Rolling to a stop on the dunes, we climb out and finally set foot in Kobuk Valley National Park. Our fears relieved, we are filled with deep gratitude for the chance to be among the few to visit this elusive park.

August 26, 2025

I board my flight in Denver with high hopes for my two-week, Alaska adventure ahead. The plan is to hit both arctic national parks, starting with Kobuk Valley National Park and ending with Gates of the Arctic National Park. A journey to Kobuk has many stages. The flight from Denver to Anchorage is only the beginning. In Anchorage, I meet up with my travel partner, Ren, and we board the daily flight to the remote town of Kotzebue, Alaska, on the western coast.

As with most August days in Alaska, we are socked in by clouds the entire flight, giving us a little anxiety for our prospects of visiting Kobuk. But thankfully, we planned 3 days of buffer time in Kotzebue to allow for weather delays. A steady downpour greets us at the single gate airport in Kotzebue as we disembark, grab our bags and trudge down to our AirBnB. Though it’s only half a mile from the airport, it’s hard work dragging two roller bags down the muddy streets. In typical Alaskan hospitality, a local man on an ATV rolls up and offers to help transport our luggage the rest of the way—what a warm welcome to dry off our spirits.

We settle into our airbnb and walk the town in the overcast afternoon light, stopping first at the Northwest Arctic Heritage Center which doubles as the Kobuk Valley National Park Visitor Center. The region supports four major parklands, only one of which is Kobuk. After learning a bit more about the park, we hear from the ranger that the weather forecast doesn’t look good for our time in Kotzebue—not what we wanted to hear, but stuck with our situation, we are determined to make the most of the wet days.

On our way back to the rental house, we stop in a grocery store for food and Golden Eagle Outfitters to assess the flight situation. Our day trip is scheduled for tomorrow, but it’s always worth stopping in early in case a weather window opens up.

That day and the next, we huddle up in the rental house working our day jobs remotely with phones close by ready for a call from the pilot. Hour by hour we check in. The weather report remains the same: heavy fog and dense clouds over Kobuk Valley. The now sunny weather over Kotzebue seems to taunt and tease us as Kobuk remains foggy. As time slips by, we feel our chances of seeing the park dwindle. Finally, around 2 p.m. the heavens part and we get a call from Golden Eagle. “How soon can you get here?” they ask. After nearly 24 hours of waiting, we’ve learned to just say, “Right away!” and head out the door. Grabbing our gear we speed walk 10 minutes to the hangar, excited to finally embark on our journey to the park.

We had originally intended to visit just Kobuk on this flight, but with a tight weather window, our flight is combined with a Kobuk-Gates combo flight. Looks like we’ll hit both parks on this run. With seven other passengers, we cross the endless river deltas and plains of northern Alaska, the giant Kobuk River running ever faithfully below us.

Pockets of rain batter the plane as we slowly make our way towards the parks. The pilot charts a course for Gates first, leaving Kobuk for the return journey. Unfortunately with historic rainfall this week, the usual landing strip is flooded and a flyby is all we can do as we cross the boundary of Gates of the Arctic National Park. A quick circle in the mountains reveals gorgeous arctic passes and rocky clefts shrouded in mist and cloud. A disappointment of course, but our spirits are buoyed knowing we plan to backpack Gates next week after we return from Kotzebue.

Reaching the end of our flight path in Gates, we turn back and make for Kobuk Valley and the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes. Rivers and trees soon give way to barren sand fields and our plane descends. By now, the clouds over Kobuk have dissipated and windows of sunlight spotlight the terrain. It’s an answer to prayer. Rolling to a stop on the dunes, we climb out and finally set foot in Kobuk Valley National Park. Our fears relieved, we are filled with deep gratitude for the chance to be among the few to visit this elusive park.

With only 30 minutes on the ground, Ren and I make a beeline for the trees to capture the sand-forest boundary unique to this Alaskan park. Along the way, we spot fresh grizzly tracks, bright red cranberry bushes, and rough grass, in the coarse sand, reminding us we are deep in the heart of the Alaskan wilderness.

As the afternoon wears on, clouds give way to blue sky casting dramatic light on the landscape. Snapping photos like a maniac we wrap up our time on the ground and head back to the plane with the other passengers. The pilot lifts off and charts a course westward back to Kotzebue into the setting sun. I’m enamored with the winding rivers meandering through the vast plains of Kobuk Valley down below. I imagine herds of caribou traversing these lands in a few short months. What a sight that would be.

Landing back in Kotzebue, we are elated at accomplishing our goal. Never being guaranteed a trip to Kobuk had us on edge all day and the release of anxiety floods us with gratitude. Kobuk, one of the hardest parks to visit, is behind us. I already dream of returning some day to camp on the dunes and experience a night in the park. But for now, this is enough. From the hangar, we walk through town and grab dinner at an Asian restaurant recounting the joy of visiting Kobuk.

The next day, we pack up and head back to the airport for a flight over to Fairbanks marking the second leg of our journey: a 7-day backpack trip through Gates of the Arctic National Park, but that’s a story for another time.