📘 Park Overview
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.
🌤 Weather Information
Snow, rain, and freezing temperatures can occur any time of the year. Always travel with good quality rain gear and warm layers. Be especially careful to stay dry. Hypothermia can set in on a windy, wet day, even when it doesn't feel that cold.
🚗 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.
Images
The setting sun casts shadows of black spruce on the dunes and colors the water of Ahnewetut Creek a deep blue.
Credit: NPS Photo
The peaks of the Baird Mountains stretch far into the distance and are so remote that many of them have not been named.
Credit: NPS Photo
Caribou 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
Credit: NPS Photo
A single caribou of the 240,000+ strong Western Arctic herd on its fall migration south across Kobuk Valley National Park.
Credit: NPS Photo
Oxytropis 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.
Credit: NPS Photo
Activities
Topics
Operating Hours
Entrance Fees
No entrance fees listed.
Entrance Passes
No entrance passes listed.
3-Day Weather Forecast
Thursday, Feb 12
Moderate snow
High: 8°F | Low: -6.2°F
Humidity: 97%
Wind: 8.1 mph
Rain Chance: 71%
UV Index: 0
Sunrise: 10:07 AM
Sunset: 05:46 PM
Moon: Waning Crescent (28%)
Visibility: 2 mi
Dew Point: 1.8°F
Cloud Cover: 71%
Pressure: N/A mb
Air Quality (PM2.5): N/A
Ozone: N/A
EPA Index: N/A
Friday, Feb 13
Freezing fog
High: -23.8°F | Low: -33.9°F
Humidity: 99%
Wind: 8.7 mph
Rain Chance: 66%
UV Index: 0
Sunrise: 10:03 AM
Sunset: 05:50 PM
Moon: Waning Crescent (19%)
Visibility: 1 mi
Dew Point: -26.4°F
Cloud Cover: 66%
Pressure: N/A mb
Air Quality (PM2.5): N/A
Ozone: N/A
EPA Index: N/A
Saturday, Feb 14
Heavy snow
High: -1.5°F | Low: -25.7°F
Humidity: 95%
Wind: 6.5 mph
Rain Chance: 85%
UV Index: 0
Sunrise: 09:59 AM
Sunset: 05:54 PM
Moon: Waning Crescent (12%)
Visibility: 3 mi
Dew Point: -10.4°F
Cloud Cover: 85%
Pressure: N/A mb
Air Quality (PM2.5): N/A
Ozone: N/A
EPA Index: N/A
Weather Alerts (1)
Special Weather Statement issued February 11 at 2:33PM AKST by NWS Fairbanks AK
Effective: Feb 11, 2026 6:33pm
Expires: Feb 12, 2026 8:00pm
A warm and moist low pressure system out in the northern Bering Sea
makes its way into Western Alaska beginning late Friday night into
Saturday. This storm is expected to bring widespread snowfall to
much of the West Coast and Interior through Saturday evening. High
end snowfall is expected to be between 4" to 8", with low end
snowfall amounts between 2" to 5". Locally higher snowfall amounts
are possible in areas where the heaviest snow bands set up. Exact
snowfall location and amounts are still uncertain for right now, but
we will continue to update over the next couple of days.
Park Alerts
Park Events
Festival of Light
Date: Dec 12, 2025 12:00am to Dec 12, 2025 12:00am
Paid Event
Sheefish: What we have learned
Straddling the Arctic Circle in a remote corner of northwestern Alaska lies Selawik Refuge, a special place of extreme climate, free-flowing rivers, abundant wildlife and an iconic Arctic fish – the sheefish. The upper Selawik River is one of two spawning areas in the region for sheefish, known as Sii in the local Inupiaq language. A large permafrost thaw slump began sliding into the river in 2004 releasing so much sediment that it turned the clear Selawik River muddy like the Yukon for nine straight summers. Fish biologists and local people were concerned about the effect on the spawning grounds. Come hear from Bill Carter, Selawik Refuge fish biologist, about what they learned about sheefish and this slump in a study spanning nearly 20 years. Find out how they determined that the impact was not what many feared but that sheefish proved to be remarkably adaptable. Join us to learn the current knowledge of Sii (aka sheefish or inconnu) in the Kotzebue Sound Region.
Date: Feb 17, 2026 12:00am to Feb 17, 2026 12:00am
Paid Event
Visitor Center & Contacts
📍 Physical Address:
171 3rd Ave
Kotzebue, AK 99752
🏤 Mailing Address:
PO Box 1029
Kotzebue, AK 99752
📞 Voice Phone: 9074423890
📞 Fax Phone: 9074428316
✉️ Email: wear_webmail@nps.gov