The park was designated in 1980 by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act to preserve the 100 ft (30 m) high Great Kobuk Sand Dunes[3] and the surrounding area which includes caribou migration routes.

Park visitors must bring all their own gear for backcountry camping, hiking, backpacking, boating, and dog sledding.

No designated trails or roads exist in the park, which at 1,750,716 acres (2,735.5 sq mi; 7,084.9 km2),[1] is slightly larger than the state of Delaware.

[6] The park consists of the broad wetlands valley of the Kobuk River which runs along the southern edge of the western Brooks Range, which is known as the Baird Mountains.

A combination of outwash deposits from the glaciers and strong winds created the field, which is now mostly covered by forest and tundra.

[11][12][13] The units are managed together as the Western Arctic National Parklands, with a single Park Service superintendent in charge.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the Plant Hardiness zone at Kallarichuck at 13 ft (4 m) elevation is 2a with an average annual extreme minimum temperature of -47.1 °F (-43.9 °C).

As is the case over all of northern Alaska, the aurora borealis is often visible on winter nights when solar activity is high.

[17] Large mammals in the park include wolf packs, Arctic and red foxes, caribou, and moose.

Smaller mammals include wolverines, martens, minks, porcupines, muskrats, snowshoe hares and a variety of voles.

Other species include burbot, Arctic lamprey, round, broad and humpback whitefish, and pond and rainbow smelt.

The site, strategically located at a major caribou river crossing, documents nine cultural complexes spanning from 8,000–6,000 BC to about 1000–1700 AD.

The region was apparently deserted for about 2,000 years until people of the Archaic tradition appeared in the valley from the south and east.

It was first declared a national monument by President Jimmy Carter on December 1, 1978 using his authority under the Antiquities Act when Congressional negotiations on the proposed ANILCA bill were stalled.