Kobuk Valley National Park – Dunes and River
Located entirely inside the Arctic Circle, Kobuk Valley is pristine and remote. In most years, it is the second least visited National Park in the United States, with about 15,000 visitors a year.
Established in 1980 to protect the sand dunes and the Kobuk River, Kobuk Valley National Park is the 9th largest National Park, just a little smaller than Yellowstone.
Sand Dunes in the Arctic?
Yes! Mostly untouched by humans, Kobuk Valley boasts one of the largest sand dunes, the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes at 25 square miles is bigger than Manhattan and rises over 100 feet. It is the largest active sand dune in the arctic.
It is unexpected to see sand dunes, often associated with hot, dry climate, 50 miles north of the Arctic Circle. It’s a wonderful juxtaposition with the surrounding boreal forest.
Wildlife
Plenty of wildlife, such as bear, wolves, foxes, porcupine, and moose call the dunes and the surrounding forest home. Foot print of these animals are common. Twice a year, caribou migrates through Kobuk Valley.
Dunes getting smaller
The sand dunes were formed 14,000 years ago when the glaciers retreated, leaving behind 200,000 acres of sand dunes. Over time, vegetation slowly creeped back in, and 16,000 acres of the sand dunes is now forest. This process will continue as vegetation take hold.
Human History
The Inupiaq people lived in this area for over 8000 years. They gather, even today, at Paatitaaq-Onion Portage, to hunt caribou as they migrate. Caribou not only provides food, but a variety of other uses. For example, the antlers are turned into spears and arrow points and the hide turned into clothing and bedding material.
Two Types of Visitors
Wilderness Adventure Type
Are you willing to hike, camp, or boat in total seclusion with no services or facilities? Does spending a week or two being totally self sufficient appeal to you? Can you find your own way without any marked trails? Are you confident you can fend off a 700 pound brown bear? If you are, then Kobuk Valley is for you.
Many adventure types hire a guide to help them with orienteering and cooking. The bush plane drops you off with your gear, and arrange for a time and place to pick you up. In between, you are completely on your own. Since Alaskan weather is unpredictable and changes rapidly, the ride back to civilization may be delayed for days, so pack enough food and a good book in case you are fogged in.
Between the bush plane and the guide, these trips are expensive, but so rewarding for those who seek this type of adventure.
Bucket List Type
Do you love completing lists? How about being somewhere very few others have been? Do you go somewhere just because it’s there? If so, you are the bucket list type like us.
For us, it’s the quest to say we have been to all 63 (as of September, 2023) US National Parks. We are taking the “easy” way to accomplish this by hiring a bush plane, touch down at Kobuk River, take a picture with a sign we brought with us (there are no park signs in the park). Touch down, set foot on the ground, and boast that we’ve been there. This too, is expensive because of the cost of small planes and lodging in remote areas.
Freedom in Hiking, Boating, and Camping
Kobuk Valley is one of a few National Parks where you can go wherever you like, camp wherever you like, and float down any river you like. You are only constrained by your ability to survive in the wild.
Some fly in and land on the sand dune and camp. We flew in and landed on the calm Kobuk River. The area was sandy, but surrounded by the forest. The Great Kobuk Sand Dune was a two mile hike one way but you had to find your own way. The park service suggest 4 hours for this round trip.
60 miles of the Kobuk River are in the park and flows very slowly. 10 miles on the river is considered a long day. You can also float on Salmon River, also inside the park.
Since there are no established or marked trails, you can hike anywhere you like, but you have to know orienteering. Being able to find your way could be the difference between life and death.
Our Visit to Kobuk Valley National Park:
We did a one day flight seeing trip to both Gates of the Arctic and Kobuk Valley National Parks, touching down on the Kobuk River and hiked around the sandy area for about an hour.
Thought for Kobuk Valley National Park:
Be careful about assumptions. Many assume sand dunes are only in hot climates like the Sahara but as the Great Kobuk Sand Dune illustrates, assumptions can be deceiving.
Impressions of Kobuk Valley National Park:
Kobuk Valley National Park has so much to offer for the adventurous traveler. From camping on the sand dune to boating on a lazy river to hiking in the wild to watching the caribou migration to viewing the northern lights, there are so many things to do. Because it’s so remote and expensive to reach, you probably will not see anyone else during your visit. If you have the skills, the hardiness and the time, you can’t beat the experience.
Are you one of the very few people who visited Kobuk Valley National Park? Leave a comment below on your experience.
Kobuk Valley National Park Rating:
(Note: Ratings are on a bell curve, which means there are as many 5 star ratings as 1 star ratings. All National Parks are wonderful, which makes this a very strict rating scale)
| Element | Rating (out of 5 Stars) |
|---|---|
| Scenery | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Variety | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Accessibility | ⭐ |
| Touring | ⭐ |
| Hiking | ⭐⭐ |
| Wildlife | ⭐⭐ |
| Overall | ⭐⭐ |
Guide to Kobuk Valley National Park:
Top Attractions at Kobuk Valley National Park:
- Great Kobuk Sand Dune
- Kobuk River
- Paatiaaq-Onion Portage
One Day Visit Plan:
- Take a sight seeing bush plane from Bettles or Kotzebue, land either on the Kobuk River or the Great Kobuk Sand Dune. Get out and explore the area.
- If landing on Kobuk River, hike the four miles round trip with a guide to the Great Kobuk Sand Dune
Practical Info for Visiting Kobuk Valley National Park:
- Planning and flexibility are essential.
- Weather is unpredictable. Flight times are estimates that are subject to change. Build flexibility into your schedule.
- Decide if you just want to do flight seeing or go on a multiday hiking and camping adventure.
- For flight seeing, book a tour from the list of sanctioned tour operators. We took the all inclusive package from Bettles Lodge, and added an extra day for flexibility in case of weather. It was a wonderful experience.
- For a wilderness adventure, hire a guide and be prepared to rough it. We saw people at Bettles Lodge who just came back from many days in the wild and they all look very happy to be back in some semblance of civilization
- Fairbanks is a good place to start your trip.
- Arrive in Fairbanks the night before your continuing flight north to the gateway community
- Even though most flights leave Fairbanks in the afternoon or at night for the lower 48, don’t count on flying to Fairbanks from the northern gateway communities on the same day. The flights can easily be delayed. Better to fly out of Fairbanks the next day.
- If everything works out and you are on time, Fairbanks is a nice place to hang out for a day with plenty of sights to see.
- Visit Alaska Public Lands Information Center to get information about visiting the parks, including Kobuk Valley.
- Book well ahead of time for the lodges and tours from the gateway communities of Bettles and Kotzebue. We booked our mid-September trip, which is near the end of the season, 6 months ahead and there were dates that were sold out.
- If you don’t mind a bit of cold (daytime in the 40s and night time below freezing), spring or fall are great times to go. The weather is cold enough to keep the bugs at bay. Mosquitos can be really bad during June and July.
- If you are prepared, winter can be an interesting time to visit. It’s easier to go places with a snow machine since the bodies of water are frozen, providing easier access with a snow machine.
- If you go during the summer, be sure to bring bug nets for your face and neck
- It’s expensive to get to Kobuk Valley, several thousand of dollars per person for even a short stay.
- You have to be willing to fly on tiny planes. We are talking about 10 seaters from Fairbanks to Bettles, and 4 seater for the flight seeing trip from Bettles into the park.
- The main visitor center for this park is in Kotzebue, located inside the Northwest Arctic Heritage Center
Kobuk Valley National Park Facts:
- Size: 1,750,716 acres, ranked 9th
- Visitors: 16,925 in 2022, ranked 61st. Record was 29,550 visitors in 2012
- Peak Month in 2022: 2,049 visitors in October
- Low Month in 2022: 695 visitors in February
- Entrance Fee: None
Date Visited: Sept. 14, 2023
