| Located in Northwest Alaska, approximately 350 miles northwest of Fairbanks, this refuge is bisected by the Arctic Circle and lies mostly within the Northwest Arctic Borough, which is analogous to a lower 48 county but is the size of the state of Indiana.The Selawik River and Refuge take their name from the Inupiaq word "siilivik", which means "place of" (vik) "sheefish" (sii). The Selawik National Wildlife Refuge is a showcase of estuaries, river deltas, and tundra hills. It includes a large designated wilderness area and part of the Selawik is a National Wild River.Two Inupiaq Eskimo villages, Selawik and Noorvik, are within the refuge boundary. Four other Inupiaq villages, Kiana, Ambler, Shungnak and Kobuk, and the city of Kotzebue, are located within 25 miles of the refuge.Many of the people of these villages, and from the more distant villages of Deering, Buckland, Shishmaref, and the interior Athabascan Indian Village of Huslia, have traditionally used refuge resources for their subsistence lifestyle.The northern boundary follows the divide of the east-west oriented Waring Mountains. Here the refuge shares a common boundary with the Kobuk Valley National Park. The Waring Mountains contain the 240,000 acre Selawik Wilderness.The southern refuge boundary is formed by the Selawik Hills and the Purcell Mountains. For a while this boundary follows the continental divide and shares a common boundary with the Koyukuk National Wildlife Refuge.Between these mountain boundaries lies the long, broad, westward flowing Selawik River valley. The Selawik River flows into Selawik Lake, which is actually a slightly brackish estuary.The larger Kobuk River delta forms the western edge of the refuge. The Selawik River valley and the river deltas contain most of the refuge's 22,000 lakes and wetlands. |
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| | | Facilities: None. Best Time To Visit: The refuge headquarters, located in Kotzebue, are open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily. Refuge lands are open to the public at all times. Fees: There are no visitors fees charged anywhere on the refuge. Accessibility: Unknown Rules: Self-sufficiency is the rule. While temperatures may exceed 90 F. the visitor should prepare for snow which can occur anytime of year. Good rain gear, insect repellent and head nets are essential. Directions: To reach the refuge one usually takes a commercial air service from Anchorage to Kotzebue; Kotzebue can not be reached by road. From Kotzebue, visitors generally travel into the refuge by small bush aircraft. Air taxi operators also provide service to the refuge from Galena, which has air access from Fairbanks. The refuge office is in Kotzebue on Second Avenue, Building 160, and is within walking distance of the airport. Exit the airport left to Third Avenue. Go right on Third to Lake street. Go left to Second Avenue, and then turn right. The office is in the middle of the block on the right. Taxi service from the airport to the refuge office is also available.Map: Click here for a map to Selawik National Wildlife Refuge Reservations: Unknown | | |
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| | | | | Address | | LeeAnne Ayres, Refuge Manager | | 160 2nd Avenue | | P.O. Box 270 | | Kotzebue, Alaska 99752-3799 |
| | | Phone | | General: (907) 442-3799 | | Fax: (907) 442-3124 | | Toll Free: (800) 492-8848 | |
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