Kobuk Valley: sand dunes above the Arctic Circle

Kobuk Valley is in north-west Alaska, above the Arctic Circle. A broad river winds through it between two mountain ranges. And in the middle of the boreal forest, you come upon a Saharan landscape: 65 km² of golden sand dunes.

History and origins

This sand is a gift from the glaciers. During the last ice age, they ground the rock of the mountains to powder. The wind deposited it in the valley. The dunes then covered a far larger area: the forest has won most of it back.

At a bend in the river, at Onion Portage, the caribou swim across the water twice a year. People have been coming to wait for them there for more than 8,000 years. It’s one of the most important archaeological sites in the Arctic. The Iñupiat of the region still hunt there. The park was created in 1980.

What to do there

• The Great Kobuk Sand Dunes: the largest active dunes in the Arctic, about thirty metres high. You walk on them barefoot in summer. The planes land directly on the sand.
• The Kobuk River: wide, slow, with no rapids. You travel down it by canoe or inflatable boat, over several days, camping on the sandbars.
• The caribou: one of the largest herds in Alaska migrates through the region. In September, the animals cross the river in groups.
• Flightseeing: from the sky, you see the contrast between the sand, the forest and the meanders.

Stories and good to know

• In summer it can be over 30°C on the dunes. In winter, minus 40.
• The park’s visitor center is in Kotzebue, 130 km from the dunes.

Practical information for your trip

• Getting there: scheduled flights link Anchorage to Kotzebue. From there, allow an hour by small plane. You can also leave from Bettles, combining it with Gates of the Arctic.
• Budget: the air taxi is charged by the flying hour. It’s a trip costing several thousand dollars.
• Mosquitoes: very numerous in June and July. By late August, they have almost gone.
• Where to stay: wild camping. The only hotels are in Kotzebue.