White Mountains National Recreation Area is a GEM!

Some places demand horsepower. Others demand quiet. The White Mountains sit just north of Fairbanks, and they’ve become one of our go-to escapes when the bikes can’t get us there. This is where you trade pavement for trailheads, noise for silence, and speed for time that slows down.

The White Mountains cover over a million acres of boreal forest, tundra ridges, and winding rivers. In summer, it’s endless daylight and green valleys. In winter, it’s a frozen wilderness laced with trails only accessible by skis, snowmachines, or fat bikes. No matter the season, the scale is humbling — wide valleys, sharp ridgelines, and skies that feel bigger than anything else.

Just a short drive north from Fairbanks, the Steese Highway is the gateway. From the Wickersham Dome trailhead to Nome Creek, the access points are simple, but the adventure beyond is anything but. The Bronco takes us as far as the gravel will allow, and then it’s boots, packs, and whatever gear fits the season.

We’ve camped under midnight sun with nothing but the sound of the wind in the birches. We’ve watched auroras ripple across winter skies when the world felt like it was standing still. Out here, wildlife is the company — moose tracks in the snow, fox trails along the ridges, sometimes even a bear in the distance. This isn’t a place for rush. It’s a place to reset.

The White Mountains don’t test you like the Dalton does — they invite you. They ask for patience, awareness, and presence. Every trip feels different, but every trip leaves the same mark: you come back lighter, clearer, and grounded.