The Bering Land Bridge National Preserve is one of the most remote national park areas. It sprawls across 2.7 million acres of the Seward Peninsula in northwestern Alaska. Its western boundary lies 42 miles from the Bering Strait and the United States-Russia fishing boundary.
The Preserve is a remnant of the land bridge that connected Asia with North America more than 13,000 years ago. The majority of this land bridge, once thousands of miles wide, now lies beneath the waters of the Chukchi and Bering Seas. During the glacial epoch this was part of a migration route for people, animals, and plants whenever ocean levels fell enough to expose the land bridge. Archeologists agree that it was across this Bering Land Bridge, also called Beringia, that humans first passed from Asia to populate the Americas.
The Preserve contains extensive lava flows and ash/steam explosion craters now turned to lakes called maars. It also offers dynamic coast and beach environments of barrier islands and low sand dunes. Tundra plant communities range from wet tundra on the coast to alpine tundra on mountains in and near the Preserve.
Serpentine Hot Springs nestles in a haunting valley marked by imposing granite spires called tors and bubbling, sulphurous, hot water pools. People of this area hunt, trap, bathe, and conduct traditional healing practices near the hot springs. Inupiat traditions say that the valley is the home of powerful spirits.
The springs, with a bunkhouse and bathhouse, has a casual, relaxed, and sharing atmosphere. Those who find their way to the springs share the responsibility of caring for the facilities, leaving the area in such a condition to contribute to the next person's enjoyment.
Camping, hiking, backpacking, exploration, nature observation, bird-watching, photography, snowmobiling, dog sledding, some crosscountry skiing, and coastal boating are among the many possible activities enjoyed by visitors to the preserve. Facilities are extremely limited, and there are few trails. Six widely scattered shelter cabins widely scattered in the preserve are primarily for emergency winter use. Preserve headquarters in Nome offers information and limited displays on park themes.
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