Crystal-clear Williwaw Creek and its bank-side trail system in Portage Valley at the head of Turnagain Arm offers exceptionally good conditions for watching spawning in action. Coho, sockeye and chum salmon converge on the creek as it winds through the brushy flats beginning in mid-August, with some late-arriving fish still present after first frost in the fall.
Spencer Glacier rises 3,500 feet in a stunning, natural ramp from a lake of royal-blue icebergs in the Chugach National Forest just 60 miles south of Anchorage. It’s a family-friendly recreation destination featuring camping, hiking, glacier exploration, nature walks, paddling and sightseeing. Maybe best of all: You have to take a train to get there!
Columbia glacier is located in Prince William Sound. At over 550 meters thick at some points and covering an area of 400 square miles, this glacier is a sight to behold, whether from a boat or the sky. It snakes its way 32 miles through the Chugach Mountains before dumping into the Columbia Bay, about 40 miles by boat from Valdez.
This is the most active tidewater glacier in Prince William Sound and the best place to see glaciers calving. Surprise also seems to create its own weather; it can be clear around here even when it’s cloudy everywhere else in the area.
Black Sand Beach is a popular place for sea kayakers to camp in Prince William Sound. Look for them standing on the beach! It will give you some perspective on how enormous the surrounding glaciers and mountains are. With water cascading down from the hanging glaciers, sea life playing among the ice bergs and a commanding view of Barry Arm, Black Sand Beach is one of the most spectacular beaches in Alaska.
Turn here for a scenic drive to an off-the-beaten-path town that sits on the edge of Turnagain Arm. Established in the 1890’s, it was one of the first gold mining towns in Alaska. Many of the town’s original buildings are still standing, including the Seaview Café and Bar. There’s still a hitching post in front of the mercantile, just in case you decide to bring your horse. Hope is also known to have suffered the some of the worst damage…
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Located at Mile 1.0 of the Portage Highway, this site has a short boardwalk trail along several ponds. It is a good site for observing waterfowl that nest and rear their young in the ponds and river channels.
Operated by the non-profit Alaska Mountain and Wilderness Huts Association, Manitoba Cabin is intended to promote wilderness experience and camaraderie in the spirit of European-style trekking huts. While very popular among backcountry skiers during winter weekends, the facility often has openings during weekdays. During the summer, you might have the entire place to yourself.
Katalla supplied the the now-abandoned Katalla oil field, which was the first discovery of commercial quantities of oil in Alaska (1902). The town reportedly had a population of 5,000 in 1907 – 1908. Read more here.
Construction of this early-1900s bridge cost a whopping (at the time) $1.4 million, which earned it the nickname Million Dollar Bridge. But the bridge quickly earned its keep, allowing the railroad to haul copper from Kennicott to the port of Cordova.
This point separates College Fjord and Barry Arm. You can see dead spruce trees which stand as silent testimony to the destruction of the 1964 earthquake. The land sunk more than 6 feet exposing the roots to saltwater and drowning the trees.
One of the most spectacular and accessible glaciers along the rail line, Spencer Glacier also has an interesting history. Listen to find out how it got it’s name and hear tales of what life was like for those who worked in the wilderness building the rail line.
These gleaming valley glaciers perch in the mountains above Portage Valley, easy to view from highway pullouts. They feed the nearby stream systems that harbor many species of salmon and trout. Tangle Pond and Tangle Creek are favorite fishing spots for locals, and there are lots of places to camp in Portage Valley itself.
Grab your optics and let’s take in the 360-degree view here at the start of the Kenai River, Alaska’s world-renowned salmon fishing hot spot. See wildlife up on the hillsides, songbirds, waterfowl, and the brilliant ice-blue Kenai Lake and River. Breathtaking.
Driving from Anchorage to Whittier to play in Prince William Sound? You’ll go through Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel — the longest (2.5 miles) highway tunnel in North America, and the first designed for ‑40 Fahrenheit temperatures and 150 mph winds! The one-lane tunnel must be shared by cars and trains traveling in both directions, and it usually needs to be aired out in between trips (with jet turbine ventilation, another first!). This unique…
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Technically, Portage is no longer a roadside glacier, as it recedes an average of one foot a day and is now no longer visible from the road, but its big blue icebergs are often found along the shore of the lake, right in front of the parking area. On Byron, ice worms are common, if you get down and look. There are also beautiful ice caves and rivulets to see, but be careful not to walk too far onto the ice of this tempting glacier. You can see…
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Built during WWII as a top-secret military project, today Whittier is a great jumping-off place to explore Prince William Sound. To connect Whittier with the rest of the Alaska Railroad, during the war the military constructed a massive tunnel. Today the expanded tunnel is the longest combined rail and highway tunnel in North America.
Kenai Lake marks the beginning of the Kenai River Special Management Area. Established in 1984 to protect this very important resource, the 105-mile area stretches almost all the way to the city of Kenai. Take a walk to the viewing decks with informative signs about this area. You will be able to see the Kenai River along the highway for the next 10 miles.
Portage Valley southeast of Anchorage at the head of Turnagain Arm offers so many potential adventures that you might have to tow a trailer loaded with gear to sample them all. What will you find here? Biking, hiking, picnicking, fishing, paddling, wildlife viewing, potential iceberg sightings — plus a natural history visitor center packed with interactive displays about the ecosystem of the valley and Prince William Sound. It’s like an outdoor
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Sounds Wild: Birds SmellTern Lake has lots to offer but few people use the old Sterling highway to access the boreal forest near this lake. Drive into the recreational area and as you turn left toward the restrooms you will see an old road to your right. You can walk for miles down this road and enjoy the smell of the woods and the sound of the birds.More Information
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This is a must stop for photos of beautiful Kenai Lake. The lake was formed from glacier water is a majestic blue and green tone. You’ll find several parking areas along the lake and signs that give you a little history about it.
This very active glacier forms a wall along the fabled Copper River near a historic railroad route that once serviced the world’s largest copper mine. NOTE: A bridge at Mile 36 of the Copper River Highway is currently (2020) impassable, with repairs not expected for several years. Child’s Glacier is not currently accessible by road. Contact Cordova Ranger District for current venders providing transportation options to the far side.
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In 1899, the Harriman Glacier extended all the way to here, leaving only a tight passage through which the ship could fit. Harriman made the gutsy decision to sail through it, allowing them to be the first explorers and probably the first humans to see this magnificent fjord. The glacial moraine still extends from the shore out to this point and you can see it just 6 feet below the surface at low tide.
Take a stroll down the boardwalk as it winds along the river. There are several interpretive signs with information about fishing, dall sheep, rafting and boat safety. You’ll also find access to Pioneer Village where you can pan for gold at Prospector John’s Authentic Gold Panning.
Dragonflies, the official Alaska state insect, are often found around lakes and ponds hovering or perched on a long blade of grass at water’s edge. A great location to look for dragonflies is along the edge of the many ponds located along the Alaganik road on the way to the Alaganik River. Turn right at mile 17 on the Copper River Highway and travel for about 5 miles to the U.S. Forest Service boardwalk, interpretive area and boat launching…
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Harbor seals and sea otters are common sights in the Whittier Small Boat Harbor. You might also see salmon enthusiastically leaping from the water, a sight that cues locals to run for their fishing poles. King salmon run from May through early-July. From late-July through early-September, a run of silver salmon brings anglers from throughout Southcentral Alaska.
You can find a great overlook that shows off most of the glacier near the 3,880-foot Crow Pass, about three miles from the Crow Pass trailhead in Girdwood. Another mile past the pass, and you can approach the edges or toe of the glacier itself, for a more intimate experience of its texture, colors and gnarled shape.
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