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171 3rd Ave Kotzebue, AK 99752 Noatak National Preserve is a very remote area. There are no roads that provide access. Commercial airlines provide service from Anchorage to Kotzebue or Fairbanks to Bettles. Once in Kotzebue or Bettles, you must fly to the preserve with various air taxi operators. There are scheduled flights to villages and chartered flights to remote park areas. Summer access may include motorized/non-motorized watercraft, aircraft, or by foot. Snow, rain, and freezing temperatures can occur any time of the year. Always travel with good quality rain gear and warm layers. Be especially careful to stay dry. Hypothermia can set in on a windy, wet day, even when it doesn't feel that cold. Entrance Fee-free This site is fee-free year-round. No entrance fee or pass is required. Northwest Arctic Heritage CenterLarge, half-dome shaped, blue and grey building with just over 11,000 square feet of space. The museum space is just over 1,800 square feet and contains animal displays, soundscapes, tactile exhibits and more. The Heritage Center also contains a bookstore, restroom, art gallery, and sitting area. The Northwest Arctic Heritage Center serves as the visitor centers for the Western Arctic National Parklands: Kobuk Valley National Park, Cape Krusenstern National Monument, and Noatak National Preserve. Public WiFi is available.
The park is generally remote and outside of cellular service. The park's visitor center is the Northwest Arctic Heritage Center, located in Kotzebue. While cellular service is available in Kotzebue, please check with individual carriers to confirm service coverage. Data service may be slower than in less remote locations. Public WiFi is available at the Northwest Arctic Heritage Center. Visitors should be prepared to enjoy a non-traditional National Park Service experience. There are no roads, trails, campgrounds or regularly attended ranger stations in Noatak National Preserve. This is truly a wild area. Access is typically by small aircraft, which can cost several hundred dollars per flight hour. Licensed air transporters are available in Kotzebue and Bettles. The number of National Park Service staff in Kotzebue is small and the acreage of the preserve is large. Visitors may not be able to contact a ranger if they have an emergency. Backcountry experience and self-sufficiency are vital. Your safety is your responsibility. Along with this come tremendous opportunities for peace and solitude on a vast landscape. Visitors are not required to check in with staff at the headquarters office in Kotzebue or get a permit before starting a trip in the preserve. However, rangers are happy to document itineraries if travelers wish to provide that information. Cell phones often do not work in the backcountry. Satellite phones do work, however, and some travelers choose to carry them for added safety. Noatak National Preserve is bear country. It is important to keep human food and scented items away from bears or any wild animals. Animal - resistant food containers are available for loan from the rangers in Kotzebue. Please practice Leave No Trace skills to maintain the pristine and wild nature of this area. Hunting is allowed in Noatak National Preserve. All hunters are required to follow state and federal regulations. State regulations are available at www.adfg.state.ak.us. Federal regulations are available at http://alaska.fws.gov/. Please respect all local subsistence hunting and gathering and give people a wide berth so they may finish their work without interruption. Visitors who plan to fish need to have an Alaska state fishing license. Licenses are available in Kotzebue or online at www.adfg.state.ak.us. |
Last updated: February 25, 2016