(#4) Kobuk Valley and Gates of the Arctic
We set off on our Great Alaskan Road Trip early one Saturday in June with the goal of visiting all eight of Alaska’s national parks, many of which are located in exceptionally remote areas.
Our journey began with three days in Glacier Bay National Park. Then, we flew to Anchorage and picked up a car to drive to our second destination: Seward, Alaska, and Kenai Fjords National Park. After that, we spent two days in McCarthy, Alaska, to explore Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.
As we pass the halfway mark of our trip, we’re nearing the end of our second week in Alaska and preparing to visit National Parks #4 and 5 (of 8). This diary-style travelogue is dedicated to sharing ALL the adventures from this trip of a lifetime. Here's to daily recapping of an unforgettable journey… 21 days, 8 national parks, and 1 Great Alaskan Road Trip!
[Planning your own Alaskan adventure? Get our complete itinerary and Alaska Travel Guide here!]
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Day 12: Kobuk Valley and Gates of the Arctic National Parks
Today is an exciting day!!! We’re going to visit parks number 4 and 5 on our journey to explore Alaska’s 8 national parks in three weeks. And these aren’t just any two parks. These are two of the most remote national parks in the United States.
We wake from our very cold night camping in Coldfoot, Alaska at around 630am and drive to Coldfoot Airport. We park and walk to our pilot’s office to find our method of transportation for the day: a 3-seat Cessna A185F seaplane. After a few pieces of paperwork (but no lines, no security checkpoints, and no checked bags-my kind of airport!), our pilot walks through the day with us.
“The weather looks great leaving Coldfoot and in Gates of the Arctic National Park,” she tells us, “but there’s a storm coming through Kobuk Valley that may impact our flight.”
We knew flightseeing tours in Alaska were highly weather dependent. Flights are often grounded or rescheduled the day of, so it’s recommended to have a couple of “flex” days built into your itinerary to allow for a shift of flightseeing plans if and when needed. Our pilot tells us our flight isn’t being rescheduled since the weather is good enough to take off and land in at least one of the parks on our agenda, but we do have two options to consider for how the day will go.
Although the weather’s questionable, our pilot tells us that we can fly toward Kobuk Valley and just see how far we get. It’s possible we’ll be able to make it into the park, and even possible we’ll be able to land. “Or,” she continues, “We might fly all the way out there, possibly in poor visibility due to the storm, just to have to turn around before landing or before even entering the park.”
That’s our first option, which would keep our itinerary as planned and see what the weather allows. Or we can choose to skip Kobuk Valley altogether and spend more time in Gates of the Arctic. Since the weather looks amazing for Gates, the visibility should be good for flightseeing, and then we would land on Long Lake in the park for up to 7 hours to explore on foot.
The choice is ours, and we ask, “Do you think we have any chance of making it to Kobuk Valley and being able to land?”
“Yes,” our pilot replies, “I think we might be able to make it, but I just won’t know for sure until we get closer. The risk is we’ll have to turn around, and you’ll lose that time.”
All we hear our pilot say is we may be able to make it, and that’s enough optimism for us! 👏🤞 If there’s even the slightest chance we’ll be able to keep the dream alive of seeing all 8 parks during this 21-Day Great Alaskan Road Trip, we’re taking it. So with this decision made, we take off in hopes of visiting the next two national parks on our list: Kobuk Valley and Gates of the Arctic National Parks!
Our transportation to Kobuk Valley and Gates of the Arctic National Parks
The view is gorgeous as we fly over Northern Alaska and eventually through the Gates of the Arctic on our way toward Kobuk Valley. Although there are many beautiful mountain peaks, it’s the snaking rivers, streams, and creeks that capture my attention most. We pass dozens and dozens of long, winding rivers, which are magnificent to see from the air. When it comes to the sights you need a bird’s eye view to appreciate in full, long snaking rivers have to be high on the list. Because while I’m sure that standing on the bank of one of these rivers would be great, seeing the entire path the river carves through this swampy Alaskan wilderness is extraordinary.
We take lots of pictures as we soak up the view and ask our pilot lots of questions about the area to distract ourselves from whether or not we’ll make it to Kobuk. Along with information about the landscape and the names of various rivers and lakes we’re seeing, we also learn our pilot moved to Coldfoot about 25 years ago with her husband. They were visiting the area on vacation from elsewhere in Alaska and fell in love with the subtle beauty and vastness of the land.
And that’s the perfect way to describe what we’re seeing: subtle beauty and vast, vast land. It’s beautiful in a way you have to slow down to wholly appreciate.
With every minute of flying time, we’re getting more and more hopeful we’ll be able to make it to Kobuk. “It’s still looking okay,” our pilot says every 15 minutes or so, and each time she does, Jonathan and I exchange a look, trying but failing to suppress our hopeful glee.
Then, after about 90 minutes, the weather’s held off long enough for us to officially enter Kobuk Valley National Park! Flying over the park, we not only enjoy a great view of Kobuk’s iconic sand dunes, but we also see just how swampy the park is. Our pilot tells us it’s home to many migratory birds in the summer and great for Caribou in the winter.
Fun fact: It’s actually glacier silt that causes the Kobuk sand dunes to be there. As Jonathan said, “They should call them silt dunes.” 😉
One of the many snaking rivers we saw from the air.
Flying over the Kobuk Valley sand dunes.
As we fly through the park, we ask our pilot if there are any national park signs for Kobuk Valley and Gates of the Arctic. We find out there’s no sign for Gates, but there is a sign for Kobuk Valley at the visitor center in Kotzebue. That’s not on our agenda for today, but our pilot has a surprise: She’s got a sign of her own!
Since Kobuk Valley and Gates of the Arctic National Park are two of the most remote national parks in the United States, they’re often the last two people will visit on their quest to see all 63 parks. A couple of years ago, two friends were on a flightseeing trip to check these two final parks off their list, and to mark the occasion, they made and brought their own sign for pictures. It’s a laminated cardboard sign that reads “Kobuk Valley National Park” on one side and “Gates of the Arctic National Park” on the other. Since these friends didn’t expect to return to either of these parks, they offered our pilot the laminated sign, and she’s kept it in her plane ever since.
So, when we ask about national park signs to commemorate our visits, our pilot hands us her dual-sided sign to use for the day. We’re thrilled! How else would we confirm we’ve made it here?! 🤪
[Side note: If you want to learn more about Kobuk, pick up a park brochure at the Arctic Visitor Center in Coldfoot or fly out of Kotzebue, where you’ll find the visitor center. You can fly from Anchorage to Kotzebue on Alaska Airlines.]
The weather continues to hold long enough for us to land on the largest lake in Kobuk Valley (it has no name). We hop out of the plane onto its floats and take a whole bunch of super cheesy photos - with our sign! - to show off just how happy we are to be in Kobuk Valley. Our pilot informs us we only have a few minutes before we have to take off again to avoid getting stuck (no thanks!!!). So while we don’t get to hop off the plan to explore on foot as we hoped, we’re stoked to be on the water in Kobuk Valley National Park. We made it!!!!!!!
After a few minutes, we get back in the plane to head toward Gates of the Arctic National Park before the storm rolls in any further. As expected, the visibility is pretty poor as we’re flying from Kobuk to Gates, but we’re still able to get gorgeous overhead views of the sand dunes on our way out. Then the further we get from Kobuk, and the closer we get to Gates, the more the weather clears.
We pass by the “Gates of the Arctic”, which are two mountain peaks from which the park gets its name. We also fly by the Arrigetch Peaks, which look like sharp, extended fingers made of granite, but the peaks themselves are hiding behind clouds, as they’ve apparently been doing all month despite the good weather.
By the time we land on Long Lake in Gates of the Arctic National Park, it’s not raining, and the sun’s trying to peek through. Our plane comes to a stop next to a dock, and the three of us hop out. Our pilot shows us the area, points toward a canoe we’re welcome to use, and lets us into an off-grid cabin we’ll have access to for the day.
Then, promising to return no later than 6pm, she gets back in the plane while we’re left completely and entirely alone… in an area we’ve never been to… in one of the most remote national parks in the United States!!!!
I’ve been watching a lot of the TV show ‘Alone’ prior to our trip to Alaska, and that’s how it felt. (Well, that’s how it felt, but on a micro level as we’re braving it solo for hours, not days, with a backpack full of food and water, ha!) Just like the contestants on the show, we’re filming ourselves right after being dropped off on Long Lake, watching our plane fly away.
With no cell service.
No satellite phone.
No way to contact our pilot or anyone else during our stay.
Just a promise to be back by 6pm to pick us up!
We hang out on Long Lake for 5 glorious hours. We have a piece of a national park entirely to ourselves. We start our exploration with a quick hike to view another section of the lake, then hop in the canoe to get on the water and paddle. Seeing a loon on the flight in, we’re on a mission to get a photograph.
Turns out, one of the two loons on the lake that day seems to love the company. He hangs out by our canoe for an hour, dipping under the water every few minutes just to pop up near our boat someplace else. It’s like we’re playing hide-and-seek, as he’d dip underwater, swim below the surface far enough that we couldn’t see, then resurface and wait for us to find him. He didn’t seem to mind us being nearby; on the contrary, he seemed to enjoy the private photoshoot. As two people who enjoy wildlife and one wildlife photographer, we loved every minute of this.
Eventually, leaving the loon in peace to continue exploring, we paddle to the far side of the lake so we hike more of Gates of the Arctic on foot. But although we have bear spray, we’re highly aware of being out here completely on our own, so we have no desire to push any boundaries on how far we go or how much terrain we traverse. There are no trails here, so it’s up to you to make a path - and find your way back. So we keep the hike relatively short before returning to the canoe and paddling back to our cabin for the day.
Once we’re back standing on the dock, with our canoe safely on shore, we share a look. “Should we go for a swim?” We’ve brought towels and layers with us, so despite the 60-degree weather and chilly water, we jump in! Although not as intense as Jonathan’s blue pool jump on Root Glacier, the contact with the cold water forces a sharp inhale as we dip under the surface. It’s invigorating!
After our swim, we eat lunch, then relax in the sunshine on the dock. We paddle some more around the small cove by our cabin and soak up the remaining moments of our magical day in Gates of the Arctic National Park. It. Was. Incredible!
We asked our pilot on the way here how likely it was that we’d be the only ones out here, and she said, “95% likely. And if anyone does come, you’ll hear the plane way before they see you.”
For 5 hours, we saw no one, heard no one, and could contact no one. How often do you have a chance to experience that kind of total solitude in the wilderness? There’s no cell service, no distractions, no people, no lines, no traffic, no small talk… Just you, your person, and your private slice of paradise. (Pictured below.) It probably goes without saying that Long Lake will hold a special place in our hearts for years to come. What a day!
Once we make it back to Coldfoot and fill our families in on our day, they ask, “Did you have a way to contact your pilot if you needed to?” The answer was no. And it’s interesting because our pilot told us a few times that someone would be back to pick us up. If not her, then her husband. And by the third time she repeated this, Jonathan and I considered her words… “You know, I wasn’t even remotely thinking about the possibility of NOT getting picked up… until now.” 😅
But alas, we do get picked up right on time and fly about 20 minutes back to Coldfoot. On our way, we see a moose hanging out in a lake and see the spot where a mammoth tusk was recently pulled from a river.
When we’re back in Coldfoot, we head to Coldfoot Camp for dinner, which is the only place to eat nearby. (Coldfoot has one restaurant, which offers a buffet from 5-10pm, one gas station running $7.50 a gallon, which is about $3-4 more expensive than most other parts of Alaska, one maintained campground, and the one airport we flew in and out of today!)
While eating dinner at Coldfoot Camp (doubling as the Northernmost saloon in Alaska), we find out great news about the Mavericks’ free agency. (Jonathan was almost as excited about this as our day in the parks, ha!) Afterward, we watch a movie at the Arctic Visitor Center, listen to a park ranger talk about prey and predators in the area, and finally call it a night back at our campground.
Off to Chena Hot Springs tomorrow for some R&R and we. can’t. wait!
Day 13: The North Pole & Aurora Ice Museum
It’s another morning with a 630am alarm, but today, we’re breaking down our tent and packing up our car for a second drive along Dalton Highway, this time heading south toward Fairbanks and Chena Hot Springs.
A moose is once again hanging out in Grayling Lake when we pass, but with two swans and five ducks nearby. We stop for a quick picturesque photo before continuing on.
There’s no service or any consistent radio stations along Dalton Highway (though you may get one station at the beginning of Elliott Highway near Fairbanks), so one pro tip is to be sure to download any media ahead of time. Although, do what we say, not as we do, I guess 🤪 because we finish our current audio novel just a short way into the drive but forgot to download a second before we left. That means lots and lots of time for road trip games instead, ha!
Since we’re driving Dalton Highway toward Fairbanks and the modern amenities we know and love, the remoteness of the highway no longer feels daunting but just incredibly peaceful. We pass very few cars. Outside of one section with construction, there are no stops or traffic lights. Jonathan also feels more comfortable navigating the road, which is a mix of dirt and paved sections, and we traverse the 180 miles of Dalton Highway from Coldfoot to Fairbanks in just 4.5 hours. (Compared to the 6.5 hours it took us going north.)
Alongside the moose, 2 swans, and 5 ducklings in Grayling Lake, we also see a snowshoe hare just a few miles after getting off Dalton Highway. (And then we see a second one run across the road a few miles later!) Although this drive isn’t as grand or towering as some of the other roads we’ve driven in Alaska, it’s beautiful, and we’re feeling grateful for the unique experience of spending time in the Arctic. Much of the scenery actually reminds us of the Smoky Mountains, as the roads are lined with purple wildflowers, skinny spruce trees, and pines, and you can see soft rolling mountains in every direction.
Since we made such great time on our drive, and we can’t check into our room at Chena Hot Springs until 4pm, we decide on a pit stop at the North Pole.
That’s right. We’re visiting North Pole, Alaska!
We eat at the North Pole Crepery (hello, the most delicious Nutella, banana, and strawberry crepe! 😋) before touring the ‘Santa Claus House’, a store celebrating Christmas year-round with gifts, ornaments, decor, reindeer, and even Santa Claus! Truly, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen so much Christmas in one place; it was fun to celebrate Christmas in July with a short visit to the North Pole. Streets have names like St. Nicholas Drive and Santa Claus Lane, and candy cane striped decor drenches light poles and billboards.
Eventually, we make our way from the North Pole to Chena Hot Springs and check into our room for the night. (One with a private in-room bathroom, shower, and sink… oh my!) Then, we quickly rush to the onsite Ice Museum for a tour of the world’s largest year-round ice environment. Built from more than 1,000 tons of ice and snow, the Aurora Ice Museum has 4 (nonfunctioning) hotel rooms, one bar, one lounge, and many incredible ice sculptures. We enjoy a refreshing apple martini from an ice glass at the ice bar.
Our evening is slowly winding down, and now it’s time for one of the activities we’ve most been looking forward to… a soak in the hot springs. We’re SO HAPPY to spend time just resting and relaxing in a natural outdoor hot spring, which has an average temperature of 106 degrees F year-round. For the next 18 hours, we have nothing to do and nowhere to be, and we’re craving this restful stop in between our exploration.
We soak in the warm water for a long while before enjoying a leisurely dinner at the resort’s on-site restaurant. Tomorrow, we plan to spend a few more hours in the hot springs, and then we’re back on the road, headed to Anchorage to catch a flight to King Salmon.
Sipping on an apple martini from an ice glass at an ice lounge!
A peaceful early morning soak in the Chena Hot Springs.
Day 14: Chena Hot Springs, George Parks Highway
We had quite possibly the BEST night of sleep we’ve had so far! We slept so well (and wish we could take these resort pillows with us… when we road trip, we travel with our pillows from home and we’re missing them so much this trip!).
After our phenomenal night of sleep, our morning begins fairly early with a trip to the hot springs. (Pro tip: Go to the hot springs early and late for solitude and quiet time.) It’s so peaceful in the hot springs this morning, with just a few other people in the large pool at the same time as us. We easily find an area to hang out and relax by ourselves.
The only thing we should share about a tradeoff to the morning soak is the hot pockets and cold pockets you’ll be in charge of mixing about. The outdoor hot spring consists of natural water flowing in and out of the hot springs lake, and with fewer people in the pool in the morning, less of the spring is properly mixed. This isn’t a problem and actually feels quite nice when you find a cold pocket after soaking in the warmth for a while, but on the other hand, an extra hot pocket may surprise you!
After our morning soak, we’re feeling relaxed, and we sit in two lawn chairs by the springs to soak up the sun. We’ve had an okay amount of sun during our trip (we saw the sun our last two days in Seward, one day in Wrangell, and a little bit in Coldfoot), but we’ve also learned just how precious this commodity is after talking to so many locals. We want to sit directly in the sun and bathe in rays every chance we get.
So, that’s what we do for a few minutes, and it’s amaaaazing. The best start to the 14th day of our Great Alaskan Road Trip. (And the best way to end our second full week of adventures!)
By 11am, after 18 p-e-r-f-e-c-t hours at Chena Hot Springs, it’s time to hit the road again. We pack up, attempt to download a new audiobook (but don’t have enough service to do so), and head toward Anchorage.
If our original road trip plan was our final plan, we’d be checking out, and rather than make our way to Anchorage, we’d be heading to Denali for our 6th national park of the trip. However, if you caught the post with our experience planning this trip, you may remember that the Katmai camping lottery threw a small wrench in our plans, so we’re on our way there instead.
It means a little extra backtracking by driving Denali to Anchorage a few times, but that just means more chances to hope for a clear day and a view of Mount Denali. They say only 30% of visitors get to see the famed mountain, so the more chances we have, the better, right!?
We make our way to Anchorage, with pit stops at the North Pole Crepery, a car wash, the Denali Visitor Center, and along the side of the road to photograph a mama moose and her calf just a mile or two south of the visitor center. We saw a bunch of cars parked on the side of the road, and as they say, that’s usually the best indicator there’s wildlife nearby. You just have to figure out what’s being spotted, and this time it was a mama moose and her calf grazing and drinking by a pond off the road.
We spend the night in Anchorage and pack our bags for our next adventure of the trip. We’re leaving behind everything we don’t need so we can pack even lighter for a night of camping in Katmai National Park. We’re just bringing our tent (which we’ll check since it includes tent stakes) and our backpacks (which will also hold our sleeping bags).
This next stop in Katmai is the one Jon’s looking forward to most on our Great Alaskan Road Trip. 🐻 But as we’re going to sleep for an early flight tomorrow, little do we know that instead of pure excitement, we’ll be waking up like we’re on the Amazing Race when a cancellation email tells us our plans will not go as expected…
A moose and her calf grazing alongside the road near Denali.
A glimpse of George Parks Highway from Fairbanks to Anchorage.