Fodor's Expert Review Brooks Range and Arrigetch Peaks

The northernmost mountain range in North American stretches some 700 miles west to east across Alaska into Canada's Yukon Territory. The Brooks Range also forms the continent's northernmost drainage divide, separating streams flowing into the Arctic Ocean and the Pacific. It also marks the northern extent of the tree line. The range is the highest to the east, with peaks of nearly 9,000 feet.

Gates of the Arctic National Park lies in the center of the Brooks Range, with the Arrigetch Peaks as the showpiece. Designated a National Natural Landmark, the peaks draw hikers, flightseers, and even climbers intrepid enough to scale granite walls that rise thousands of feet. "Arrigetch" means "fingers of the outstretched hand" in the Iñupiaq language, and the name truly conveys the sense of awe experienced by many of those who visit them.