Northwest Alaska is less celebrated than the neighboring regions to the east—the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) and Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve—but more remote in terms of distance from connecting roads. For those who love the outdoors, the region is home to the Noatak National Preserve, Kobuk Valley National Park, Bering Land Bridge National Preserve, and Cape Krusenstern National Monument. Even by Alaska standards, there is seemingly endless wild country to explore.
Nome (population 3,700) is the largest town in Northwest Alaska, famous for marking the end of the 1,100-mile Iditarod dog sled race. At the height of the gold rush in the early 1900’s, Nome was the most populated town in the state. The tiny town of Kotzebue, located on the northern side of the Seward Peninsula, serves as the jumping off point for outdoor trips in the area.
Indigenous people have been living in Northwest Alaska for thousands of years, relying for subsistence on the annual fish runs and caribou migration. Today, the region’s many protected lands serve dual purposes of cultural and environmental preservation.
Exploring Northwest Alaska
Similar to Alaska’s Arctic Region, the lack of infrastructure in the northwest makes transportation challenging. The easiest time to travel cross-country is winter on snow machines, skies, or dogsleds. However, most people visit during the summer to take advantage of the long days and exceptional wilderness trips.
Commercial airlines service Kotzebue and Nome; from there, local air taxis offer drop-offs and pick-ups in the backcountry. Hiring a guide ensures that your time is maximized, and they provide transportation and experience in an otherwise intimidating region.
Rafting
Given the challenging terrain and lack of trail access, rafting trips are a popular way to see Northwest Alaska. Two big rivers drain the region, the Noatak and Kobuk, and both offer excellent opportunities for float trips. The Noatak River is the largest untouched river basin in the United States and prime for wildlife viewing. The Kobuk River is known for fishing, in particular for trophy Sheefish.
Backpacking
Northwest Alaska, like most of the state, has very few maintained hiking trails. The elevated terrain of the Brooks Range and Baird Mountains is good for hiking with views over the broad river valleys that continue to the Bering Sea. Local outfitters run a number of backcountry trips in the area: the Noatak Preserve is popular for combination hiking and rafting trips, and home to large migrations of caribou and other mammals including wolves, moose, lynx, brown bears and Dall sheep. For more options, the majority of backcountry trips in northern Alaska take place in the Arctic Circle region to the east.