Paddling near Kotzebue, AK

Kotzebue sits at the tip of a peninsula in northwest Alaska, at the edge of Kotzebue Sound where the Noatak River meets the Chukchi Sea. The area is a staging point for serious wilderness paddling, most notably multi-week canoe and kayak expeditions down the Noatak River through Noatak National Preserve — a designated Wild and Scenic River running more than 400 miles from the Brooks Range to the sound. The City of Kotzebue Parks and Recreation department maintains kayak and paddle boat equipment locally.