Blog Index

Saturday, October 8, 2022

Flightseeing - Kotzebue to Kobuk Valley National Park


All of Kobuk Valley National Park is either designated wilderness or is eligible to be designated as wilderness. There are no concessionaire lodges or cabins, no roads, and no trails inside the park. The only reasonable method of travel is by bush plane. Flying from Kotzebue to the park boundary takes about 30 minutes and an additional 15 minutes to the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes. The dunes are about 100 miles from Kotzebue. Our route took us close enough to Cape Krusenstern National Monument and Noatak National Preserve to view parts of these park units as well as Kobuk Valley National Park.

Igichuk Hills and Noatak River Delta
(Igichuk Hills are in Cape Krusenstern National Monument)

Another view of the Noatak River Delta

Floodplain with small patches of forest
(this part of the Igichuk Hills is in the Noatak National Preserve)

Left the coastal plain and flew over the Kiana Hills

The tree line is very low in this part of Alaska

Mountains on the horizon

Kettle lake in the Kiana Hills beneath the Baird Mountains

Boreal forest and the Baird Mountains

More forests and mountains

Squirrel River

Kettle Lakes and the Baird Mountains

A solitary tree stands on the far shore of the nearest lake

Morning fog in the mountains

Klery Creek

Peluk Creek

Clouds above the Kobuk Valley and the Baird Mountains

There is no entrance fee at Kobuk Valley National Park.

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

No comments:

Post a Comment