Northwest Arctic
Around Northwest Arctic
Photo: Petty Officer 1st Class Shawn Eggert · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Countryside and towns · Alaska · 7134 people
Northwest Arctic
Where the tundra meets the sea and the sun never sleeps.
goldblue
Welcome to the Northwest Arctic! Here the land and rivers shape our days, from spring breakup to the midnight sun. Come share a potluck, watch the northern lights, and join us for a dog race or a basketball game.
Clubs for Northwest Arctic
No clubs for Northwest Arctic yet.
The room
One room for everyone around Northwest Arctic. It never closes; when it's busy it splits into tables. Once you're in, you stay until you leave.
Ask the neighbours
AllA good plumber, the best tacos, a lost cat: nobody has asked yet. Be the first.
Coming up
No events in the next month. Events made in the room show up here.
Marketplace
Things for sale, free and wanted, and rooms for rent, from people around Northwest Arctic. Sign in to sell something.
Things to do
- Noatak National Preserve Vast wilderness for hiking, rafting, and wildlife viewing.
- Kobuk Valley National Park Home to the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes and caribou migrations.
- Selawik National Wildlife Refuge Wetlands and tundra habitat for birds and wildlife.
- Northwest Arctic Heritage Center Showcases Iñupiat culture and NPS exhibits.
- Kotzebue Sound The heart of the region, where the Kobuk and Noatak rivers meet the sea.
- Kobuk River Lifeline for subsistence fishing and travel.
- Outdoors Dog mushing on the Kobuk River
- Outdoors Snowmobiling across the tundra
- With kids Berry picking with family
- With kids Attending potlatches and community feasts
- Evenings Community dances in the village hall
- Evenings Potlatch celebrations with drumming and dancing
- Locals love Fish camps
- Locals love Potlatch halls
Through the year
- Kobuk 440 sled dog race March Long-distance race across the region.
- Kotzebue Spring Carnival April Dog races, snowmachine races, and traditional games.
- Selawik Spring Carnival April Community gathering with races and games.
- Noorvik Fourth of July July Celebration with games, food, and community activities.
- Noatak basketball tournament Winter Village basketball competition.
Arctic climate with long, frigid winters and short, cool summers. Best: Late spring through early fall for fishing and hiking; winter for aurora and dog mushing.
Talk like a local
- “Kotz”
- Short for Kotzebue
- “Breakup”
- The spring thaw when ice breaks up on rivers
- “Snowmachine”
- Snowmobile
- “Outside”
- The rest of the US (lower 48)
Getaways
- Nome Historic gold rush town on the Bering Sea.
- North Slope Arctic coast with Barrow (Utqiagvik) and the Arctic Ocean.
- Fairbanks Interior city with museums, aurora viewing, and the university.
Local flavour
Rooting for Seattle Mariners (MLB), Seattle Seahawks (NFL), Alaska Nanooks (NCAA – University of Alaska Fairbanks)
Eat and drink
- Muktuk Whale skin and blubber, a traditional Inupiat food
- Agutuk Eskimo ice cream made from berries, fat, and sometimes fish
- Caribou stew Hearty stew from caribou meat
- Salmon Fresh salmon from the rivers, often dried or smoked
Where people go
- Fish camps Seasonal camps along rivers for subsistence fishing
- Potlatch halls Community gathering places for dances, feasts, and celebrations
- Snow machine trails Vast networks of trails used for travel and hunting
- Noatak National Preserve Remote wilderness with rivers and wildlife, a place for subsistence and recreation
Make this page better
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Nearby
Every areaNorthwest Arctic Borough, AK. Areas from the US Census Bureau and Statistics Canada; places from GeoNames. Local flavour was written with a model and may have mistakes. Team names identify teams; no endorsement.