Kivalina AlaskaATTRACTIONS & THINGS TO DO
Listed below are the best attractions and things to do near Kivalina, Alaska.
1. Kivalina Lagoon
ARCTIC COASTAL BEAUTY
Kivalina Lagoon offers visitors a stunning glimpse of Arctic coastal wilderness on one side of the village. The lagoon provides important habitat for local wildlife and serves as a traditional area for subsistence activities for the Inupiat residents. Visitors can witness the dramatic meeting of freshwater and the Arctic environment that has shaped life in this remote community.
2. Barrier Reef Viewpoint
EDGE OF THE ARCTIC
The Barrier Reef Viewpoint showcases the eight-mile barrier reef that Kivalina sits upon, approximately 80 miles north of the Arctic Circle. From this vantage point, visitors can witness the powerful Chukchi Sea meeting the shoreline, demonstrating the environmental challenges facing this vulnerable community. The viewpoint provides context for understanding the coastal erosion issues that have led to plans for relocating the entire village.
3. Traditional Inupiat Cultural Center
LIVING ARCTIC HERITAGE
The Traditional Inupiat Cultural Center preserves and celebrates the rich cultural heritage of Kivalina's approximately 450 residents. Visitors can learn about traditional hunting techniques, language preservation efforts, and crafts that have sustained this isolated community for generations. The center serves as a vital hub for maintaining cultural identity amid the challenges of climate change and planned relocation.
4. Wulik River Outlook
VITAL WATER SOURCE
The Wulik River Outlook provides visitors with views of this essential waterway that serves as Kivalina's drinking water source. Visitors can observe the river patterns while learning about the challenges of water treatment due to increasing turbidity caused by bank erosion. The outlook offers photographic opportunities of the river landscape that has sustained the community despite environmental changes.
5. Kikiktauralik Lake
PRISTINE ARCTIC WATERS
Kikiktauralik Lake offers visitors a chance to experience one of the region's pristine arctic lakes near Kivalina. The lake represents an important freshwater resource in this remote region where subsistence activities remain central to community life. Visitors can appreciate the stark beauty of this arctic lake environment while understanding its importance to local ecology.
6. Kisimigiuktuk Hill
ARCTIC ELEVATION POINT
Kisimigiuktuk Hill provides one of the few elevated viewpoints in the otherwise flat coastal landscape around Kivalina. From this vantage point, visitors can gain perspective on the village's vulnerable position between the lagoon and Arctic Ocean. The hill offers context for understanding why this location is being considered as part of potential relocation plans for the community.
7. K-Hill Observation Area
FUTURE VILLAGE SITE
The K-Hill Observation Area allows visitors to see the proposed site for Kivalina's new school and potential community relocation. This elevated area connects to the village via an evacuation road across Kivalina Lagoon, designed to provide escape from devastating storms. Visitors can witness firsthand the planning efforts underway to address the existential threat that climate change poses to this arctic community.
8. Nuyakaglik Lakes
SERENE ARCTIC WATERS
The Nuyakaglik Lakes offer visitors peaceful arctic landscapes characteristic of this remote northern region near Kivalina. These lakes represent important freshwater resources in an area where traditional subsistence activities remain vital to community survival. Visitors can experience the tranquil beauty of these arctic waters while learning about their role in local ecosystems.
9. Cape Krusenstern National Monument
PREHISTORIC ARCTIC PRESERVE
Cape Krusenstern National Monument preserves an archaeological district of global significance located approximately 47 miles southeast of Kivalina. The monument features 114 ancient beach ridges that contain evidence of human use for the last 5,000 years, telling the story of changing arctic hunting strategies and lifestyles. Visitors can explore this remote coastal plain where Inupiat traditions continue alongside some of North America's most important archaeological resources.
10. Noatak National Preserve
PRISTINE ARCTIC WILDERNESS
Noatak National Preserve protects one of North America's largest mountain-ringed river basins with an intact ecosystem, located approximately 43 miles southeast of Kivalina. The preserve encompasses the Noatak River which flows through the Brooks Range and offers opportunities for wilderness recreation including rafting, hiking, and wildlife viewing. Visitors can experience this pristine arctic landscape where caribou migrations continue and traditional subsistence activities are maintained by local communities.
11. Northwest Arctic Heritage Center
CULTURAL EDUCATION HUB
The Northwest Arctic Heritage Center serves as the interpretive center for both Cape Krusenstern National Monument and Kobuk Valley National Park, providing context for understanding the broader region including Kivalina. The center features exhibits on Inupiat culture, natural history, and the environmental challenges facing arctic communities. Visitors can gain valuable insights into traditional knowledge and contemporary issues before venturing into the more remote areas of northwest Alaska.
12. Sivuchek Mountain
ARCTIC ELEVATION VIEWS
Sivuchek Mountain offers one of the more prominent elevated landscapes in the otherwise coastal plain region surrounding Kivalina. The mountain provides context for understanding the geography that has shaped human habitation and subsistence patterns in this remote arctic environment. Visitors can gain perspective on the vulnerability of coastal communities like Kivalina to climate change impacts from this vantage point.
13. Kotzebue Sound
HISTORIC ARCTIC WATERWAY
Kotzebue Sound represents a significant arctic waterway that has facilitated transportation, trade, and subsistence activities for communities including Kivalina for generations. The sound connects to the Chukchi Sea and serves as an important marine ecosystem supporting the traditional hunting and fishing practices of Inupiat residents. Visitors can appreciate the historical and contemporary importance of this waterway to remote communities in Northwest Alaska.
14. Nullaġvik Hotel
ARCTIC HOSPITALITY CENTER
The Nullaġvik Hotel provides the most substantial accommodation option for visitors to Northwest Alaska wanting to explore remote communities like Kivalina. The hotel offers modern amenities and serves as a base for travelers arranging transportation to more isolated villages in the region. Its restaurant provides one of the few dining establishments featuring both traditional and contemporary cuisine in this remote arctic area.
15. AC Value Center
ARCTIC SHOPPING HUB
The AC Value Center serves as the primary shopping destination for residents of remote Northwest Alaska communities including Kivalina. This general store provides essential goods, supplies, and groceries that would otherwise be unavailable in the isolated villages of the region. Visitors can observe the economic realities of arctic living while purchasing necessary items for further travel to remote communities like Kivalina.