Arctic Interagency Visitor Center
First opened in 2004, the Arctic Interagency Visitor Center is a partnership between three federal agencies that manage the public lands in northern Alaska: the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Alaska Geographic Association, our not-for-profit cooperating association partner, operates a bookstore here.
The Visitor Center is located off Dalton Highway near the Coldfoot Camp truck stop, at mile 174.8. The Center is typically open late May- early September each year. For a complete list of activities and events, travel tips, FAQs, and information about the natural and cultural history of Arctic Alaska, see the full website at https://www.blm.gov/learn/interpretive-centers/arctic-interagency-visitor-center.
Activities and Events
The Visitor Center always offers a variety of exhibits, options for audiovisual programs, and a ranger talk each night at 8 p.m. Also offered:
- Agents of Discovery virtual Junior Ranger Programs
- Walking trails through the boreal forest, visit https://www.blm.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2023-04/AK_BLM_DaltonHighwayCampgrounds.pdf for more information.
Staff are on hand to answer questions about road conditions, weather, trip planning, and the natural and cultural history of the Arctic.
All events are open to the public and free of charge.
Contact Information
Summer:
Arctic Interagency Visitor Center
P.O. Box 9079
Coldfoot, AK 99701
Phone: 907-678-5209 or 678-2015
Winter:
Bureau of Land Management
222 University Avenue
Fairbanks, AK 99701
Phone: 907-474-2200 or toll-free 1-800-437-7021
Accessibility Description (ABA/ADA)
Click on the image above to view more photos of accessibility features at this site.
The parking lot is compacted gravel with about 10-15 parking spaces. There are 2 accessible concrete spaces near the Visitor Center entrance. This space is level with the concrete pathway around the Center. Cell phone reception is generally adequate at the site, and there is free Wi-Fi inside.
The main entrance to the Center does not have automatic doors.
Inside there is an open area with exhibits. These include a large globe surrounded by angled interpretive panels; murals and mounted specimens depicting local flora and fauna; cabinets with drawers containing fossils and other artifacts that can be touched; a map-reading room; a theater with accessible seating; and a gift shop.
Near the exhibits are gender-specific restrooms with flush toilets and accessible stalls. An accessible water fountain with a bottle-filling station is located just inside the entrance on the lefthand side of the foyer.
There is a picnic area on the covered porch behind the Center. The porch can be accessed by exiting the building and taking the concrete pathway around back. A ramp leads up to the picnic area. It has 1 accessible picnic table with an extended end to accommodate wheelchair users.
There are several compacted-gravel trails, each about 5 feet wide, that can be accessed from the Center. One of the trails leads to the Coldfoot Cemetery and the miner’s cabin to the northeast of the Center. (Note: the miner’s cabin is not open to the public.) Another trail leads to a viewing platform with interpretive panels near the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. This trail is accessed from the southwest corner of the Center, where the grade at the trailhead is rather steep.
The Visitor Center is not open to the public during winter.
Note: Descriptions and photos uploaded December 2024. Please note that actual on-the-ground conditions may vary due to natural events (e.g., weather, wildfires, erosion), normal wear and tear, or site improvements.
Phone
Activities
Geographic Coordinates
Directions
From Fairbanks, travel north a total of 84 miles on the Steese (AK-6) and Elliott (AK-2) Highways to the Dalton Highway Junction and turn right onto the Dalton (AK-11). Continue to milepost 175 and turn left (west of the highway) into the parking area.
Fees
No fee