Bering Land Bridge and Noatak Parks

Bering Land Bridge and Noatak Parks

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DATES

July 12, 2026 - July 16, 2026

REGION

Western Brooks Range

TRIP COST

$9,400

calendar

DATES

July 12, 2026 - July 16, 2026
region

REGION

Western Brooks Range
price

TRIP COST

$9,400

Located near the Arctic Circle in Alaska are the least visited and most remote units in the National Park System. This unique trip is designed to get you to Northwest Alaska’s obscure and isolated park units for a glimpse of the beauty and wildness that Bering Land Bridge and Noatak Preserve have to offer.

This trip combines with our trips to Gates of the Arctic, Kobuk Valley, and Cape Krusenstern

TRIP DETAILS

Noatak National Preserve is spectacular and diverse. Truly an unsung jewel of the National Park Service. With the Wild and Scenic Noatak River at its core, the Preserve sprawls north and south protecting and celebrating 6.5 million acres of mountains, tundra, forest, and wetlands. Nearly devoid of tourists, it is a wilderness unmatched in most of the world.

One of our favorite parts of the Noatak Preserve is a flower covered meadow perched above a clear creek in the DeLong Mountains. Limestone peaks encircle the high valley, and mountain passes to the north and east tend to funnel wildlife into the area. This spot provides an ideal campsite, endless and varied hiking for all skill levels, and decent chances to encounter wildlife such as caribou, moose, and even wolves.

We will spend two nights in the mountains of Noatak Preserve camped amongst the flowers. Days will be spent scanning the mountainsides for wildlife and exploring the nearby hills. If feeling ambitious there are long and strenuous hikes right from camp. If you’d rather take it slow, there is plenty of exploring to be done closer to camp.

The Bering Land Bridge looms large in our imaginations as a place of human migration and, in days long past, habitat for mammoths and tigers. The area is still rich in wildlife and a wonderful area to explore. Join us for two nights where hot springs emerge from the tundra and where musk oxen, living relics of the ice age, still roam.

Bering Land Bridge National Preserve is a volcanic landscape on the Seward Peninsula, north of Nome, Alaska. Rocky spires jut from the green tundra, volcanic craters shelter musk oxen from the coastal winds and hot springs feed rivers teeming with fish. This is likely the first place where people stepped foot in North America and it is largely unchanged since. From our base at Serpentine Hot Springs we spend our time hiking and birding in this remnant of the Bering Land Bridge.

Serpentine Hot Springs is famed for the volcanically heated waters flowing through the bathhouse and for the many musk oxen that tend to use the area in the summer. But in our opinion, the best thing about the area is the incredible hiking among the long ridges and granite tors. The green tundra and the gray rocks make a somewhat surreal landscape.

With 24 hours of daylight we can hike and bathe in the springs, and hike again until we are worn-out from all the fun.

Last updated: November 26, 2025

Itinerary

What follows is a general flow of events. Expect the unexpected and prepare to be flexible.

July 11

Meet your guide at the Golden Eagle Outfitter’s airplane hangar in Kotzebue for an orientation/ gear check at 6:45 pm.

July 12

Fly south down the Baldwin Peninsula, around Kotzebue Sound and down to Bering Land Bridge National Preserve. Arriving mid-morning we have time to set up camp before embarking on the first of several hikes on the tundra.

July 13

A full day in Bering Land Bridge. We will visit the hot springs, hike the volcanic landscape, explore the rock formations that dot the tundra, and watch the variety of birds and wildlife. With constant daylight, energy and imagination are the only limits to what we can do.

July 14

Take a last dip in the hot springs or take another hike in search of birds. By late morning our pilot returns to take us to Noatak National Preserve. After a 2.5 hour flight we land on a high river bench and set up camp with mountains all around.

July 15

We get to spend the day exploring the DeLong Mountains in Noatak Preserve Perhaps we will watch caribou feeding in the willows or maybe spend the afternoon climbing a high ridge for views of the continental divide.

July 16

We have a final morning to enjoy the Arctic. Mid day we reluctantly break camp and await our pilot. It is a quick flight back to Kotzebue and if the weather cooperates we are saying farewell at about 5 pm in Kotzebue.

If you are continueing on with us to Krusenstern, Gates, and Kobuk you’ll have an evening in Kotzebue to shower and relax.

 

We wanted you to know what a wonderful trip we had with Cynthia. What a skilled guide and wonderful person she is. We can’t imagine having had a better guide. Besides taking such good care of all of the gear, shepherding us through wonderful hikes, and cooking fantastic meals, she shared our interest in nature of all kinds. We feel so fortunate to have had her as a guide and can’t speak highly enough of her. Thanks for giving her the assignment to be with us! The trip went flawlessly. Even with all of the different flights, we were able to stay on schedule. What an experience we had!

We also wanted to thank you for all of the care and thought Arctic Wild puts into the meals. We were so happy with the variety and quality of the foods available at all of the meals and the tremendous snack selection in between. We’ve never seen such a wide variety of energy bars to choose from! We were happily stoked, which you would know if you saw how little food came back to the office!

So, thanks again for all you did to organize a great itinerary for us. Each park was unique and we feel we tasted some of the best parts of each. We feel so grateful to have seen the vast beauty of northern Alaska.

- Margaret and Dave, Maryland, USA

DETAILS

WHAT'S INCLUDED

Transportation starting and ending in Kotzebue

Food while in the wilderness, stoves, cooking & eating utensils, water filter, base camp tent

Safety & repair gear

Professional guide(s)

Select Camping Equipment is available through Arctic Wild

WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED

Non-camp lodging

Non-camp meals

Personal clothing and gear. See full equipment list

Gratuity for guide(s)

WEATHER & BUGS

Temperatures vary dramatically in the Arctic. Temperatures will range from the 40s to 70s. Cold rains and snow are possible, but we get plenty of sunny weather this time of the year. Mosquitoes could be an issue so bring a small bottle of DEET repellent just in case.

RECOMMENDED READING

Ordinary Wolves, Seth Kantner

Last Light Breaking, Nick Jans

The Brooks Range, Alaska Geographic

People of the Noatak, Clair Fejes

The Last Giant of Beringia, Dan O’Neill

More Alaska reading is available from our Bookstore

Ready for your adventure?
Find out what's next.

  1. Fill out the Reservation Request form
  2. We will contact you to discuss your trip
  3. Secure your trip with a deposit
  4. We will send you a detailed packing list
  5. Book your flights and accommodations
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"The wilderness was spectacular, the leadership perfect."
"I am just finishing my tenth trip with you guys. As always, the trip was more than I expected and I had a great time. See you next year!"
"Of all outfitters with whom we have worked (and that is quite a number), you were by far the most organized and responsive."
"That feeling of wide open wonder, the possibilities for nearly limitless wandering, and the image of those proud caribou...that will stay with me a long time"
"Our guide was an encyclopedia on legs. He was always willing and ready to teach, to talk, to listen, to do another hike, or to lie low in camp if we were beat. He truly gave us the trip we wanted!"
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Eileen - Canning River
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