Park geography

Mapped boundaries, terrain elevations, and regional environmental classifications

Kobuk Valley National Park: geography

Location: Northwest Arctic Borough, United States of America. Recorded area: 7,084.9 km².

A stylized vector illustration of a meandering river flowing through a lush green valley toward distant snow-capped mountains, flanked by a dense forest of evergreen trees under soft pastel clouds.

Arctic sand dunes and caribou migration corridor in northwestern Alaska

Kobuk Valley National Park

Kobuk Valley National Park is a vast protected area in northwestern Alaska, situated about 25 miles north of the Arctic Circle within the Northwest Arctic Borough. The park encompasses a broad wetlands valley formed by the Kobuk River as it flows along the southern edge of the Baird Mountains, part of the western Brooks Range. What makes this park truly distinctive is the presence of the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes, the largest active Arctic dune field in North America, which are remnants of much larger dune systems that covered hundreds of thousands of acres following the retreat of Pleistocene glaciation. The park also protects critical migration routes for the Western Arctic caribou herd, one of the largest caribou herds in North America, whose annual crossing of the Kobuk River has supported Inupiat subsistence hunting for thousands of years. At nearly 1.75 million acres, the park is slightly larger than the state of Delaware and ranks among Alaska's eight national parks.

Location: United States of America
Park type: National park
Established: 1980
Area: 7,084.9 km²

Kobuk Valley National Park Protected Landscape

Location overview

Administrative positioning within the Northwest Arctic Borough of Alaska

Kobuk Valley National Park Geographic Placement and Regional Location

Kobuk Valley National Park is located within the Northwest Arctic Borough of Alaska in the United States of America. Geographic records confirm a fully interior, non-transboundary status for the protected northern territory.

Countries: United States of America
Regions: Alaska, Northwest Arctic Borough
Primary location: Northwest Arctic Borough
Geographic setting: Inland

Boundary and coordinates

Mapped spatial geometry and derived regional area metrics

Kobuk Valley National Park Boundary Map and Geographic Extent

Interactive boundary geometry outlines the spatial footprint and regional context for the protected area. Accompanying measurements supply calculated area metrics, coordinate limits, and geographic spans without claiming legal survey precision.

Boundary area: 7,096.4 km²
Boundary perimeter: 514.1 km
Northernmost point: 67.8709° N
Southernmost point: 66.9118° N
Easternmost point: 157.8298° W
Westernmost point: 160.2964° W
Geographic centre: 67.3532° N, 159.199° W
North–south span: 107 km
East–west span: 105.9 km

Kobuk Valley National Park

Elevation and terrain

Mixed relief topography and recorded natural water features

Kobuk Valley National Park Terrain and Elevation Profile

Explore the recorded elevation summary and mixed terrain characteristics for Kobuk Valley National Park. Detailed feature cards display names, types, and spatial relationships for streams, rivers, and peaks located within the protected area.

Minimum elevation: 4 m

Selected named natural features

Rivers

Kaliguricheark River

Streams

Akiak River

Rivers

Akillik River

Peaks

Mount Angayukaqsraq

1,411 m

Rivers

Akiak Creek

Streams

Nekakte Creek

Kobuk Valley National Park Natural Features

Environmental setting

Subpolar climate zones, mixed relief, and major water presence across northern terrain

Kobuk Valley National Park Environmental Classifications and Physical Setting

Stored landscape features, habitat types, and seasonal classifications frame the physical setting of Kobuk Valley National Park as broad interpretive categories. Recorded environmental attributes connect directly to relevant atlas destinations across the protected landscape.

Relief: Mixed relief
Climate: Subpolar
Water: Major water bodies
Forest cover: Partial forest
Seasonality: Strongly seasonal

Landscape features

Dunes · Wetland · Valleys · Rivers · Mountains · Glacier · Forest · Tundra

Habitat types

Boreal forest · Tundra habitat · Wetland · Glacial habitat · Riverine habitat · Dune habitat

Park atlas

Discover other Arctic protected landscapes and mapped park geography in northwestern Alaska, comparing unique wilderness environments.

Explore Nearby National Parks and Protected Areas Beyond Kobuk Valley National Park, Alaska

Continue exploring the diverse protected areas surrounding Kobuk Valley National Park, including vast wilderness regions and unique Arctic ecosystems across northwestern Alaska. Compare these national parks and conservation landscapes to understand the broader geographic context and distinct features of the region's protected wild spaces.

A digital illustration of a wide, winding river carving through a lush, mountainous valley with coniferous trees in the foreground and layered mountain ridges in the distance.

National parkAlaska

About 197 km away#1 closest

East

Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve: Alaska's Remote Protected Landscape

Explore mapped park boundaries and regional geographic context.

Delve into the protected landscape of Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, a vast national park situated in Alaska. This entry offers a detailed perspective on its geographic setting, focusing on mapped boundaries and its significance as a protected area. Understand the scale and natural context of this remote wilderness for comprehensive atlas-based exploration.

Area: 34,287 km²
Established: 1978
IUCN: V
Visitors: 11.9K annual

Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve Atlas

A stylized illustration of a wide Alaskan wetland area featuring winding waterways, patches of green grasses and reeds, and a distant boreal forest line under a pastel sky.

Wildlife reserveAlaska

About 431 km away#2 closest

South

Innoko Wilderness: Geographic Profile and Protected Landscape of Interior Alaska

Subarctic wilderness tracking wetlands and boreal transitions

Spanning over one million acres in the Alaskan interior, Innoko Wilderness offers a unique look at a sprawling subarctic ecosystem. Dominated by muskeg, interconnected lakes, and the floodplains of the Yukon and Innoko Rivers, this protected area functions as a critical transition zone between interior forests and western tundra landscapes.

Area: 5,000 km²
Established: 1980
IUCN: Ib
Relief: Lowland

Innoko Wilderness Alaska Geography

A horizontal watercolor painting depicting a pale, calm body of water in the foreground, with a grassy shoreline and rolling mountain silhouettes in the distance under a soft sky.

National parkChukotka Autonomous Okrug

434 km away#3 closest

West

Beringia National Park: Arctic Tundra and Mountain Landscape Discovery in Chukotka

Explore protected boundaries and subarctic geographic features

Beringia National Park offers an expansive look at the subarctic ecosystems of the Chukchi Peninsula. This protected area preserves a unique terrain characterized by low-lying tundra plains and dramatic mountain ridges. Its position along the Bering Strait provides significant geographic context for understanding northern land connections and the remnants of ice age migrations within the Russian Arctic wilderness.

Area: 30,532 km²
Established: 2013
IUCN: II
Relief: Mixed relief

Beringia National Park Geography and Maps

A stylized digital illustration of Denali, featuring a prominent snow-covered mountain peak reflected in a still body of water, surrounded by evergreen trees, low shrubs, and a winding dirt path in the foreground.

National parkAlaska

About 542 km away#4 closest

Southeast

Denali National Park and Preserve

Explore its mapped boundaries and Alaskan regional geography.

Denali National Park and Preserve, in Alaska, United States of America.

Area: 24,464 km²
Established: 1917
IUCN: V
Visitors: 427.6K annual

Denali National Park and Preserve Geography

A stylized digital illustration of a mountainous landscape with snow-capped peaks in the background, winding river systems, multiple small lakes, and a coastal beach in the midground, framed by evergreen trees in the foreground.

National parkAlaska

About 709 km away#5 closest

Southeast

Lake Clark National Park and Preserve

Mapping the geographic context and protected park boundaries.

Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, in Alaska, United States of America. Landscapes: beaches, cliffs, and coasts.

Area: 16,308.9 km²
Established: 1980
IUCN: V
Visitors: 19.8K annual

Lake Clark National Park and Preserve Atlas

An illustration of the Old Crow Flats landscape with numerous small ponds in the foreground and distant, low snow-capped mountains under a sunset sky.

National parkYukon

712 km away#6 closest

East

Vuntut National Park: Yukon National Park Protected Area Map Exploration

Understanding its mapped protected boundaries and regional geography.

Delve into the specifics of Vuntut National Park, a designated national park situated within the Yukon region. This detail offers a focused look at its protected landscape identity, providing critical context for its geographic boundaries and role as a mapped natural area. Users can explore the core attributes of Vuntut National Park to enrich their understanding of its contribution to the protected lands atlas and regional geography.

Area: 4,345 km²
Established: 1995
IUCN: II
Relief: Lowland

Vuntut National Park Protected Area Atlas

A stylized illustration showing a winding river valley, evergreen trees, and distant mountains under a soft light.

National parkYukon

713 km away#7 closest

Northeast

Ivvavik National Park: Yukon National Park Protected Landscape and Geography

Explore mapped boundaries and regional context.

Ivvavik National Park is a designated national park within Yukon, representing a significant protected landscape. This page offers a focused exploration of its geographic identity, mapped boundaries, and its place within the broader atlas of Canada's natural areas. Understand Ivvavik National Park as a defined entity contributing to the regional geography and protected land distribution of Yukon.

Area: 10,168 km²
Established: 1984
IUCN: II
Visitors: 179 annual

Ivvavik National Park Protected Area

A stylized digital illustration showing an aerial view of a wide glacier flowing through a valley between mountain ranges, with evergreen forests on the slopes and a river winding through the foreground.

National parkAlaska

807 km away#8 closest

Southeast

Wrangell, St. Elias National Park and Preserve: Alaska's Expansive National Park Geography

Mapped protected lands and regional landscape context.

Dive into the detailed geography of Wrangell, St. Elias National Park and Preserve, a prominent national park located in Alaska. This resource focuses on its extensive mapped boundaries and its role as a protected landscape, offering insights valuable for understanding regional geography and the distribution of natural areas.

Area: 53,320.6 km²
Established: 1980
IUCN: II
Visitors: 79.5K annual

Wrangell, St. Elias National Park and Preserve Geography

MoriAtlas Explorer

Kobuk Valley National Park

Explore the map, landscapes, and protection details for Kobuk Valley National Park.

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Kobuk Valley National Park Protected Landscape

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