Valdez
Valdez, a city of about 3,900 people in a remarkably picturesque setting, is deep in the heart of Prince William Sound and surrounded by some of the world's tallest coastal mountains. Valdez is best known as the southern terminus of the Trans-Alaska Oil Pipeline, but it is also a popular tourist destination. Valdez is situated on a spit of flat land on the north shore of Port Valdez, a deep-water fjord, and is 305 miles east of Anchorage and 364 miles south of Fairbanks.
Valdez, like many other Alaskan coastal towns, has its heart in its small boat harbor clustered along its waterfront. From there, the town stretches a dozen walkable blocks back toward the mountains and Mineral Creek Canyon, while nearby Egan Drive, Valdez's Main Street, becomes the Richardson Highway and heads north for Thompson Pass. A variety of restaurants, hotels, and museums can be found throughout the downtown area. The Trans-Alaska Oil Pipeline Terminal, visible across the inlet from town, has massive storage tanks holding nine million barrels of oil each. The impressive Maxine and Jesse Whitney Museum, which is dedicated to Alaska Native culture and wildlife, is the centerpiece of Prince William Sound Community College. Displays include ivory and baleen artwork, moose antler furniture, and natural history displays.
Hiking opportunities abound in Valdez, ranging from paved multi-use trails that lead from downtown to more difficult trails that explore the area's waterfalls, alpine vistas, and mining history. Mineral Creek Trail leads to mining ruins in the mountains just a few blocks from downtown, and Shoup Bay Trail skirts Port Valdez to provide views of glaciers. The Crooked Creek Information Site, located on the Richardson Highway near the Valdez airport, is staffed by US Forest Service naturalists who provide information on outdoor activities and fishing. In July and August, a short walk will take you to the fish viewing platform, where you can watch chum and pink salmon spawn.
Columbia Glacier is North America's second-largest tidewater glacier, spilling forth from the Chugach Mountains and terminating with a 300-foot high face. Several tour companies provide day cruises into Prince William Sound to Columbia Glacier or Meares Glacier, where large chunks of ice calve off and crash into the water. You'll see humpback whales, orcas, Dall's porpoises, harbor seals, sea lions, sea otters, and puffins along the way. Valdez is a kayaker's paradise due to the area's calm inlets and fjords. Outfitters in town rent kayaks, drop off water taxis, and lead guided trips ranging from a day to a week that include spectacular sights like Columbia Glacier.
