Kobuk Valley National Park

Caribou, sand dunes, the Kobuk River, Onion Portage - just some of the facets of Kobuk Valley National Park. Thousands of caribou migrate through, their tracks crisscrossing sculpted dunes. The Kobuk River is an ancient and current corridor for people and wildlife. For 9000 years, people came to Onion Portage to harvest caribou as they swam the river. Even today, that rich tradition continues.

Weather & conditions

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.

What this latitude gives you

From 67.4° north, anything above declination +22.6° is circumpolar here: it never sets, so it is available on every clear night of the year. Anything below declination -22.6° never clears the horizon at all.

At this latitude the sun does not drop 18 degrees below the horizon around the June solstice, so there is no astronomical darkness at midsummer at all. Plan deep-sky work for the months either side of it.

We do not hold a measured Bortle class for this site, so treat the sky as unknown until you have taken a reading of your own.