| Noatak National Preserve | |
|---|---|
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape) | |
 High alpine tundra, Noatak National Preserve (2009) | |
  | |
| Location | Northwest Arctic Borough and North Slope Borough, Alaska, US |
| Nearest city | Kotzebue, Alaska |
| Coordinates | 68°00′N 159°30′W / 68.000°N 159.500°W |
| Area | 6,569,904 acres (26,587.46 km2)[1] |
| Established | December 1, 1978 |
| Visitors | 31,000 (in 2012)[2] |
| Governing body | National Park Service |
| Website | Noatak National Preserve |
Noatak National Preserve is a United States National Preserve in northwestern Alaska that was established to protect the Noatak River Basin. The Noatak River system, located just north of the Arctic Circle, is thought to be the last remaining complete river system in the United States that has not been altered by human activities. The roadless basin was proclaimed a United States National Monument in 1978 and a National Preserve in 1980 through the passage of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA). Noatak National Preserve borders Kobuk Valley National Park on the south and Gates of the Arctic National Park on the east. Unlike the national parks that it borders, sport hunting is allowed in Noatak National Preserve.
All of the preserve, except for about 700,000 acres (280,000 ha) east of the village of Noatak, has been designated the 5,765,427-acre (2,333,186 ha) Noatak Wilderness. The wilderness is the fourth-largest in the United States, following the Wrangell-Saint Elias Wilderness, the Mollie Beattie Wilderness, and the Gates of the Arctic Wilderness.
- ^ "Listing of acreage – December 31, 2011" (XLSX). Land Resource Division, National Park Service. Retrieved March 7, 2012. (National Park Service Acreage Reports)
- ^ "NPS Annual Recreation Visits Report". National Park Service. Retrieved February 21, 2013.