Selawik National Wildlife Refuge

Selawik National Wildlife Refuge in northwest Alaska in the Waring Mountains was officially established in 1980 with the passage of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act.

This national wildlife refuge is home to mammalian and bird species such as muskox, wolverine, grizzly bear, moose, black bear, two species of fox, snow goose, beaver, tundra swan, caribou, marten, Canada goose, river otter, Canadian lynx, raven, porcupine, mink, and wolf packs. The 3,400 square mile refuge is situated on the Arctic Circle to the east of Kotzebue Sound. It is bounded on the north by the Waring Mountains and Kobuk Valley National Park; and to the south by the Selawik Hills and the Purcell Mountains. Refuge lands extend eastward toward the headwaters of the Selawik River and the Continental Divide. The refuge is administered from offices in Kotzebue.