Invite your friends! Get $100 trip credit!     Invite Friends!
AdventureLink Logo
Register Login Why Book with us? Talk to an expert!
24/7: (877) 691-4488, +1 (626) 539-7506, Skype : Support.adventurelink.com
Deals Blog
HIGHLIGHTS
A quick look about this trip!
DURATION
12 DAYS
COMFORT
LANGUAGE
RATING
  • Canoeing and hiking along the Noatak River
  • Witness the largest wilderness river basins in the world
  • Visit Kobuk Valley National Park
ACTIVITIES ON THIS TRIP
Primary: Hiking
Other: Canoeing, Local Culture & Cuisine, floatplane, Wildlife, national parks
$5495USD
Prices vary by date. Make sure to pick your departure date.
Available Dates:
Available Spaces:
8 SPOTS AVAILABLE
Ready to book? Want more info?
You can also talk to an expert or book online:
BOOK ONLINE NOW
ONGOING PROMOTIONS
"Get 5% off when you book with AdventureLink before May 31st, 2012!"
SAVE 5%
Applies to Departures Between:
4/25/2012 and 1/1/2013
Promotion lasts :
From 4/25/2012 To 6/1/2012
TRIP MAP
See the locations you'll visit!

Noatak River and Great Kobuk Sand Dunes Combination

Join us for an amazing combination canoeing and hiking trip through two of Alaska’s most remote national parks. We’ll spend the first 6 days of our adventure canoeing and hiking along the Noatak River, a federally designated Wild and Scenic River as rich with tradition as it is with wildlife.
Join us for an amazing combination canoeing and hiking trip through two of Alaska’s most remote national parks. We’ll spend the first 6 days of our adventure canoeing and hiking along the Noatak River, a federally designated Wild and Scenic River as rich with tradition as it is with wildlife and one that still boasts a completely intact arctic ecosystem. We’ll then continue by bush plane southwest to one of Alaska’s most obscure and seldom visited national parks, Kobuk Valley. Here we’ll spend 3-full days hiking and exploring the park’s Great Sand Dunes.

Spanning from the heart of the Brooks Range to the Chukchi Sea on the western coast of state, the Noatak River is home to abundant wildlife including the Western Arctic Caribou Heard. Often comprised of close to 400,000 caribou, these nomadic animals cross the Noatak National Preserve and parts of Gates of the Arctic Natioal Park twice a year as they travel to and from their southern wintering areas and northern calving grounds. The Noatak is also arguably one of the largest wilderness river basins in the world and it’s also one of the longest untouched arctic rivers. With class I & II whitewater, the river is fun for both novice and experienced river enthusiasts, and the hiking aloing the river is simply astounding.

After 6-days of river life in both Gates of the Artic and the Noatak National Preserve, we’ll the make the flight to Kobuk Valley National Park, where we’ll have 3 full days to explore this oddity of the north. We’ll spend our days traveling around this obscure landscape with light daypacks. The Kobuk Sand Dunes cover 25 square miles and constitute the largest active sand dunes within arctic latitudes. We’ll surely revel in the stark contrast from the rich river basing of the Noatak to the barren landscape that makes the sand dunes as marvelous as they are unique.

Join us for this truly exploratory adventure to two of the most spectacular units in the National Park system!
Day 1: Fairbanks
Today you are free to arrive in Fairbanks on your own. We’ll be staying at Pikes Waterfront Lodge, which is located near the airport on the banks of the Chena River. After checking into the hotel, you’ll meet our guides by early afternoon in the hotel lobby. Tonight we’ll do an orientation dinner at our favorite Thai restaurant in Fairbanks and upon returning to our hotel, we’ll pour over maps and discuss the route. Dinner included.
Day 2: Bettles
After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll make our way back to the airport for our bush flight from Fairbanks to Bettles, the gateway community to Gates of the Arctic NP. We’ll transfer our gear and board a floatplane for the 1-hour flight to 12 Mile Slough, near the headwaters of the Noatak in Gates of the Arctic National Park. After a short portage, we’ll set up camp along the river, and then, if time allows, stretch our legs with an incredible hike into the tundra covered mountains overlooking the river. Hiking in this amazing place will help us gain a sense of the country we are immersing ourselves in, and the true scale of the Alaska wilderness. All meals included.
Day 3-7: Noatak River
We’ll spend 6 adventure-filled days floating and hiking along the Noatak River. Our hikes will venture into the glacially carved mountains that make up this magnificent river drainage. Our days on the river will be spent scouring the hillsides for wildlife and perfecting our paddling techniques with ample opportunities for photographs and fishing. All meals included.
Day 8: Great Kobuk Sand Dunes
After our last day on the Noatak, we’ll make camp for the night at our landing strip along the river. We’ll pack up our boats and stow our river gear one last time before preparing for our morning bush flight to the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes. As we enjoy our last night along the river, we’ll tally our wildlife sightings and relax to the sounds of this amazing wilderness. All meals included.
Day 9-11: The Kobuk Valley National Park
As our small plane lifts off of our gravel runway, we’ll bid the Noatak River a fond farewell and make our way to The Kobuk Valley National Park. The Great Kobuk Sand Dune is one of 3 clusters of sand dunes within the national park, and is one of the least visited places in the entire national park system. With light day-packs, we’ll spend our days exploring the uniqueness of the landscape of the largest active dune field in arctic North America returning each evening to our comfortable basecamp. All meals included.
Day 12: Fairbanks
After savoring our morning coffee, our final wilderness breakfast and reveling in the vast expanse of wilderness we’ve explored, we’ll board our plane for our flight to Kotzebue, where we’ll transfer to a commercial flight bound for Fairbanks and the conclusion of our adventure. Please schedule all homebound flights for after 10 pm. Breakfast and Lunch included
TRIP INCLUDES
  • All group gear (tents, inflatable canoes, stoves, fuel, dry bags, etc.) and safety equipment. 
  • Trekking poles. 
  • Air transportation from Fairbanks to Bettles. 
  • Roundtrip air transportation from Bettles into the wilderness. 
  • Air transportation from Kotzebue to Fairbanks 
  • Lodging on night one in Fairbanks. 
  • Professional guide service at a maximum 4:1 client to guide ratio. 
  • All meals from dinner on day one through lunch on the final day of the itinerary.
TRIP DOES NOT INCLUDE
  • Lodging in Fairbanks prior to and after your adventure. 
  • Personal gear (sleeping bags, packs, rain gear, etc.).  
  • Trip cancellation insurance. 
  • Additional room nights in Fairbanks or Bettles due to weather delays. 
  • Alcoholic beverages. 
  • Guide gratuities.
CANCELLATIONS: 20% cancellation fee applied if cancelled 60 days prior to departure. Cancellations within 60 days are 100% non-cancelable

Did you know that you can customize this trip?

Customizing a trip is a great way to:

  • Change anything about the itinerary you don't like.
  • Change the size of the group or make this a private tour.
  • Change the duration or departure date of the trip.
  • Because we use the local operator, this customization usually won't cost you extra!
Contact us to customize this trip
SEND TRIP TO A FRIEND
Email this Trip to:
Seperate multiple emails by a new line.
Customize your message:
SEND
Customize the Brochure
Download Brochure
AS SEEN ON

Company

About Us Our Blog API Terms of Use Privacy Policy
California Seller of Travel #2088061-40
Real Time Web Analytics

Customers

Why book with AdventureLink? Invite Friends - Get $100 Trip Credit! Talk to an Expert - Get Travel Advice & Booking Help

Tour Operators

List your Trips on AdventureLink Tour Operator Portal Login

Affiliates

Become an Affiliate Affiliate Widgets

Help & Support

Contact Us Support Portal
Call Us or Our Experts:
(877) 691-4488
+1 (626) 539-7506
Skype : Support.adventurelink.com