Things To Know Before You Come

Visitors should be prepared to enjoy a non-traditional National Park Service experience. There are no roads, trails, campgrounds or regularly attended ranger stations in Cape Krusenstern National Monument. This is truly a wild area. Access is typically by small aircraft. Licensed air transporters are available in Kotzebue. Flights to most areas of the monument are generally 1 hour or less in duration.

The number of National Park Service staff in Kotzebue is small and the acreage of the monument is large. Visitors may not be able to contact a ranger if they have an emergency. Backcountry experience and self-sufficiency are vital. Along with this come tremendous opportunities for peace and solitude on a vast landscape.

Cellular phones do not work in the backcountry. Satellite phones have proven useful and some travelers choose to carry them for added safety.

Unlike many National Park units, Cape Krusenstern National Monument allows local residents to hunt and gather resources from the land. Please respect all of these subsistence activities and give people a wide berth so they may finish their work without interruption. Please do not interfere with subsistence camps, fishnets or other equipment.

Visitors who plan to fish must have an Alaska state fishing license. Licenses are available in Kotzebue or online at www.adfg.state.ak.us.

Plan Your Visit

Cape Krusenstern National Monument is one of America’s most remote treasures. Here, you have an opportunity to experience wilderness on a scale above and beyond anything you may have encountered. Cape Krusenstern is a coastal plain dotted with sizable lagoons and backed by gently rolling limestone hills. The treeless landscape of the cape gives you the feeling of being able to see forever.

In summer, wildflowers color the beach ridges and nearby hills. Large numbers of migratory birds come here to nest. In fall, these migrating birds use the lagoons as feeding and staging areas. Shifting sea ice, ocean currents and waves continue to form spits and lagoons that hold important scientific, cultural, and scenic values.

Far from the hustle and bustle of other Alaskan destinations, the magnificent scenery and untamed nature of this national monument allows you to experience genuine “Wild Alaska” on its own terms. The possibilities here are vast. Whether immersing yourself in archeological prehistory, kayaking along the coast and through lagoons, thrilling your senses on a scenic flight, camping, or charting your own backcountry trek, the land is ready for those willing and prepared to enter it. Whatever adventure you choose, remember to leave cultural artifacts and natural features as you find them for others to enjoy. It's the law!

Access and services with in the monument are limited as compared to National Parks in the lower 48. What the area may lack in services, it more than makes up for in friendly people and an un-crowded wilderness experience.

You'll find no roads, no gift shops, and no parking facilities within the monument. No trails exist; nor do campgrounds. In fact, the park headquarters and visitor center are not within the monument; both facilities are in the town of Kotzebue, Alaska - an airplane ride away.

Visitors to Cape Krusenstern aren't average tourists. They tend to be skilled backcountry explorers familiar with surviving potential high winds, rain, and snow — and that's in the summer months. Winter visits are recommended only for outdoors people experienced in arctic camping and survival techniques. Ranger staff can provide valuable information on conditions, guides, and transporters for first time travelers.

Licensed operators offer various services such as air taxi, guided rafting and hunting. Contact any service providers on the list to facilitate your trip.

Air Taxi services are available in Kotzebue.

Directions

Getting There

Cape Krusenstern National Monument lies within a remote area of northwest Alaska and is bordered by the Arctic Ocean and Chukchi Sea.

Visitors generally access the monument via the regional hub in Kotzebue. Commercial airlines provide daily service from Fairbanks or Anchorage, to Kotzebue. Chartered flights with licensed air taxi services, booked in advance, can take backcountry travelers to remote destinations within the monument.

Summer access may include motorized/non-motorized watercraft, aircraft, or by foot. (Note: traveling by foot in the summer would be an arduous, roundabout journey.) Options for winter access include snowmobile, aircraft, or foot.

Fees & Reservations

Currently, there are no fees charged to access Cape Krusenstern National Monument.

The National Park Service does not require reservations for any type of travel or camping within the national monument. Licensed guides and transporters should be contacted in advance to plan travel logistics.

Operating Hours & Seasons

Cape Krusentstern National Monument is open year-round.

The headquarters office located in Kotzebue. Hours are 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday.

The Innaigvik Education and Information Center in Kotzebue is open in summer only. Please call 907-442-3890 for specific hours of operation.

Arctic winter conditions - snow, ice, wind, and below-freezing temperatures - exist in the monument from October through April. Summer temperatures average 54° F, although some days in July may get up to 80° F. Snow or freezing temperatures may occur at any time.

Accessibility

There are no accessible trails or roads in Cape Krusenstern National Monument. Contact licensed air transporters to check for availability of required services.

Air Taxi

Licensed operators offer various services such as air taxi, guided rafting and hunting. Contact any service providers on the list of licensed operators to facilitate your trip.

Flight shuttle services are available in Kotzebue.

Currently licensed operators providing air taxi service to the monument:

Hageland Aviation
PO Box 697
Kotzebue, AK 99752
907-442-2936

Arctic Air Guides Flying Service
PO Box 94
Kotzebue, AK 99752
907-442-3030

Bering Air, Inc.
PO Box 1650
Nome, AK 99762
907-443-5464

Weather

Weather is a central concern to those planning to visit Cape Krusenstern National Monument at any time of year. Summer temperatures on the coast are usually in the mid 50°'s F, with mid 60’s to 70° F for highs. Some days in July may reach 80° F. Average January lows are 5°F with possible lows of -50°F. Annual averages are not always good guidelines, however. In summer, visitors can experience snow, near freezing temperatures, and long periods of clouds, wind, and rain. For backcountry hiking and camping, wear plenty of warm clothing, dress in layers, and use rain gear. Wear sturdy hiking boots and waders for wet terrain.

Winds average 8 to 12 mph, but 50 to 70 mph winds may accompany storms and produce extremely low and dangerous wind chill factors. Any time of year, exposure and hypothermia are real threats to visitors and monument personnel. Be prepared – visitors should plan on meeting all of their own survival needs while traveling in the monument.

Summer days are long and energized with sunlight. The sun does not set between June 3rd and July 9th. Winter days are short. Although beautiful twilight lingers for hours each day, the sun is above the horizon only one 1 ½ hours on December 21st. The aurora borealis, or northern lights, are active year round, but best seen during high solar activity on the darkest nights of winter.

Contact Information

By Mail
National Park Service
P.O. Box 1029
Kotzebue, AK 99752

By Phone
Headquarters
907-442-3890
Visitor Information
907-442-3890

Summer Visitor Center Information
907-442-3760

907-442-8316

Western Arctic National Parklands

In 1980, as part of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, the U.S. Congress established Bering land Bridge National Preserve, Cape Krusenstern National Monument, Noatak National Preserve, and Kobuk Valley National Park. The four areas contain unaltered landscapes, vast populations of animals and plants in intact ecosystems, and archeological sites dating back to the first habitation of North America.

As with other NPS-managed lands, Congress set aside the areas for their preservation and enjoyment short of the point of impairment. ANILCA permits some uses that would not be permitted in most other NPS areas, particularly sport hunting in the two preserves and subsistence uses by local residents in all four areas.

The four units are distinct in character but united in their interrelated resources and values. Resources and values include the natural, geological, historical, archeological, recreational, educational, cultural, scenic, and scientific. Today, they are managed by the National Park Service collectively as Westem Arctic National Parklands. They provide residents with the opportunity to maintain a subsistence way of life as an integral part of a dynamic ecosystem.. They provide all people with the chance to enjoy a variety of activities --boating, sport fishing, hiking, winter travel --in true wilderness.

We, the staff of Western Arctic, are committed to cooperative stewardship for the conservation and understanding of Northwest Alaska's natural and cultural resources. We work cooperatively with the Inupiat people, local communities and governments, landowners, and other land management agencies to ensure the perpetuation of resources both within and around the parks. We provide excellent public service and hope to inspire others to join us as partners in our mission.