Visit Kobuk Valley National Park, a Sea of Dunes in Northern Alaska

This site may contain affiliate links. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.

North of the Arctic Circle, in one of America’s least accessible areas, there lies a small sand desert surrounded by tundra. The sand dunes are the most bizarre, but not the only reason, to visit Kobuk Valley National Park. Visiting it isn’t easy, but if we’ve included it in our Top 10 Things to See in Alaska, it’s because it’s truly worth it.

How to get to the Kobuk Valley National Park

How to get to the Kobuk Valley National Park

We are talking about one of the most isolated areas of Alaska, so there are not many alternatives to reach it. The reference point is the airport of Kotzebue. If, as is likely, you are leaving from Anchorage, the only company that flies to Kotzebue is Alaska Airlines. However, the airport is also served by Ravn Alaska and Bering Air, which offer connections to many smaller Alaskan airports. From Kotzebue, you can always travel by air with short-haul flights to the small airports of Kobuk, Ambler, Kiana or Shungnak.

Climate and temperatures

visiting Kobuk Valley National Park

We are located in the northwest of America’s coldest state, beyond the line of the Arctic Circle. The temperatures, as you can imagine, are quite rigid. We are referring to the city of Kotzebue, the main settlement in the area, remembering that in the interior, especially going up the mountain range, temperatures drop significantly.

Summer is the only period when I recommend visiting this area. The hottest month is July: average daytime temperatures are between 59° and 60° and nighttime lows between 48° and 50°. In August it is about 4° less. June and September are already cold months, with daily highs of 50° in June and 46° in September and nighttime lows close to 37°.

Winter lasts from October to May and the latter is the first month of the year when daytime temperatures begin to rise above 32°. For the rest, except for rare heat waves, the temperature remains below zero even during the day. February is the coldest month: during the day there is an average of 3°, at night -9°. The lowest temperature recorded in this city is -58°: obviously this is a rare case, but it happens quite often to get close to -20°.

In Kobuk the temperature range is greater than in Kotzebue: in summer it can exceed 68°, but in winter it regularly drops to -22/-31°. Rainfall is also higher here. In Kotzebue, precipitation is scarce: 10 inches per year, concentrated mainly between July and September. Snowfall in winter is also scarce compared to other areas of Alaska. In Kobuk instead we have an average of more than 15.7 inches of rain per year, always concentrated mainly in summer.

Kotzebue, the northwest Eskimo community


Kotzebue is the home of the Eskimos, more precisely the Inupiat, who make up 80% of the 3300 inhabitants. The town, on the tip of a tongue of land that stretches into the icy northern sea, seems to cling to the mainland so as not to be carried away by the cold polar winds. Low, compact buildings that have little to show a tourist are home to a people more welcoming than one might think, even if only the most daring travelers venture to these latitudes.

Kotzebue

There aren’t many things to see in the city, but one is definitely the Northwest Arctic Heritage Center. The building houses two museums: the natural science museum and a museum of Inupiat culture. It is also home to the National Park Service, which oversees the four natural parks of the Northwest: Kobuk Valley National Park, Noatak National Preserve, Cape Krusenstern National Monument, and Bering Land Bridge National Preserve.

The 4 natural parks accessible from Kotzebue

Cape Krusenstern National Monument

Among the above mentioned natural parks, the closest to the city is Cape Krusenstern National Monument, where you can see rare Asian birds (yes, here the distance from the eastern foothills of Asia is really minimal and many species of birds fly over it). The most interesting thing to see here, however, are the archaeological findings that date back 9000 years: ancient artifacts that testify to the life of the first populations who arrived in these lands from what is now the Russian coast. Being on the coast, just 10 miles from Kotzebue, it can be reached by boat from the town, in addition to by airplane.

Bering Land Bridge National Preserve

Those who want to learn more about the history of the ancient migrations that led man to settle on the American continent, cannot miss a visit to the Bering Land Bridge National Preserve. Only 55 miles separate the two continents and this reserve protects 2.7 million acres of the Alaskan peninsula facing Siberia. Although much of the natural park may look like mosquito-infested tundra, there are also interesting hiking areas: Imuruk Lake and the five volcanic lakes located between the Devil Mountains and Cape Espenbeng are a few examples. The most visited place is Serpentine Hot Springs: a hot spring lost in the middle of nature, where you can sleep in a public hut that accommodates up to 20 people. Referring to the visitor center in Nome, you can participate in ranger-led hikes.

If you’re a sportsman looking for an off-the-beaten-path adventure, the Noatak National Preserve is the place for you. It’s not easy to visit this 6.2-million-acre wilderness, where the cold is master and wolves and grizzlies can pop up behind every tree. The few visitors usually choose to cross the reserve by taking a long rafting trip on the Noatak River. This type of itinerary is not dangerous and allows you to admire the great beauty of the park. However, it lasts up to three weeks and it is therefore essential to be physically prepared. Obviously, the only way to do this is to rely on local guides.

The fourth park, the Kobuk Valley, is probably the most interesting, because it is home to very unusual natural landscapes.

How to Visit the Kobuk Valley National Park

How to Visit the Kobuk Valley National Park

Forget resort areas and amenities of any kind: the Kobuk Valley is only for the most adventurous travelers willing to camp outdoors. Visitors are few in number compared to other national parks, but that small number of brave explorers is rewarded with some very impressive scenery. If you’re among them, don’t forget to send a video postcard to show us your visit. On this page you can see those already left by others and learn how to send yours.

One of the most interesting areas of the park is Onion Portage: an archaeological district in which 9 complexes have been identified, ranging from 6500 BC to 1700 AD, useful for reconstructing fundamental pieces of the history of the first peoples who inhabited the American continent.

Kobuk Valley National Park tours

The natural park is open all year round and there are no entrance fees. The visitor center is open from September to May only, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. From June to August, it is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Despite the winter opening, for climatic reasons, it is preferable to visit it in summer.

Boarding a small flight from Kotzebue is not cheap: it costs about 500$ per person for a return flight to a village and more than 2500$ (in this case to be divided by the number of passengers, maximum 3 or 4) if you want to land in the middle of nature. It is also possible to make simple panoramic flights without landing in the park and in this case it is necessary to negotiate a price, but usually we are talking about 600/700$ per hour.

The Great Kobuk Sand Dunes

Great Kobuk Sand Dunes

What makes the Kobuk Valley famous are undoubtedly the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes. There are no other sand dunes like these in the Arctic territories. The photos make you think of the Sahara, but you are north of the Arctic Circle and the climate is definitely different. The 25 square miles of sand dunes up to 100 feet high are a remnant of the last ice age: 28,000 years ago. The slow advance of the glaciers shattered the rocks into fine sand, which was then blown by the wind into this valley.

Contrary to what happens to the most famous deserts in other parts of the world, which gradually expand, here the vegetation is gradually regaining ground on the sand. While today the dunes occupy an area of 25 square miles, 14,000 years ago they extended for more than 300 square miles.

kobuk valley national park flights

This atypical desert is also rich in wildlife, at least on its edges, where the forests are teeming with bears, wolves and many other animals, especially caribou. Over 250 thousand caribou migrate twice a year through this enclosed valley between the Baird and Waring mountain ranges, leaving millions of footprints in the sand. Seeing the great migration of American reindeer is one of the most exciting experiences you can have in this remote corner of the world.

To visit the dunes, you can land by seaplane on the Kobuk River and walk a 1.5 mile trail to the park’s largest dunes. The alternative is to admire them from above on a panoramic plane. The Kobuk River, however, is another park attraction in itself. Walking or boating along its banks, it’s easy to spot grizzlies and caribou, eagles and rare birds.

Where to stay near Kobuk Valley National Park

Such an isolated and little visited area does not offer a great choice of accommodation. The only real hotel in Kotzebue is the Nullagvik Hotel. The accommodation is very basic, but has all the essentials for a short stay in this location.


Our Tip:
Looking for accommodations for your trip from California to other parts of the Southwest? Read our guide that contains reviews of hotels and strategic tips for finding accommodations near major attractions: Where to Stay: Our Tips for the SouthWest Area

Warning: Operating hours can change and closures for extraordinary events can occur, so we strongly suggest to check the venues official websites.

andrea cuminatto
Andrea Cuminatto

Journalist and traveler. I love seeing new places, but more than anything, I love to meet those who live there.

Related posts

shenandoah national park things to do

Visiting Shenandoah National Park, the most beautiful park in Virginia

One of the premier national parks on the East Coast is Shenandoah National Park, a true gem of Virginia. Established in 1926 with the purpose of “preserving and protecting the ...
things to do in Hot Springs National Park

Visiting Hot Springs National Park: History and Nature in Arkansas

In the heart of Arkansas, you’ll find the oldest hot springs in the United States. These are the thermal springs of Hot Springs, which were already used by Native Americans ...
Things to do at Wind Cave National Park

Visiting Wind Cave National Park: Bison and Ancient Caves in South Dakota

Some of the largest caves in America stretch for miles beneath the vast prairies of South Dakota, not far from the Black Hills and the Badlands. In this labyrinth of ...
how to visit Gates of the Arctic National Park Alaska

Visiting Gates of the Arctic National Park: Caribou and Adventures in the Wilderness

Gates of the Arctic National Park Preserve is one of America’s most rugged, largest and least accessible parks. It is the ideal place for those who feel like true explorers and ...

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.