Valdez Alaska
A remote Alaskan town bordered by peaks, glaciers, and the still water of Prince William Sound.
Valdez Alaska
A remote Alaskan town bordered by peaks, glaciers, and the still water of Prince William Sound.
Valdez Alaska
A remote Alaskan town bordered by peaks, glaciers, and the still water of Prince William Sound.
Valdez
Long used by Alaskan Natives for seasonal fishing and later surveyed by English explorers, Spanish cartographers, and Russian traders, it wasn't until the Klondike gold rush of the late 1800s that Valdez saw its first permanent residents. The small town sits at the tip of an 11-mile fjord flowing north from Prince William Sound. Despite the formidable peaks that surround it, the fjord's protected waters offered safe passage to Valdez and easier access to what was touted as the "All-American Route" to gold up north. The route turned out to be a dangerous, back breaking glacier trek that few successfully completed. The flow of prospectors trickled within a year, but Valdez's prime port location would still later draw mining companies, the U.S. military, and the oil industry to the town.
Today, Valdez is as well known as the terminus of the trans-Alaska oil pipeline as for its epic snow sports scene. Ice climbers and backcountry skiers from around the world travel to Valdez to climb the frozen waterfalls in Keystone Canyon and drop into the pristine powder in Thompson Pass. This stunning natural landscape, one equally beautiful in summer as in winter, earned Valdez the apt nickname "Little Switzerland."
One of the most popular trips in Valdez is a day cruise to the Columbia Glacier. Valdez also has several other tours, activities, and attractions including fishing charters, hiking, pipeline tours, rafting, stand up paddle boarding, and kayaking.
The Totem Hotel and Suites, Valdez's newest hotel, is Alaska Tour & Travel's top lodging choice for service, comfort, and value. It is a short walk to the small boat harbor, local restaurants, and the Valdez Museum. The modern property features a complimentary breakfast buffet and air-conditioned guest rooms, a rarer find in Alaska.
Valdez marks the southern end of the Richardson Highway. The town is 365 road miles from Fairbanks and 300 miles from Anchorage. The city has a small airport and regular commuter air service. A flight from Anchorage takes about 30 minutes. The Alaska Marine Highway System stops in Valdez, and several cruise lines call in Valdez during the summer months.
