Great Kobuk Sand Dunes

The Great Kobuk Sand Dunes are another one of those vacation spots that you wouldn’t expect to see in Alaska. They look like they’re straight out of the Sahara Desert, but they’re surrounded by the alpine forests and snow-covered mountains of the Arctic Circle. They were formed because of a natural phenomenon millions of years ago. When their glaciers started to shift, the massive pressure of the ice acted as a grinding agent for the rocks below, eventually turning them into nothing more than a sandy dust. Today, you can explore the dunes as part of Kobuk Valley National Park. You’ll need to take an air taxi since there are no roads or trails leading into the wild. Because of its inaccessibility, this park is one of the least-visited national parks in the entire country, but it’s worth making the trip for the story alone. The desert in the middle of a winter wonderland is just a bonus! Address: Alaska, United States #nationalpark