert” and gets less precipitation at Barrow than the hot desert of the Mojave Desert (an outdoor playground for people visiting Las Vegas).

For Alaskan hikers, the tundra is often a welcome relief from the alder thickets, bogs, and dense spruce forest that characterizes much o the state. The transition is dramatic as the boreal forests give way.

Travelers to the Alaskan tundra need to be prepared for extreme temperatures and plan ahead as they will normally be far from civilization. That being said, there are few notable settlements in the Alaskan tundra, including Unalaska in the Aleutian Islands and Utquigvik on the northernmost point of the state by the Arctic.

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Utqiagvik, Point Barrow

 

The tundra ecoregion of Alaska doesn’t just coat the northern part of the state, but it also loops around the west coast of Alaska down the Bering Strait to the Aleutian Islands.

Related: This Is The Best Way To Visit Alaska’s Beautiful & Remote Aleutian Islands

Places To Visit The Alaskan Tundra

There are plenty of places to visit the Alaskan tundra. One of the most dramatic places to visit is the northernmost town in the United States called Utqiaġvik by Point Barrow, where people can see the Arctic Ocean. A visit here is a very rewarding experience, and it doesn’t get any more remote than this. Adventurous road trippers can also drive all the way through Alaska – through the boreal forests of the Interior up to the Arctic Ocean on the Dalton Highway. The Dalton Highway is the only road in the United States leading to the Arctic Ocean.

Tracts of the Arctic Tundra are found in a number of national parks, including Lake Clark National Park and Preserve (mostly alpine tundra) and the Bering Land Bridge National Preserve (a remnant of the land bridge that once connect North America with Asia).

Another place to see the Alaskan tundra is on the Aleutian Island chain (the largest settlement there is Unalaska).

a remote part of the alaskan mountains covered in snow

There are plenty of places to see and explore the Alaskan tundra, but most of the Arctic Tundra is very remote to the north and west, and there are few connecting roads. Many of the communities in these regions are connected with float planes.