This 660,000-acre treeless coastal plain of lagoons and hills, part of the Western Arctic National Parklands, records an estimated 4,000 years of human use along this coastal area of the Chukchi Sea northwest of Kiana and Kotzebue, east of Kivalina and west of Noatak. Access is via air service from Kotzebue and nearby villages. Access by snowmachine and dogsled is possible when there is adequate sea ice in winter. No facilities or supplies are available. State licenses are required to fish and hunt.
Primitive camping is available on tundra and river bars.
Kayaking, backcountry hiking, beach-walking, wildlife observation and photography are popular activities. In summer a tremendous show of wildflowers colors beach ridges and nearby hills. Huge numbers of birds choose to nest here. In autumn, this is a major waterfowl migratory path. Wildlife within the monument includes grizzly bears, Dall sheep, caribou, moose, wolves, lynx and, occasionally, musk ox.