Selawik National Wildlife Refuge

Location/Size: Bounded to the north by Kobuk Valley National Park and to the west by Hotham Inlet of the Chukchi Sea; straddles Selawik River and Arctic Circle. 2.15 million acres (240,000 acres of designated wilderness).

Main Activities: Rafting on the Selawik River, sport fishing.

Gateway Towns/Getting There: Selawik and Noorvik/regular small-plane air service from Kotzebue. Refuge access: coastal access via Hotham Inlet from Kotzebue; stillwater access via Selawik Lake; river access via drop-offs, Selawik, and Noorvik.

Facilities, Camping, Lodging: Primitive camping. Limited facilities in Noorvik and Selawik within refuge bounds.

Headquarters and Information: Refuge Manager, P.O. Box 270, Kotzebue, AK 99752, 442-3799, www.r7.fws.gov/nwr/selawik/selnwr.html, r7snwr@fws.gov (type "Attention Refuge Manager" on subject line).

This nearly treeless refuge is surrounded by sloping tundra and encompasses a wide basin of estuaries, lakes, rivers, and deltas, including the sprawling Kobuk River delta. The Selawik River, a designated national wild and scenic river, flows from its origin in the Purcell Mountains to Selawik Lake. The settlements of Selawik and Noorvik are located on native corporation land within the refuge boundaries.