Kobuk Valley National Park

Kobuk Valley National Park (kōbk`), 1,750,737 acres (709,048 hectares), NW Alaska. Located in rugged terrain N of the Arctic Circle, the park embraces the central valley of the Kobuk River, a centuries-old transportation route with many archaeological sites. The 70-mi (113-km) Salmon Wild River lies entirely within the park. Other features include caribou migration routes and the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes. Proclaimed a national monument in 1978, it was designated a national park in 1980. See National Parks and Monuments (table).

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Kobuk Valley National Park

National park, northwestern Alaska, U.S. Located north of the Arctic Circle, it was made a national monument in 1978 and a national park in 1980. Occupying an area of 1,750,421 acres (708,370 hectares), it preserves the Kobuk River valley, including the Kobuk and Salmon rivers, forest lands, and the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes. Archaeological sites reveal more than 10,000 years of human habitation. It protects caribou migration routes; other wildlife include grizzly and black bears, foxes, moose, and wolves.

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Kobuk Valley National Park

Parks Directory of the United States / US National Parks / National Parks

Address: PO Box 1029
Kotzebue, AK 99752
Phone: 907-442-3890;
Fax: 907-442-8316;
Phone: 800-478-7252;
Web: www.nps.gov/kova/
Size: 1,750,717 acres.
Established: Proclaimed Kobuk Valley National Monument on December 1, 1978; established as a national park on December 2, 1980. Wilderness designated on December 2, 1980.
Location: Park occupies a broad valley along the central Kobuk River in northwest Alaska about 30 miles north of the Arctic Circle. There are no roads that provide access to the park. Commercial airlines provide service from Anchorage to Kotzebue or Fairbanks to Bettles. From either location, there are scheduled flights to villages and chartered flights to specific park areas. Summer access may include motorized/non-motorized watercraft, aircraft, or by foot. Winter access may include snowmobiles, aircraft, or by foot.
Facilities: Information center (in Kotzebue).
Activities: Camping, hiking, boating, canoeing and kayaking, fishing, wildlife viewing, cross-country skiing, dog mushing, interpretive programs.
Special Features: Embracing the central valley of the Kobuk River, the park, located entirely north of the Arctic Circle, includes a blend of biological, geological, and cultural resources. Here, in the northernmost extent of the boreal forest, a rich array of arctic wildlife can be found, including caribou, grizzly and black bear, wolf, and fox. The 25-square-mile Great Kobuk Sand Dunes lie just south of the Kobuk River against the base of the Waring Mountains. Archeological sites revealing more than 12,500 years of human occupation are among the most significant sites known in the Arctic, and the Kobuk Valley remains an important area for native cultures and traditional subsistence.

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See other parks in Alaska.