Noatak Wilderness, Arctic wilderness area in northwestern Alaska.
The Noatak Wilderness is a vast mountain-ringed area in northwestern Alaska containing different types of land and wildlife habitats, from forested areas to open tundra. The Noatak River runs through it, one of the largest rivers in the region that remains largely unaltered.
The area was designated as protected wilderness in 1980 through the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, safeguarding one of North America's largest unaltered river basins. This protected status came at an important moment to prevent industrial development.
The Iñupiat have lived here for generations and continue to hunt and fish using traditional methods within the wilderness. Stone markers and remains of old camps scattered throughout show the long connection between people and this landscape.
You can only reach this wilderness by air since there are no roads, and licensed operators run air taxi services and guided river trips. Plan to spend several days to experience the landscape properly.
The Noatak River is one of the last major rivers in North America that flows completely in its original state without dams or significant alterations. This unbroken natural landscape offers visitors a rare chance to experience untouched arctic and subarctic ecosystems as they existed for thousands of years.
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