Selawik Wilderness
Situated within the Selawik National Wildlife Refuge, Selawik Wilderness is located on the Arctic Circle to the east of Kotzebue Sound, right in the heart of northwest Alaska. Refuge lands extend eastward to the headwaters of the Selawik River and the continental divide and west as far as the Kobuk River delta. The Selawik Wilderness is found in the Waring Mountains, including vegetated sand dune fields that have persisted since the Pleistocene Era. In contrast to the low, broad Selawik Valley, the Waring Mountains rise gradually from rolling foothills of alpine tundra to a bare spine of low ridges that arc across the northern boundary of the Wilderness. Elevations here rise from sea level to about 1,400 feet.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| State | Alaska |
| Size | 240,000 acres |
| Designated | 1980, by Congress |
| Center point | 66.90° N, 159.04° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 18) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees
The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.
Where to camp
No federal campground is within ten miles of the boundary in the Campsite Atlas index. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from trails and water, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit and group-size rules.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
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Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Selawik Wilderness?
240,000 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Selawik Wilderness?
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Selawik Wilderness in?
Alaska.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Selawik Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1980.
Source: Wilderness Connect
How do I get to Selawik Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 66.903° N, 159.041° W. Kobuk Valley National Park is 28 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Which national parks are near Selawik Wilderness?
Kobuk Valley National Park (28 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Sources
- Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
- Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
- Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
- Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
- Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.