Kobuk Valley National Park

National Park Service, Alaska.

Caribou, sand dunes, the Kobuk River, Onion Portage - just some of the facets of Kobuk Valley National Park. Thousands of caribou migrate through, their tracks crisscrossing sculpted dunes. The Kobuk River is an ancient and current corridor for people and wildlife. For 9000 years, people came to Onion Portage to harvest caribou as they swam the river. Even today, that rich tradition continues.

Nearby Activities

  • Boating
  • Camping
  • Fishing
  • Hiking
  • Paddling
  • Wildlife Viewing

Directions

Kobuk Valley National Park is very remote. There are no roads to provide access, so planes take care of most transportation needs. Commercial airlines provide service from Anchorage to Kotzebue, or from Fairbanks to Bettles. Once in Kotzebue or Bettles, you must fly to the park with authorized air taxis.

Additional Information

  • Kobuk Valley National Park Map
  • Kobuk Valley National Park Official Website

Photo Gallery

  • Kobuk Valley National Park
  • Kobuk Sand DunesThe setting sun casts shadows of black spruce on the dunes and colors the water of Ahnewetut Creek a deep blue.
  • Mountains as Far as the Eye Can SeeThe peaks of the Baird Mountains stretch far into the distance and are so remote that many of them have not been named.
  • Left BehindCaribou migrate across the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes, heading north in the summer and south in the fall. Some survive and some don't, which is a reality of life
  • Lone Rangifer tarandusA single caribou of the 240,000+ strong Western Arctic herd on its fall migration south across Kobuk Valley National Park.
  • Kobuk LocoweedOxytropis kobukensis (Kobuk Locoweed) is a member of the pea family and adds a splash of pink to the sand dunes. The blossoms have that typical pea/ bean flower shape that many gardeners know.

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