Kobuk Valley National Park

Kobuk Valley National Park is a 1,750,716-acre park in northwestern Alaska, about 25 miles north of the Arctic Circle. It protects the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes, the Kobuk River and a major crossing point of the Western Arctic caribou herd.[1]

Sand dunes

The Great Kobuk Sand Dunes rise up to 100 feet, with about 20,500 acres of active dunes, a remarkable feature so far north of the Arctic Circle. The dunes were formed from sediment ground by glaciers in the Ice Age.[1]

Caribou migration

About 400,000 caribou of the Western Arctic herd cross the Kobuk River in this area during their seasonal movements, a migration that has shaped the life of the region for thousands of years.[1]

Human history

Onion Portage, a National Historic Landmark on the Kobuk River, holds nine cultural complexes and shows human presence stretching back some 12,500 years. Caribou crossings made it a reliable hunting place for successive peoples.[1]

Visiting

There are no roads into the park. Visitors fly from Kotzebue, and many float the Kobuk River. The park recorded 17,616 visitors in 2023.[1]

FAQs

Are there sand dunes in Alaska? Yes. The Great Kobuk Sand Dunes in Kobuk Valley National Park rise up to 100 feet.

How do you get to Kobuk Valley National Park? By air, usually from Kotzebue; no roads reach the park.

What is Onion Portage? A National Historic Landmark on the Kobuk River with nine cultural complexes and evidence of about 12,500 years of human presence.

Sources

1. National Park Service: Kobuk Valley National Park

Editorially reviewed by Specialty Digest Editorial TeamLast reviewed November 12, 2026Researched and drafted with AI assistanceReport an issue