Noatak National Preserve

Noatak National Preserve

Noatak National Preserve, formerly Noatak National Monument, protected area encompassing a large, pristine mountain-ringed river basin in northwestern Alaska, U.S. The preserve is situated in the Brooks Range, located north of the Arctic Circle, and contains the basin of the Noatak River, an intact and unaltered ecosystem. It adjoins Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve to the east and Kobuk Valley National Park to the south, and Cape Krusenstern National Monument is to the west. Landforms of scientific interest include the Grand Canyon of the Noatak (65 miles [105 km] long), a transition zone and migration route for flora and fauna between subarctic and Arctic environments. The preserve has hundreds of archaeological sites, and wildlife includes caribou, grizzly bears, Dall sheep, moose, and wolves, as well as waterfowl, raptors, and other bird species. The area was proclaimed a national monument in 1978 and underwent boundary and name changes in 1980. The total area exceeds 10,260 square miles (26,570 square km).