Kobuk Valley National Park guides
11 in-depth guides to Kobuk Valley National Park, in reading order: what to see, how to get around, and what to know before you go. Back to the Kobuk Valley National Park overview.
Air Taxis from Kotzebue and Bettles
Kobuk Valley National Park has no road access, so most visits depend on a flight. Scheduled airline service runs from Anchorage to Kotzebue and from Fairbanks to Bettles, and those two towns serve as the gateways.
Summer Snow and -50°F Winters
Weather here follows a subarctic pattern, with cool summers and precipitation spread across the year.
Arctic Dunes Where Forest and Tundra Collide
The Great Kobuk Sand Dunes rise about 100 feet and sit amid evergreen trees, making them the park's best-known view.
Floating the Kobuk River by Canoe or Kayak
The Kobuk River winds through Kobuk Valley National Park in northwest Alaska, and floating it by canoe or kayak is one of the best ways to experience the park's remote wilderness.
Hiking from the Kobuk River to the Dunes
The Great Kobuk Sand Dunes rise to 100 feet in Kobuk Valley National Park, in the Arctic region of northwestern Alaska.
Caribou Crossings Between the Waring and Baird Mountains
The Western Arctic caribou herd makes a yearly migration through Kobuk Valley National Park, and thousands of animals take part.
Inupiat Subsistence Along the Kobuk
Unlike most national parks, Kobuk Valley lets local people hunt and gather from the land. Hunting is limited to local rural residents, who need an Alaska state hunting license and must follow federal subsistence rules.
Kobuk Locoweed and the Freezing Wood Frog
The Kobuk locoweed, known scientifically as Oxytropis kobukensis, is a small flowering plant that grows only within Kobuk Valley National Park.
Starting at Kotzebue's Northwest Arctic Heritage Center
Visitors planning a trip into Kobuk Valley National Park can begin at the Northwest Arctic Heritage Center in Kotzebue, 80 miles west of the park.
Camping on the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes
Aircraft with wheels can land right on the sand of the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes, which is how most visitors get there.
Onion Portage: 9,000 Years of Caribou Hunting
The Onion Portage Archeological District lies on the Kobuk River at the east end of its course through the park.
