š 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.
š¤ 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.
š 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
Tuesday, May 5
Partly Cloudy
High: 20Ā°F | Low: 8.5Ā°F
Humidity: 92%
Wind: 7.4 mph
Rain Chance: 0%
UV Index: 3.4
Sunrise: 05:24 AM
Sunset: 11:56 PM
Moon: Waning Gibbous (90%)
Visibility: 3 mi
Dew Point: 12.8Ā°F
Cloud Cover: 0%
Pressure: N/A mb
Air Quality (PM2.5): N/A
Ozone: N/A
EPA Index: N/A
Wednesday, May 6
Moderate snow
High: 19.3Ā°F | Low: 8.3Ā°F
Humidity: 91%
Wind: 6 mph
Rain Chance: 73%
UV Index: 3.1
Sunrise: 05:19 AM
Sunset: No sunset
Moon: Waning Gibbous (84%)
Visibility: 4 mi
Dew Point: 12.6Ā°F
Cloud Cover: 73%
Pressure: N/A mb
Air Quality (PM2.5): N/A
Ozone: N/A
EPA Index: N/A
Thursday, May 7
Sunny
High: 18.8Ā°F | Low: 8.4Ā°F
Humidity: 91%
Wind: 6.3 mph
Rain Chance: 0%
UV Index: 3.6
Sunrise: 05:14 AM
Sunset: 12:00 AM
Moon: Waning Gibbous (77%)
Visibility: 4 mi
Dew Point: 12.1Ā°F
Cloud Cover: 0%
Pressure: N/A mb
Air Quality (PM2.5): N/A
Ozone: N/A
EPA Index: N/A
Park Events
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 ā 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
Winter Subsistence Resource Commission Meeting
The Kobuk Valley National Park SRC will meet in person and via teleconference from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Thursday March 12, 2026, and from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Friday March 13,Ā 2026Ā or until business is completed. If business is completed on March 12, 2026, the meeting will adjourn, and no meeting will take place on March 13,Ā 2026.You can learn more about the Kobuk Valley SRCsĀ and view the upcoming meeting agendaĀ on theĀ parkāsĀ website.Ā
Ā
In Person: Northwest Arctic Heritage Center, 171 Third Ave Kotzebue AK 99752Ā
Phone: 866-764-6523 code: 4321954#Ā
Ā
Members of the public areĀ welcome at the meetings, and there will be time for Tribal, local entity, agency, and public comment.
Date: Mar 12, 2026 12:00am to Mar 12, 2026 12:00am
Paid Event
Winter Subsistence Resource Commission Meeting
The Kobuk Valley National Park SRC will meet in person and via teleconference from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Thursday March 12, 2026, and from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Friday March 13,Ā 2026Ā or until business is completed. If business is completed on March 12, 2026, the meeting will adjourn, and no meeting will take place on March 13,Ā 2026.You can learn more about the Kobuk Valley SRCsĀ and view the upcoming meeting agendaĀ on theĀ parkāsĀ website.Ā
Ā
In Person: Northwest Arctic Heritage Center, 171 Third Ave Kotzebue AK 99752Ā
Phone: 866-764-6523 code: 4321954#Ā
Ā
Members of the public areĀ welcome at the meetings, and there will be time for Tribal, local entity, agency, and public comment.
Date: Mar 13, 2026 12:00am to Mar 13, 2026 12:00am
Paid Event
Sheefish, What We Have Learned
*This is a make up presentation disrupted by weather.
Date: Mar 30, 2026 12:00am to Mar 30, 2026 12:00am
Paid Event
Migratory Bird Film Night - Wings Over Water
Date: May 7, 2026 12:00am to May 7, 2026 12:00am
Paid Event
Visitor Center & Contacts
š Physical Address:
171 3rd Ave
Kotzebue, AK 99752
š¤ Mailing Address:
PO Box 1029
Kotzebue, AK 99752
š Voice Phone: 9074423890
š Fax Phone: 9074428316
āļø Email: wear_webmail@nps.gov