Kobuk Dunes Base Camp

Kobuk Dunes Base Camp

DATES

August 17, 2017 - August 19, 2017

REGION

Kobuk Valley National Park

TRIP COST

$2,200/ person combined with Noatak Canoe

calendar

DATES

August 17, 2017 - August 19, 2017
region

REGION

Kobuk Valley National Park
price

TRIP COST

$2,200/ person combined with Noatak Canoe

A visit to the Kobuk Sand Dunes is the perfect way to extend your time in the wilderness after paddling the Noatak River with us. The contrast between the greens of the Noatak hills and the tawny sands of the dunes is striking, and will peak  your interest as you travel between the two places that are so different and yet so near to each other.

TRIP DETAILS

Last updated: October 3, 2017

Itinerary

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

August 17

Your fellow paddlers are heading back to the hectic pace of life, but you are headed further west into America’s least visited National Park. The plane lands right in the dunes.

August 18

A full day to enjoy the dunes. Moose, wolves and fox all frequent the dunes as do a great number of birds. The sand constantly shifts and swirls. There are springs coming right out of the sand and great expanses where nothing seems to live. The hiking is soft in places but great distances can be covered if so inclined. Swim in the ponds, look for wolf dens, slide down the tallest dunes, or just stretch out your beach towel and parasol.

August 19

Mid-day we hear the hum of the propeller and seal our bags one last time. Then it is a one-hour flight down the Kobuk to the Arctic Coast and the village of Kotzebue. If you left a bag with us in Fairbanks, you will find it in Kotzebue. You can spend the night in Kotzebue or travel on your own to Anchorage or points south. (Weather Permitting)

Such a joy to spend days where time was meaningless.  A wonderful adventure and I would like to return next year for a longer, more challenging trip.

You mentioned to me in an email that you have terrific guides - you do indeed.  Dave is a superb guide. He is personable, knowledgeable about the Arctic, and has excellent group management skills. I appreciated the time he spent teaching me to read the map, which is not easy without trails.   He allowed Adrian and me to hike at our own pace and he encouraged all of us to explore the area surrounding our campsites. I know the others would concur in my praise.

- Sandra, California, USA

DETAILS

WHAT'S INCLUDED

Transportation starting on the Noatak and  ending in Kotzebue, food while in the wilderness, stoves, cooking & eating utensils, water filter, base camp tent, safety & repair gear and professional guide service.

WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED

Lodging, non-camp meals, personal clothing and gear, tent, photographic equipment. Gratuity for guide(s).

WEATHER & BUGS

Kobuk Dunes tends to be dry and sunny, but in late August it can get cold at night. You gear from the Noatak will be appropriate for this portion of the trip and insects probably won’t be an issue.

RECOMMENDED READING

Ordinary Wolves, Seth Kantner; Last Light Breaking, Nick Jans; The Brooks Range, Alaska Geographic; Alaska’s Brooks Range, John Kauffmann. More Alaska reading is available from our Bookstore.

"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