Kobuk Valley National Park guide · 2 min read
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.
Many float trips are planned for anywhere from five to twenty days on the water. The river suits experienced backcountry campers and paddlers with some float trip experience.
Getting to the river takes planning. Access is primarily by air taxi, which drops paddlers off and picks them up from Bettles or Kotzebue. Book the drop-off and pickup with a local air taxi operator early. Everything you will use on the trip has to fly in with you on a commercial transporter, so pack with that in mind. Folding boats handle the slow water well, and some groups bring small rafts.
Once your flight leaves, you are on your own, with no facilities or services, so everything you need has to come with you. Expect slow, calm water most of the time, but watch the forecast. Upriver winds can blow hard enough that paddlers have had to go with the current to make any headway. Good campsites can be found on the gravel and sand bars that line the river. A few paddlers leave the water to walk over to the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes, but the trek crosses tundra, where the going is slow.
Animals along the banks are worth watching for. A pair of binoculars and a camera make it easier to pick out caribou, moose, bears, wolves, and many species of birds. Anglers can try for salmon and whitefish. Both return from saltwater to spawn in the river, though salmon die after spawning while whitefish may return to the same sites over many years. Whitefish are a staple for local families, so give room to subsistence fishers, hunters, and travelers who depend on the river too.
