Event canceled due to fire activity

Stay tuned for a rescheduled

National Public Lands Day 

Arctic Circle Campground, Dalton Highway mile 115

Friday, July 1

2 - 6 p.m.  

 

Join the BLM Alaska staff in celebrating National Public Lands Day on the Dalton Highway's Arctic Circle Campground. 

Enjoy a ribbon cutting ceremony and barbecue to celebrate the re-opening of the campground after it was closed for re-construction last summer. For those looking to help with stewardship of the scenic Dalton Highway, a volunteer roadside cleanup will precede the celebration. 

 

2 - 4 p.m.	Volunteer roadside cleanup
4 - 6 p.m.	Ribbon cutting ceremony and BBQ with hot dogs, hamburgers, veggie burgers, drinks & chips

 

Arctic Circle Campground

The Arctic Circle Campground is a great place to start your Arctic adventure along the Dalton Highway. Anything south of here isn’t really Arctic, is it?  Located at milepost 115 on the Dalton Highway, it takes approximately 5 hours of driving to reach the Arctic Circle from Fairbanks, AK. Add additional time to the travel itinerary for rest stops, weather and construction. Near milepost 115, a short side road leads you to the Arctic Circle Wayside and continues 1/2 mile uphill to the campground.

The campground was closed for much of last summer for construction of campground upgrades. To celebrate the re-opening of the campground, BLM is hosting a National Public Lands Day highlighting the campground which now offers 19 leveled campsites including pull-through, back-in and walk-in/cycle sites. Each campsite includes a fire ring and picnic table, and the campground has bear-resistant trash cans and two vault toilets. However, water is not available at this location, so be sure to bring plenty with you.

The campground improvements were key to the sustainable use of the site and in keeping with the administration’s goals of enhancing visitor experiences through campground modernization and improving access to the outdoors. The improvements and maintenance will be covered by a $10 per night fee, beginning September 2022. Currently, there is no fee to stay at the campground and you are welcome to stay up to two weeks.  

 

Volunteer roadside cleanup 

For this year’s event, volunteers will help pick up trash along the Dalton Highway at and around the Arctic Circle Wayside. Work may involve bending, stooping, lifting and squatting. Trash pickers, trash bags and gloves will be provided.

Between 2 and 2:30 p.m., the day of the event, volunteers can sign up and check in at the Arctic Circle Campground.

After checking in for the afternoon, volunteers will be transported by BLM staff to work sites along the highway within 2 miles of the Arctic Circle Wayside.  Volunteers will pick up trash along the roadside while walking back to the event base at the wayside. Closer worksites can be reserved for those who may have trouble walking farther. Please let us know your needs. Volunteers may stop working at any time before 4 p.m., but please check out with event personnel before leaving.

To help with preparations, sign-up to volunteer before the event by contacting the BLM Outdoor Recreation Planner Steve Taylor, by emailing sctaylor@blm.gov or calling 907-474-2242. Volunteer sign-up will also be available on site starting at 2 p.m.

 

What to bring for roadside clean-up

For clean-up volunteers, please feel free to bring your favorite work gloves, bright clothing, a bug net, and bug spray. However, the BLM and event sponsors are providing work gloves and other necessary protective equipment.

We recommend you wear comfortable hiking boots or shoes. Weather conditions are highly variable at Arctic Circle, so volunteers should carry a backpack with layers suitable for working in cool, windy and possibly rainy conditions.

Volunteers should bring snacks and water. Following the clean-up, in honor of National Public Lands Day, the BLM staff will provide a BBQ dinner (hot dogs, hamburgers, veggie burgers, drinks & chips) to celebrate the grand re-opening of the Arctic Circle Campground.

 

The Dalton Highway is no ordinary road -- it pays to be prepared.

The Dalton Highway is a rough, industrial road that begins 84 miles (134 km) north of Fairbanks and ends 414 miles (662 km) further north in Deadhorse, the industrial camp at Prudhoe Bay. It provides a rare opportunity to traverse a remote, unpopulated part of Alaska to the very top of the continent. Traveling this farthest-north road involves real risks and challenges and invaluable rewards. 

• There are no medical facilities between Fairbanks and Deadhorse, a distance of 500 miles (800 km).

• Food, gas, and vehicle repair services are extremely limited.

• It’s best to bring water with you. There is no water available at the Arctic Circle campground. Water is available at Five Mile, Coldfoot, and Deadhorse. If you must use stream water for cooking or cleaning, treat it first by boiling rapidly for 3-5 minutes, or by using iodine tablets or a water filter.

• There is limited cell phone service or public internet connection between Fairbanks and Deadhorse:
  • Verizon cell service is available north of Atigun Pass, in Coldfoot, and at Galbraith Lake. AT&T cell service is available north of Atigun Pass and will be available south to Coldfoot by early summer 2022.
  • Wifi is available at Coldfoot Camp and Yukon Crossing for a fee.

Here are some resources to help you enjoy your experience.  These resources will help you decide how far north you want to go and how to prepare for traveling the remote and rugged Dalton Highway:

• Dalton Highway Visitor Guide 2022
• Visit Dalton Highway BLM webpage and interactive map
• Georeferenced PDF Map of the Dalton Highway Corridor - Fairbanks to Coldfoot (18.4 MB)
• Georeferenced PDF Map of the Dalton Highway Corridor - Coldfoot to Deadhorse (17.3 MB)
• Alaska 511 traveler information

 

Safety

BLM staff trained in Wilderness First Aid will be on site and equipped with emergency communication devices. Volunteers must adhere to event safety and COVID-19 protocols based on the most current CDC and DOI Policy. Hand sanitizer and masks will be provided. 

 

Event Cancellation

The event may need to be canceled or rescheduled due to severe weather or high rates of COVID-19 infections the week of the event. If the CDC COVID-19 Community Level for the Fairbanks North Star Borough is High on the Thursday before the event, then event will be canceled or rescheduled.

If the event is canceled or rescheduled, we will notify volunteers who have signed up via email no later than 5 p.m. the evening before the event. We will also post the cancellation notice on this page.

THIS EVENT IS CANCELLED.