Northwest Arctic Heritage Center

Northwest Arctic Heritage Center Updates will be posted to the park website and social media channels. Visit us to learn more about current events, research projects, and ranger lead programs.

The Northwest Arctic Heritage Center is the visitor center and museum for Kobuk Valley National Park, Noatak National Preserve, and Cape Krusenstern National Monument Northwest Arctic Heritage Center Temporarily Closed
As a public health precaution, the Northwest Arctic Heritage Center is temporarily closed for the safety of staff and visitors. This is the official page for the Northwest Arctic Heritage Center located in Kotzebue, Alaska. The Heritage Center is the museum and visitor center for Kobuk Valley National Park, Noatak National Preserve, and Cape Krusenstern National Monument.

09/11/2026

UPDATE: Due to the weather, the beach grass harvesting outing this evening, Thursday the 10th, has been cancelled.

The Saturday workshop will still be happening as scheduled, rain or shine, September 12th from 1-3pm at the Northwest Arctic Heritage Center. Hope to see you all there!

Noatak National Preserve: "Sure you don't want some trout, Meredith?"Meredith Blake: "No, I do not eat trout. I'll wait ...
09/09/2026

Noatak National Preserve: "Sure you don't want some trout, Meredith?"

Meredith Blake: "No, I do not eat trout. I'll wait until breakfast. What are we having for breakfast?"

Noatak National Preserve: "Trout."

From all of us here at the National Park Service in Kotzebue, we hope you all had a successful summer of good harvest and quality time outdoors!

NPS Photo/Emily Creek: Ricky Ashby of Noatak shares his fresh lake trout with the team for breakfast while doing fieldwork in Noatak National Preserve in July.

Tussocks, our final landform in the series, is more of a characteristic of the tundra. One that comes with a choice – st...
09/07/2026

Tussocks, our final landform in the series, is more of a characteristic of the tundra. One that comes with a choice – step on top or around?

These lumps, or tussocks, can create a challenge when hiking. Tussocks are lumps of sedges that are separated by troughs of water. All tussocks in the same area are typically the same size and have matching vegetation. They can be found all over the Arctic tundra. A theory of how these first developed is that they are rounded off polygons, which we talked about last week. Tussocks are always changing. Running water can deepen the troughs of water, wind-borne dust can make them taller, or even dryness can flatten them.

So, imagine you are hiking in Noatak National Preserve and you come across a field of tussocks…. Which are you choosing? Will you risk stepping on top and hoping it’s solid, or stepping around and hoping it’s not a deep trough of water?

NPS Photo/Alexis McKnight: Hikers on the tundra near Feniak Lake.

09/05/2026

Holiday Closure Announcement:

The Northwest Arctic Heritage Center and National Park Service Offices in Kotzebue will be closed on Monday, September 7th in observance of Labor Day.

Regular operations will resume on Tuesday September 8th from 9am - 5pm on weekdays.

Tuttu Talk reminder! It is fall time in the northwest arctic and we are all thinking about caribou: planning for harvest...
09/04/2026

Tuttu Talk reminder!

It is fall time in the northwest arctic and we are all thinking about caribou: planning for harvest season, protecting the herd, and ensuring future generations have access to this important resource!

Each Friday our neighbors at Selawik Refuge are hosting Tuttu Talk on air on KOTZ! Please use the QR code to send questions in to be answered by experts on air about each topic.

FWS flyer

Nature has a habit of making shapes in it. A common sight in the Arctic will be polygons!These shapes can take decades o...
08/31/2026

Nature has a habit of making shapes in it. A common sight in the Arctic will be polygons!

These shapes can take decades or even centuries to develop. The process begins when the ground is exposed to extreme cold, around -15°C (5°F) and below. While at this temperature, the ground becomes brittle and can crack. When the snow starts melting, meltwater will seep into the cracks and freeze, creating an ice wedge. These wedges can create weak spots that will expand every season, making the crack deeper and thicker. Eventually, the wedge will get thick enough that it will push the soil on the edges up.

With the center of the polygon being lower, it will create its own pool of meltwater and habitat. You may find sedges and mosses in the center, with lichen, dwarf willows, or even some berries growing on the higher edges.

Whether you’re flying into Kotzebue or out to the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes, peek out the window and see how many polygons you can find!

NPS Photo

We want to give a big thank you to the Kiana Traditional Council for inviting the National Park Service to Kiana Elders ...
08/26/2026

We want to give a big thank you to the Kiana Traditional Council for inviting the National Park Service to Kiana Elders Camp this year. The week was full of so many stories, both spoken and through dance, the heartbeat of drums and the smell of wood fire, delicious salmon, plentiful blueberries, home cooked meals and so much more.
The Interpretation and Education team joined on a hike up the mountain behind camp, identifying lichens, mushrooms and plants along the way. Experimental Archaeologists Randy Tedor led a slate and jade blade and projectile point making activity, and Monty Rogers showed the kids how to make antler and bone fishing lures and paints from rocks.
From berry picking to rendering dye from alder bark with the guidance from elder Thomas Jackson, making survival paracord gill nets, catching macroinvertebrates in the water, exploring fish anatomy, using the bones after dinner to make vertebrae beads, making art with pressed flowers and more, it was both a busy and restful week.

We are so thankful to have been invited to join and for all of the knowledge that was shared, thank you!

Photos by Christina Nelson/NPS

Celebrating 110 Years of the National Park Service! For over a century, the National Park Service has protected some of ...
08/25/2026

Celebrating 110 Years of the National Park Service!

For over a century, the National Park Service has protected some of the most extraordinary landscapes in the country: wild rivers, towering dunes, vast tundra, and the wildlife that call them home. Here's to 110 years of preserving these places for everyone to experience and enjoy!

As we mark 110 years of the National Park Service, we recognize that this history didn't begin in 1916. It continues a much older relationship between people and place. We're grateful to work alongside Iñupiaq community members whose knowledge continues to guide how this land is understood and protected.



NPS Photos
Photo 1: A view of camp near Ahnewetut Creek on the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes.
Photo 2: Hilda Booth and Kelsey Mork survey the landscape near Feniak Lake.
Photo 3: Children run towards the setting sun at Camp Sisualik.

P-I-N-G-O and Pingo was its name-o!A pingo is a conical, ice-cored hill that forms in the Arctic tundra! As water freeze...
08/24/2026

P-I-N-G-O and Pingo was its name-o!

A pingo is a conical, ice-cored hill that forms in the Arctic tundra! As water freezes, ice expands upward in the ground, pushing the soil up to create these hills. However, as permafrost thaws, pingos can ‘pop’ or collapse in on themselves.

Next time you fly over Noatak National Preserve, keep an eye out for pingos.

NPS Photo. Pingos punctuate the tundra within Bering Landbridge National Preserve.

Today in 1997: Sealing Point Tower went up. Here is what Bob Uhl wrote about that day:"Napaaksaq Day today! A pretty goo...
08/23/2026

Today in 1997: Sealing Point Tower went up. Here is what Bob Uhl wrote about that day:

"Napaaksaq Day today! A pretty good crew of Elders and young adults from Sisualik and NPS spent a long day traveling to Sealing Pt. tower, erecting three legs (one was already up) and bracing them to stand for many, many years. A very dear landmark to many people of the local area and region has been restored. Land, sea, and ice travelers, as well as aircraft will be better able to orient themselves by this pinpoint on the flatlands of the Krusenstern Beach Ridge complex. In addition, one will be able to climb the 35-40 ft tower to look for game, people, or in winter-early spring seal hunting. This whole project is a good show of cooperation between local people and NPS to complete a chore that meets a real need of many in the region. Either group would find it difficult to complete the task on their own but working together toward a common goal has produced many benefits for both." (pg 247, 1997 journal)

NPS Photo/Emily Creek, Sealing Point Tower as seen landing at the beach by boat.

Address

171 3rd Avenue
Kotzebue, AK
99752

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 10am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 10am - 4:30pm
Thursday 10am - 4:30pm
Friday 10am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+19074423890

Website

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