Noatak National Preserve

Noatak National Preserve, 6,569,904 acres (2,660,811 hectares), N Alaska. The preserve is the largest mountain-ringed river basin in the United States that is still virtually unaffected by human activities. It is a transition zone for plants and animals between arctic and subarctic environments and includes the Grand Canyon of the Noatak River. Proclaimed a national monument in 1978, it was designated a national preserve in 1980. The 330-mi (531-km)

Noatak Wild River, authorized in 1980, lies partially within the preserve and partially in the Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve. See National Parks and Monuments (table).

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Noatak National Preserve

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

Address: PO Box 1029
Kotzebue, AK 99752
Phone: 907-442-3890;
Fax: 907-442-8316;
Web: www.nps.gov/noat/
Size: 6,569,904 acres.
Established: Proclaimed as Noatak National Monument on December 1, 1978; established as a national preserve on December 2, 1980. Wilderness designated on December 2, 1980. Designated a Biosphere Reserve in 1976.
Location: In northwestern Alaska, in the western Brooks Range, encompassing more than 250 miles of the Noatak River. Daily jet service is available from Anchorage and Fairbanks to Kotzebue. From there, scheduled air service is available to the parklands and nearby villages. Summer access may include motorized/non-motorized watercraft, aircraft, or by foot. Winter access may include snowmobiles, aircraft, or by foot.
Facilities: Ranger stations (seasonal).
Activities: Camping, hiking, mountain climbing, boating, kayaking, canoeing, rafting, fishing, hunting, cross-country skiing, dog mushing, wildlife viewing.
Special Features: The Noatak River basin is the largest mountain-ringed river basin in the nation still virtually unaffected by man. The preserve includes landforms of great scientific interest, including the 65-mile-long Grand Canyon of the Noatak, a transition zone and migration route for plants and animals between subarctic and arctic environments, and an array of flora among the most diverse anywhere in the earth's northern latitudes. The preserve contains part of the 400-mile Noatak Wild and Scenic River.

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See other parks in Alaska.