Agnostik
National Preserve · AK

Noatak National Preserve

As one of North America's largest mountain-ringed river basins with an intact ecosystem, the Noatak River environs feature some of the Arctic's finest arrays of plants and animals. The river is classified as a National Wild and Scenic River. It offers stunning wilderness float-trip opportunities - from deep in the Brooks Range to the tidewater of the Chukchi Sea.

nps.gov ↗

Photos

Noatak River cuts through a green tundra landscape with distant mountains.
The Noatak River carves through the summertime tundra.
green northern lights
A huge spray of northern lights is reflected in a tiny sliver of water in the Noatak River. This image was captured in early September at 2:30 in the morning.
Light and shadows on mountains
The famous golden hour near sunset on Copter Peak gives depth to the mountains and neon hues to the tundra.
mountain refection on calm lake
The Delong Mountains are flawlessly reflected in the clear, clean water of Desperation Lake in the northern part of Noatak National Preserve.
Three multicolored packrafts on the gravel shore of the Kelly river
Three packrafts sit packed and ready to launch for the days float on the Kelly River.
bear walking along river
The profile of this grizzly on the Noatak River shows a nice example of the hump of muscle between it's shoulders. That muscle makes grizzlies good diggers.
small plane taking off
A National Park Service plane takes off from the Kelly Bar landing site at the confluence of the Kelly River and Noatak River

Activities

  • Boating
  • Camping
  • Backcountry Camping
  • Fishing
  • Freshwater Fishing
  • Flying
  • Fixed Wing Flying
  • Hands-On
  • Arts and Crafts
  • Hiking
  • Backcountry Hiking
  • Hunting and Gathering
  • Hunting
  • Paddling
  • Canoeing
  • Junior Ranger Program
  • Wildlife Watching
  • Park Film
  • Museum Exhibits