Cape Krusenstern National Monument Information

Cape Krusenstern National Monument
The monument is located on the northwestern coast of Alaska<br /><br />
Cape Krusenstern National Monument is a place fraught with wilderness adventure. Alaska backpacking trips, Alaska salmon fishing trips, kayaking, archeological sites that are some of the oldest in the world, camping, hiking, dogmushing, and bird watching are just a few of the outdoor adventure vacations awaiting you here. Although not one of the easiest places to get to, this national monument is well worth the effort. Check out below for great Cape Krusenstern National Monument information.<br /><br />
<strong>Uniqueness</strong><br /><br />
Cape Krusenstern National Monument is a coastal plain dotted with sizable lagoons and backed by gently rolling limestone hills. It borders the Chukchi Sea and the Kotzebue Sound. Treeless, the cape gives you the feeling you can see forever. Cape Krusenstern’s bluffs and its series of 114 beach ridges record the changing shorelines of the Chukchi Sea over thousands of years. Because the ridges accumulated over time, the earliest ridges lie inland, and the most recently formed ridges near the shore. This unusual series of beach ridges present, in sequence, detailed evidence of an estimated 4,000 years of prehistoric human use of this coastline. Some archeological sites here are older than well-known remains of ancient Greek civilizations on the Mediterranean Sea.
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In summer, wildflowers color the beach ridges and nearby hills, giving the viewer a tremendous show. Large numbers of migratory birds come from all over the world to Cape Krusenstern to nest, making this a bird watching paradise. In fall, these migrating birds use the lagoons as feeding and staging areas. Shifting sea ice, ocean currents, and waves continue to form spits and lagoons possessing important scientific, cultural, and scenic values.
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The broad plain between the hills of the cape and those of 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. Along the outer beaches, Alaska Natives still hunt marine mammals. Local rural residents are allowed to hunt in the Monument. A road to the Red Dog mine crosses the northern boundary. Trucks haul zinc from open pit mines to a tidewater port.<br /><br />
The park is open year around. Headquarters office hours are 8:00AM to 5:00PM, Monday through Friday. The parks information center is located in their headquarters in Kotzebue and opens May 25. Here you will find topographical maps, aeronautical charts, information on fishing regulations, locations of private lands and books on the region. Summer hours of operation will be Monday through Friday 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM, Saturdays 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM.
Cape Krusenstern National Monument is part of the Northwest Alaska Areas and is most famous for its archeological sites. It was declared a National Monument on December 1, 1978. The southeastern tip of the 560,000 acre monument is 10 miles across the Kotzebue Sound. It was set aside as a National monument to protect and interpret a series of archeological sites depicting every known cultural period in Arctic Alaska and provide information about both prehistoric and historic Native cultures. Its mission also includes habitat protection for seals, and other marine mammals, populations of birds, other wildlife and fish resources. The most important archeological investigations were conducted by J. Louis Giddings. You can read more about his findings in his book Ancient Men of the Arctic.
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Private lands are located generally along the rivers and coast. Local residents engaged in subsistence way of life are legally permitted to continue subsistence, allowing them to live off the land as others before them. The Inupiaq Eskimos in nearby villages use hunting, fishing, and gathering of consumables. Sheshalik Spit is in the southeastern corner of the monument and extends into Kotzebue Sound. It is the focus of seasonal marine mammal hunting by the Inupiaq. In late winter and early spring, they hunt seals and beluga whales for their meat, skins and oil. Seasonal camps are set up in summer along the coastline for net fishing, berry picking and other seasonal subsistence activities. Fall brings ice fishing and caribou hunting. Do not interfere with their camps, fishnets, or other equipment when you come across them.
Cape Krusenstern National Monument is a coastal plain dotted with sizable lagoons and backed by gently rolling limestone hills. Cape Krusenstern’s bluffs and its series of 114 beach ridges record the changing shorelines of the Chukchi Sea over thousands of years. Because the ridges accumulated over time, the earliest ridges lie inland, and the most recently formed ridges near the shore. This unusual series of beach ridges present, in sequence, detailed evidence of an estimated 9,000 years of prehistoric human use of this coastline. Some archeological sites here are older than well-known remains of ancient Greek civilizations on the Mediterranean Sea.
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If you look at a map, you will see the Krusenstern coast and a series of lagoons just inside it. The coast is created by the Chukchi Sea and Kotzebue Sound. The brackish lagoons open and close seasonally according to the movements of barrier spits and islands. The shore lands and waters provide excellent animal habitat: marine mammals, terrestrial mammals, birds and fish abound.
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Like most of the mid to high arctic, the soils in the monument are underlain by a continuous swath of permafrost—soil frozen solid for up to hundreds of feet beneath the surface. The depth of the seasonally thawed soil—or “active layer”—varies from tens of feet beneath streams or water bodies to a foot or less in the uplands. As snowmelt and rain are blocked from percolating by shallow permafrost, these soils are typically wet and usually covered with cotton grass tussock tundra. Soils on the lower slopes are typically poorly drained, and covered with peat, or partly decomposed plant remains. Higher areas up to CAKR’s highest point (Mt. Noak, 2010 feet) frequently have moderately shallow depths to bedrock and are not permanently frozen. These soils tend to be better drained. Most of the monument’s rolling topography is covered by moist to wet tundra.
Most of the monument’s rolling topography is covered by moist to wet tundra. Wet cotton grass tussock tundra covers a sizeable portion of the monument and can be found in most areas with a thin active layer and low to moderate slopes. Dwarf birch, blueberry, cranberry, salmonberry, dwarf willows and Labrador Tea colonize the slightly drier microhabitats. Peat mosses (or Sphagna) grow in thick mats on the wettest sites, further acidifying this already acidic and nutrient-poor growing environment. On the drier terrains of the alpine areas, drier tundra types prevail hosting Dryads, heathers, and an exuberance of wildflowers. Prolific nonvascular plants make up 75% of the plant diversity and include lichens, mosses and liverworts Riparian environments are rich with tall willows, alder, horsetails and thick moss mats. There are only a few tiny pockets of boreal spruce forest, though these pockets are likely to spread with climate change . In the windswept high elevations, the plant mat is only a few inches high, dominated by tiny prostrate shrubs and lichens.
Alaska fishing can be good when the rivers are clear and the fish are running. Check with the park before you schedule that Alaska salmon fishing trip. Species seen in the waters include grayling, arctic char, sheefish, salmon, pike, and whitefish. An Alaska fishing license is required for everyone 16 and older.
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There are no developed facilities in the Monument, giving ample opportunities for wilderness adventure. Summer hikes are possible in the Monument although private land lines much of the coast. Hiking in the hills provides a spectacular view of tundra landforms and the Chukchi Sea, offering great adventure vacation options. Kayaking is also possible on several large lagoons; however prevailing westerly winds often bring wind chill factors near below freezing, even in summer. Small planes may be chartered from Kotzebue to access the Monument, or to fly over the area for a view of the beach ridges. There is also wilderness camping, true Alaska backpacking, dogmushing, wildlife viewing, fishing, and national park picture opportunities.
Air quality is generally excellent, though arctic haze derived from distant pollution sources occasionally is not uncommon during the winter. The National Park Service is committed to the protection of the plant and animal populations in the monument. Alone or in coordination with other federal and state agencies, the NPS routinely conducts biological research in the monument. Some of the current research is focusing on coastal erosion, the effects of contaminants along the Red Dog mine road corridor, and muskoxen and moose populations.
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Weather is a central concern to those planning to visit the park at any time of year. Arctic winter conditions – snow, ice, wind, and below-freezing temperatures exist in the park from October through April. Summer temperatures on the coast are usually in the low 50°’s F, with mid 60° to 70° with an occasional period of 80′s or 90′s in the interior. Average January lows are -15°F on the coast and -50°F in the interior. Winds average 8 to 12 mph, but 50 to 70 mph winds commonly accompany storms and produce extremely low and dangerous wind chill factors. Annual averages are not always good guidelines; in summer, visitors can see snow, near freezing temperatures, and long periods of clouds, wind, and rain. Summer days are long, almost without darkness; winter days are short, with only a few hours of sunlight. Any time of the year, exposure and hypothermia are real threats to visitors and park personnel. Early symptoms are slurred speech, trembling, exhaustion, stumbling and impaired judgment.
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Be prepared with this good, but not necessarily all-inclusive backpacking checklist. Wear layered, warm clothing (no cotton), have rain gear, high energy snacks, plenty of water or tablets to treat water/boiling water for 1 minute, a collapsible water container, 1-2 quart water bottle, a change of dry clothing and a waterproof bag to keep them dry, a warm coat, gloves, high-quality equipment-compass, topographical map, backpack, tent, repair kit, bear-proof container, GPS, campstove, fuel, matches, sleeping bag and mat, a ground sheet, sunglasses, sunscreen, wide brimmed hat, multipurpose tool, knife, signal device, hiking boots, first-aid kit, extra food in case you are stuck somewhere longer than planned, and head nets and/or repellent in summer for mosquitoes. Cellular phones do not work in the backcountry. Satellite phones have proven useful and some travelers choose to carry them for added safety.
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It’s best to possess good backcountry skills for wilderness survival when you partake in any adventure travel. Know and test your gear before you take your trip. Leave your itinerary with someone and notify that person when you complete your trip. Winter travel is recommended only to those experienced in arctic camping and survival techniques. Giardia lamblia can be a problem. Boil drinking water for 1 minute before use.
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To help prevent or aid in the possibility if you do get lost, follow these tips. While hiking, take careful note of the direction you’re traveling, of prominent landmarks and approximate distances you have walked in the wilderness. Frequently ask yourself if you could find your way back under conditions of low clouds, rain or snow. Take careful compass bearings on the next day’s proposed route before retiring. Inform all your party of the planned route, campsite, and general direction of travel in the event you become separated. If you become lost, don’t panic; stop and plan carefully. If you become separated from your group, stay where you are or move a short distance to the point where you were last in contact with the group. If alone, climb high to look for familiar landmarks. If you find no familiar landmarks or rivers, stay in one place and remain in the open. Bright signals or objects placed in sequence of three are widely recognized as distress signs.
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If you encounter an injured or ill person, remain calm. Quickly give whatever first-aid is required to stabilize the person and protect them from the elements. It may be some time before assistance arrives. Mark where they are located with a brightly colored material, in the open, so the person can be located from the air. Write down the nature of the injury/illness; condition and name, home address, phone number, sex and age of the person; what rescue equipment will be needed; exact location and type of terrain; and any information about a Medic-Alert tag, bracelet, or wallet card with ID number that the person may have. Then, quickly go or send for help. If you are injured or ill, conserve your energy and body heat. Stay by a water supply and remain calm, think, plan, and organize.
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Cape Krusenstern National Monument is bear country. It is important to keep human food and scented items away from bears or any wild animals. Animal- resistant food containers are also available for loan from the park headquarters in Kotzebue. Please practice Leave No Trace skills to maintain the pristine and wild nature of this area.
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The number of National Park Service staff in Kotzebue is small and the acreage of the monument is large. Visitors may not be able to contact a ranger if they have an emergency. Backcountry experience and self-sufficiency are vital. Along with this come tremendous opportunities for peace and solitude on a vast landscape.
Linked to the wide area of the Northwest Alaska Areas is the wide-ranging, nomadic western arctic herd of barren ground caribou. Its aggregate numbers exceed 500,000 animals today. The tundra offers a thin veneer of life across which caribou must move to forage for adequate food. In summer the land is covered with a profusion of low-growing plants, including dwarfed ground willows, saxifrage, lupines, reindeer moss, and lichens. Native peoples here were often semi-nomadic, following the caribou migrations. The coastal peoples of Cape Krusenstern ranged inland to hunt the caribou and to hunt and trap other land mammals when the sea mammals so important to their lives were scarce. Native peoples have depended on the caribou for food, clothing, shelter, and tools, using the entire animal.
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Other animals found here include grizzly bears, wolves, wolverines, red foxes, weasels, lemmings, hawks, ravens, Canadian jays, and gulls, Sandhill Crane, Arctic Loon, American Golden Plover, Old Squaw, and Common Elder, just to name a few. Walruses, seals, whales, and polar bears, are found offshore at various times of the year. Golden eagles can be found in the rugged uplands of the monument. Bearded seals (Ugruk), the largest of western arctic seals, weigh up to 800 pounds. They appear in June in the waters adjacent to the monument. Despite its short seasonal presence, the light grey bearded seal is a highly important subsistence resource.
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Large numbers of migratory birds come from all over the world to Cape Krusenstern to nest. In fall, these migrating birds use the lagoons as feeding and staging areas.
Grizzly and black bears are common to the Monument. They are unpredictable and dangerous. Never surprise them or approach closely; stay cautious and alert at all times. See the Wildlife Precautions page for more information about protecting yourself.
There are no fees for this park.
All camping is wilderness camping as there is no established campground. Be sure to use the Leave-No-Trace procedures. Tundra and river beds are used for campsites, however, use the river beds with caution. Rapid changes in river levels can occur without warning. Camp only where escape routes are available to safe, higher ground. Keep your gear above the river level and secure boats and other floatable items.
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Do not cook right next to your tent and do not sleep in the same clothes that you cooked in. Try to cook foods that have minimal odors. Bears are very attracted to scents and have good noses. Do not keep food in your tent and always use a bear-proof container for food, packed out garbage and toiletries that are scented.
Noatak National Preserve, Kobuk Valley National Park, Bering Land Bridge National Preserve, and Selawik National Wildlife Refuge are all relatively nearby.
Commercial airlines provide service from Anchorage or Fairbanks to Nome or Kotzebue. There are scheduled flights to villages and chartered flights to specific park areas. Summer access may include motorized/non-motorized watercraft, aircraft, or by foot. Winter access may include snowmobiles, aircraft or by foot.
National Park Service, P.O. Box 1029, Kotzebue, AK 99752
Headquarters 907-442-3890
Visitor Information 907-442-3890
Summer Visitor Information 907-442-3760
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