Noatak National Preserve - National Park Directory

Noatak River cuts through a green tundra landscape with distant mountains.

The Noatak River carves through the summertime tundra.

A huge spray of northern lights is reflected in a tiny sliver of water in the Noatak River. This image was captured in early September at 2:30 in the morning.

The famous golden hour near sunset on Copter Peak gives depth to the mountains and neon hues to the tundra.

The Delong Mountains are flawlessly reflected in the clear, clean water of Desperation Lake in the northern part of Noatak National Preserve.

Three multicolored packrafts on the gravel shore of the Kelly river

Three packrafts sit packed and ready to launch for the days float on the Kelly River.

The profile of this grizzly on the Noatak River shows a nice example of the hump of muscle between it's shoulders. That muscle makes grizzlies good diggers.

A National Park Service plane takes off from the Kelly Bar landing site at the confluence of the Kelly River and Noatak River

Hiker on the tundra. Snow covered mountains and a river in the dramatic background.

Hiker along the Nakolik drainage

Photos: National Park Service

About Noatak National Preserve

As one of North America's largest mountain-ringed river basins with an intact ecosystem, the Noatak River environs feature some of the Arctic's finest arrays of plants and animals. The river is classified as a National Wild and Scenic River. It offers stunning wilderness float-trip opportunities - from deep in the Brooks Range to the tidewater of the Chukchi Sea.

Plan a Visit

NPS DesignationNational Preserve

Park State / Territory MembershipAlaska

Current Alerts0

Visitor Centers1

Campgrounds0

Things To Do3

Core visitor information on this page is sourced from the National Park Service. NPD proximity sections use NPS reference coordinates and straight-line distance. Local source bundle updated Sep 27, 2026. View the official NPS page.

Weather & Conditions

Snow, rain, and freezing temperatures can occur any time of the year. Always travel with good quality rain gear and warm layers. Be especially careful to stay dry. Hypothermia can set in on a windy, wet day, even when it doesn't feel that cold.

NPS Reference Location

Park state / territory membership: Alaska. This map uses the National Park Service reference coordinate. It may represent an administrative or reference point rather than a park entrance, trailhead, visitor center, or the nearest access point. Use the official NPS directions below when planning travel.

Operating Hours

Public access to Noatak National Preserve is open year-round, 24-hours a day.

FridayAll Day

MondayAll Day

SaturdayAll Day

SundayAll Day

ThursdayAll Day

TuesdayAll Day

WednesdayAll Day

Activities

BoatingCampingBackcountry CampingFishingFreshwater FishingFlyingFixed Wing FlyingHands-OnArts and CraftsHikingBackcountry HikingHunting and GatheringHuntingPaddlingCanoeingJunior Ranger Program

Getting There

Noatak National Preserve is a very remote area. There are no roads that provide access. Commercial airlines provide service from Anchorage to Kotzebue or Fairbanks to Bettles. Once in Kotzebue or Bettles, you must fly to the preserve with various air taxi operators. There are scheduled flights to villages and chartered flights to remote park areas. Summer access may include motorized/non-motorized watercraft, aircraft, or by foot.

View Official Directions

Contact & Address

The NPS-listed address may be an administrative office, visitor center, mailing/contact location, or other park facility rather than a park entrance.

NPS-Listed Address171 3rd Ave, Kotzebue, AK, 99752

Phone9073182230

Emailwear_webmail@nps.gov

Topics & Themes

AnimalsArcticTundraNight SkyAurora BorealisScenic ViewsWatershedsHeadwatersWilderness

Things To Do

Fishing the Noatak

Fishing in the Noatak National Preserve is a dream trip for many enthusiasts.

Visit the Northwest Arctic Heritage Center

Trying to figure out where to go and what to do in Northwest Alaska? The Northwest Arctic Heritage Center is…

Float the Noatak

A float trip by canoe on the Noatak River

Visitor Centers

Northwest Arctic Heritage Center

Large, half-dome shaped, blue and grey building with just over 11,000 square feet of space. The museum space is just over 1,800 square feet and…

Nearby National Park Service Sites

These sites are ordered by straight-line distance between NPS reference coordinates. This is useful for comparison, but it is not road mileage. Trails, parkways, rivers, and distributed units may extend far from their reference point.