Arctic Wild

Arctic Wild is a family-owned wilderness guiding company based in Fairbanks, founded in 1998 and owned today by the husband-and-wife team of Sally Andersen and Michael Wald, Wald a co-owner since 2007. The company runs one- to three-week, fully guided and outfitted trips — rafting, backpacking, canoeing, packrafting, and base camps — in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Gates of the Arctic, and the western Brooks Range, plus custom, photography, and film and science support trips.

Groups are small, one to eight people, and the stated approach is to travel quietly with the focus on the land and its inhabitants. Guides train in Leave No Trace and first aid, many holding Wilderness First Responder and swiftwater rescue certifications, and the company donates a portion of profits to conservation organizations.