Flightseeing - Kobuk Valley National Park

We arrived at Kobuk Valley National Park by bush plane mid-morning in late August 2022. We flew less than 1,000 feet above the terrain which allowed us to view the breathtaking sights without binoculars. I was sitting behind the pilot on the left side of the plane, so the images below are generally shot with a view north toward the Baird Mountains.

We didn't see or hear another plane while we were in the park, but that is not unusual as Kobuk Valley National Park is the third least visited park in the nation with only 11,540 recreational visits in 2021.

The Baird Mountains, boreal forest, and Kallarichuk River

Kobuk River and the Baird Mountains

Kobuk Valley

Approaching the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes

Kavet Creek forms the western edge of the dunes

The dunes cover about 25 square miles

Lots of vegetation in the dune field

Clouds building over the Baird Mountains

Jade Mountains above Kobuk Valley

Niaktuvik Creek

There is no entrance fee at Kobuk Valley National Park.

The Kobuk Valley National Park website is https://www.nps.gov/kova/index.htm.