Finger Rock -- Yukon-Koyukuk Borough, AK USA
N 66° 21.529 W 150° 27.796
5W E 613488 N 7362208
The granite outcrop (tor) known today as Finger Rock has been an important landmark in the Arctic tundra for thousands of years. Finger Rock is in the center of a ring of many tors, now known as Finger Mountain (even though its not a mountain).
Waymark Code: WM1736V
Location: Alaska, United States
Date Posted: 11/30/2022
Views: 4
Finger Rock is been used as a navigation aid and hunting area by Alaskan Indigenous peoples for thousands of years.
At the dawn of aviation in the early 20th century, Finger Rock pointed the way for Alaskan bush pilots to Fairbanks.
In the 1970s, Finger Rock became a famous landmark along the Dalton Highway, also known as the Haul Road, after northern Alaskan Arctic regions were opened for oil exploration and the Alaska pipeline was built.
Today, Finger Rock is stop for tourists who have signed up for Arctic Circle and Aurora tours, as well as anyone who visits communities and activities along the Dalton Highway.
The sign placed by the Bureau of Land Management at Finger Rock explains how it was created over unknown thousands of years. The sign reads as follows:
"A ROCK . . . AND A HARD PLACE
Rocks that jut from this landscape tell of a time 110 million years ago when magma oozed through cracks in the bedrock. As the magma cools, it became hard granite. Water seeping through new cracks in the bedrock froze, forming wedges of ice that fractured the weaker rock surrounding the granite. Over thousands of years, water and gravity carried the softer rocks away, leaving the granite slabs (tors) as enduring monuments.
Finger Rock, the largest tor in this area, stands 40 feet above the surrounding landscape. Watch for these pinnacles of granite protruding from other Alpine environments in interior Alaska.
Behind the Scenery: Stone Rings
1. Water freezes and expands underneath buried rocks and boulders.
2. This expansion jacks the rocks and boulders upward to the surface, a process called frost heaving.
3. The continued heaving and jacking of buried rocks forces those on the surface outward, forming rings of stone.
Look for the stone rings as you explore this area."
A sign at the entrance to the short trail to Finger Rock rfeads as follows:
"WELCOME TO FINGER MOUNTAIN
Finger Rock -- A Landmark Through Time
hunters knew of the rock when shaggy mammoths and bisons roamed the surrounding hills. The rock marked a gateway location to watch for game. Hunting continued through countless generations.
Later, peering down from wind racked cockpits, early bush pilots use the rock to guide their way home, since the granite “finger” points directly to Fairbanks.
Today Finger Rock marks a unique habitat, scenic area, and wildlife viewing spot for people traveling the Dalton Highway.
People and the Land
Athabaskan Indians and their ancestors hunted wildlife in this area to supply their everyday needs: hides for clothes and shelter bone for tools horns and antlers for adornment, meat, fat, and marrow for a food and fuel.
Discover for Yourself
taken the panorama view. Watch for wildlife as the early hunters did. Kneel down and explore the tiny alpine plants. Discover for yourself the magical wonders of the Finger Mountain area."
Waymark is confirmed to be publicly accessible: yes
Parking Coordinates: N 66° 21.428 W 150° 27.771
Access fee (In local currency): .00
Requires a high clearance vehicle to visit.: no
Requires 4x4 vehicle to visit.: no
Public Transport available: yes
Website reference: [Web Link]
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Visit Instructions:
No specific requirements, just have fun visiting the waymark.