Gateway to the Artic
Hailing 26 Miles above the Arctic Circle and more than 500 miles from Anchorage lies Kotzebue – a little city built up on a 3 mile spit and centrally located as the main hub of the Alaskan Northwest. If you are coming or going to the villages north or around this area, the rivers Noatak, Selawik and Kobuk end in the Kotzebue Sound near the town. Kotzebue is named after the Kotzebue Sound discovered by German Kotzebue, an explorer who found the sound while searching for the Northwest Passage for Russia In 1818. Before this, the Native Alaskan Inupiats lived here for thousands of years and called the town Kikiktgruk which means “a place that is shaped like a large island.” It was originally a trading town then and continues to be one today. There are a little more than 3000 people that live in Kotzebue with 80% of them being Alaska native.
Where to stay
Since this is such a small place, there are few places to stay but considering that this town excels at being a hub town, short term visitors are what they are good at. The places to stay are modest and warm.
Nullaġvik Hotel
306 Shore Ave, Kotzebue, AK 99752
(907) 442-3331
Nullagvik means “a place to sleep” and this hotel is one of the only ones with air conditioning which you would think you don’t need in Alaska but it can get very hot in the summers.
Bibber’s B & B
398 Lagoon St, Kotzebue, AK 99752
(907) 442-2693
A friendly place offering places to sleep and repack your things before traveling out again. Also has free wifi.
Sue’s Bed & Breakfast
587 Bison St, Kotzebue, AK 99752
(907) 442-3770
Clean and affordable, gets the job done if just passing through for the night.
What to See and Do
As this town is more about being the stop before the adventure, the things to do here involve going other places from here. However, while you are in the town be sure to check out
- Take a stroll down front street – see the Ocean, check out the sunset, see the birds swooping around the shore.
- Go visit the Northwest Arctic Heritage Center located in the middle of Kotzebue – there is a lot of information about the history and current situation of the town.
- Go to the Sulianich Art Gallery which hosts Alaska Native artwork and has an area to work on your arts.
- Check out the cemetery in the center of town – not only just a cemetery but a piece of the culture of our Alaskan Natives.
- Take a River Trip down one of the three rivers and catch a flight back to Kotzebue
- Can hire a guide, raft or plane for fishing and hunting through Northwest Alaska Backcountry Outfitters
- Hire an Air taxi to explore through Bering Air
- Plan your own camping, hiking, rafting adventure – but remember to be prepared for the Alaskan Weather. You can ask the locals or any of the shop owners if you are not sure about what you need.
- Can Shop at the local grocery Store for other needed items.
What to Eat
Little Louie’s
388 Third Ave, Kotzebue, AK 99752
Serving Pizza, Burgers, breakfasts and more with decent prices
Bison Store & Restaurant
587 Bison St, Kotzebue, AK 99752
Mexican, Sandwiches, burgers and pizza
Uutuku
571 Friends Way, Kotzebue, AK 99752
Chinese, sandwiches and pizza food all the way above the Arctic Circle!
Empress
301 Shore Ave B, Kotzebue, AK 99752
Thai food and many other options. Called a small little gem.
Nullaġvik Hotel
306 Shore Ave, Kotzebue, AK 99752
A hotel to stay at and eat at! Serving American style lunch and dinners with Eskimo specialties too!
Where to Hike/Camp
- Cape Krusenstern National Monument – Start at Kotzebue and make your way over to Cape Krusenstern and experience wild Alaska with limestone hills, lagoons and treeless landscape
- Kobuk Valley National Park – you can take a plane to this park and basically succumb to the wilderness. There is tundra and mountains to be explored here.
- Great Kobuk Sand Dunes – the most active sand dunes in the artic and has a campsite here
- Onion Portage – on the northern bank of the Kobuk River
- Noatak National Preserve – can be brought in by air, sea or snowmachine
- Gates of the Arctic National Park And Preserve – All located above the arctic circle!
Everything you can do outside while in a national park you can do at these places However since you are so far north you can expect less people, more wildlife.