Cape Krusenstern National Monument

Fronting the Chukchi Sea to the west of Kobuk National Park proper, Cape Krusenstern National Monument is managed as part of the Kobuk complex.

Cape Krusenstern National Monument is a coastal plain dotted with sizable lagoons and backed by gently rolling limestone hills. Treeless, the cape gives you the feeling of being able to see forever. Cape Krusenstern's bluffs and its series of 114 beach ridges record changing shorelines of the Chukchi Sea. They also record in time sequence an estimated 4,000 years of prehistoric human use of this coastline. In summer a tremendous show of wildflowers colors the beach ridges and nearby hills. Huge numbers of birds come to the coastal area for nesting. Some archaeological resources here are older than well known remains of ancient Greek civilizations on the Mediterranean Sea. Shifting sea ice, ocean currents, and waves have formed—and continue to form—spits and lagoons possessing important scientific, cultural, and scenic values. In fall, migrating waterfowl use the lagoons as feeding and staging areas. The broad plain between the hills of the cape and those in the northern section of the monument is the tundra-covered bed of a huge glacier formed 250,000 years ago—and the former course of the Noatak River.

Activities at Cape Krusenstern National Monument
Kayaking along the coast and through the lagoons is possible. Camping, hiking, backpacking, wildlife watching, and photo opportunities abound.