What's on in Kobuk Valley National Park, United States through the year

Busy — Winter / Christmas break in United States, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in January.

Still on: Northern lights (15 Sep – 10 Apr (usually)), Deep winter cold (1 Dec – 28 Feb (usually))

Shoulder season — an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in February.

Still on: Northern lights (15 Sep – 10 Apr (usually)), Deep winter cold (1 Dec – 28 Feb (usually))

Busy — Spring break in United States

Nothing new starts in March.

Still on: Northern lights (15 Sep – 10 Apr (usually))

Shoulder season — an ordinary month

• Nature

  Spring caribou migration

  1 Apr – 31 May · usuallyWildlife season

  The Western Arctic herd heads north through the valley toward its calving grounds while the river is still frozen, so any viewing is by ski plane and timing depends on the herd. Source ↗

Still on: Northern lights (15 Sep – 10 Apr (usually))

Shoulder season — an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in May.

Still on: Spring caribou migration (1 Apr – 31 May (usually))

Busy — Summer break in United States, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

• Hazard

  Peak mosquito season

  10 Jun – 25 Jul · usuallyInsects & disease

  Mosquitoes on the tundra and river bars are at their worst from mid-June into July, and biting flies come back in late August; head nets and treated clothing are standard kit for any float trip or dune camp. Source ↗

• Season

  Summer access window

  15 Jun – 15 Sep · usuallyTrail seasonBook early

  Reaching the park means a flight to Kotzebue and then a chartered plane or a boat, which is a summer proposition; in winter it is a snowmachine. There are no roads, no trails and no campgrounds, so everything comes in with you. Source ↗

Busy — Summer break in United States, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in July.

Still on: Peak mosquito season (10 Jun – 25 Jul (usually)), Summer access window (15 Jun – 15 Sep (usually))

Busy — Summer break in United States, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

• Nature

  Caribou cross at Onion Portage

  25 Aug – 5 Oct · usuallyWildlife season

  In autumn the Western Arctic herd swims the Kobuk River at Paatitaaq, a crossing used for more than eight thousand years and still the season's subsistence hunt for Inupiat families. Timing moves with the weather every year. Source ↗

Still on: Summer access window (15 Jun – 15 Sep (usually))

Busy — Summer break in United States

• Nature

  Northern lights

  15 Sep – 10 Apr · usuallyAurora

  Long dark nights bring the aurora from late autumn to early spring. Winter visitors reach the park by ski plane or snowmachine from Kotzebue and must be fully self-sufficient. Source ↗

Still on: Summer access window (15 Jun – 15 Sep (usually)), Caribou cross at Onion Portage (25 Aug – 5 Oct (usually))

Shoulder season — an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in October.

Still on: Caribou cross at Onion Portage (25 Aug – 5 Oct (usually)), Northern lights (15 Sep – 10 Apr (usually))

Busy — Thanksgiving break in United States

Nothing new starts in November.

Still on: Northern lights (15 Sep – 10 Apr (usually))

Busy — Winter / Christmas break in United States, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

• Hazard

  Deep winter cold

  1 Dec – 28 Feb · usuallyExtreme cold

  Extreme cold and barely an hour and a half of sun at the solstice make exposure and hypothermia a real risk; there are no facilities, and a weather delay on the flight out can last days. Source ↗

Still on: Northern lights (15 Sep – 10 Apr (usually))