Sand Dunes

The Kobuk Dunes were created by the grinding of glaciers into sand, which was carried into the protected Kobuk Valley by glacial outwash streams. It was deposited into an ancient lake in the Kobuk Valley 150,000 years ago and then sculpted into dunes by the forces of the wind. The dunes cover more than 25 square miles and lie more than 40 miles above the Arctic Circle. This makes the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes the largest active dunes in arctic latitudes! There are three clusters of dunes - the Great Kobuk, the Little Kobuk, and the Hunt River Sand Dunes. In some areas, the sand is over 100 feet high. Despite being located at such northern latitudes, the summer temperature at the sand dunes can get above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The dunes are a popular place for visitors not only because they are so impressive, but are relatively visitor-friendly. Airplanes can land right on the sand. Camping is do-able on any level surface of the dunes. And hiking is made easier than much of the surrounding park land by the absence of thick vegetation and spongy tundra.