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. Walrus, polar bears, seals and whales are seen offshore at various times of the year. Fish include whitefish, arctic char, chum salmon, northern pike, burbot, Dolly Varden and herring.
Trees approach their northern limit here, where forest and tundra meet.
The dry, cold climate of the Kobuk Valley approximates that of late Pleistocene times, supporting remnant flora once covering the vast Arctic steppe tundra bridging Alaska and Asia. Access is via air, although watercraft is used during ice-free periods. No facilities or supplies are available. Winds and water have carried into the Kobuk Valley sand created by the grinding of glaciers. Summer temperatures here can exceed 90 degrees.