Valdez Day Tours & Attractions
Museums & Cultural Centers View All
The Maxine and Jesse Whitney Museum has one of the world’s largest collections of Native Alaskan art and artifacts. Displays include Trophy Class Taxidermy mounts, Native Alaskan dolls, beadwork, baskets, masks, archaeological artifacts, and a large collection of ivory carvings and tools. Hours Summer: Daily 9am-7pm Winter: Mon-Fri 9am-12pm, 1pm-5pm, excluding college holidays. Admission Adults: $5, Seniors over 60 and military: $4, Children… ...more
The museum portrays the community’s unique and colorful history from European exploration in the 1700s to contemporary oil transportation. Permanent exhibits are accented by temporary exhibitions of arts and crafts. Major artifacts include a 19th century Fresnel Lighthouse Lens, a beautifully restored 1907 Ahrens “Continental” steam fire engine and a companion 1880s Gleason & Bailey hand-pumped fire engine, saltwater aquariums with the… ...more
Parks & Trails View All
Bridal Veil Falls and the Valdez Goat Trail: This two-mile-long hike is a restored section of the Trans-Alaska Military Pack-train Trail that was the first glacier-free route from Valdez to the interior of Alaska. There’s a fantastic overlook about a mile down the trail.
About four miles in, there is a fish hatchery on this trail. The trail was created to provide a close look at the hatchery’s dam, lake, and aqueducts. It also offers a good view of the Port of Valdez. It can be a step hike at times.
Hike uphill until you reach about 3100ft where you will find a good place to cross the stream. At 3500ft you will need to cross yet another stream. Walk alongside the hill until you reach a laks. The trail opens for many options here, all with excellent views of glaciers, ravines, and peaks.
Worthington Glacier State Recreation Site is made up of 113 acres, and includes one of the most visited spots in the Copper River Basin, Worthington Glacier. There are trails, picnic sites, and picnic shelters within the roadside park, along with water and restrooms. Make sure to stop at milepost 28.7 on the Richardson Highway to view this favorite glacier, or take a short walk to the glacier and see it up close!
There are only a few places where you can spend time along the Lowe River without the sound of cars and motor homes — this unmarked turnoff is one of them. From here you can explore a little bit upstream and find a nice place to relax next to the river. And the only people you may see are local rafters, as this is used as a pickup spot after floating through Keystone Canyon.Just one warning: don’t fall into the water! Alaskan water temperatures… ...more
Points of Interest View All
One of the most visited natural attractions along the Richardson Highway, this four-mile-long glacier descends almost to pavement and is easy to approach on foot. The state recreation site features parking, pit toilets, and a covered pavilion with a model of the glacier and interpretive signs, all close to small lake.
How and where to find Alaska’s glaciers — some of the state’s most beautiful natural attractions
Eight signs will guide you through the Copper River watershed landscape. See if you can visit all eight signs on your tour through this upriver basin formed by the ancient, glacial Lake Atna!
Alpine tundra often brings unimpeded views, easy walking, and an indescribable lightness of being. It also usually requires several hours of hiking to reach. But what if you could skip the exhausting hike and just drive there? The Thompson Pass is a great opportunity, rain or shine, to take advantage of easy access to this special environment — make the time for a stop. There are spots to pull over on either side of the road-cut that marks the… ...more
If you’ve yet to set eyes on an iceberg, here’s your chance. This lake sits at the terminus of the Valdez Glacier and is often home to chunks of ice that are making a go of it on their own. It’s a nice place to get unimpeded views of the Chugach Mountains and the Valdez Glacier. And with the warming climate, it’s a place worth seeing before the glacier retracts farther than it already has.In fact, the ice on this glacier has been more or less… ...more
Winter Activities View All
Take a ski-bump flight and enjoy a nice long run without having to hike. Or, book a multi-day trip to a glacier ski camp. With Tok Air Service you’ll fly from Valdez or Thompson Pass to dramatic areas of the Chugach Mountains, Eastern Alaska Range, and the mountains in Wrangell St. Elias National Park.
Beginner hill for skiers and snowboarders. There’s a warming hut, as well as a single handle rope tow.
Visitor Information Centers View All
The Crooked Creek Information Center and salmon viewing platform are located on the outskirts of Valdez at Mile 0.5 of the Richardson Highway. Pink and chum salmon return to this clear water stream each summer to spawn with peak numbers seen in mid-August. Occasionally, black or brown bear can be observed feasting on the returning fish.
The Alaska Avalanche Information Center works to increase public awareness and safety through avalanche education, and the networking of avalanche professionals. It is entirely run by volunteers who are passionate about the outdoors.
Day Cruises View All
This family-run company operating out of Valdez will show you the best glaciers, with great customer service along the way. On any given day trip you’ll likely see huge rafts of sea otters, horned and tufted puffins, cormorants, humpback whales, or even bald eagles. Stan Stephens offers two daily tours, one of which features Columbia Glacier, the largest tidewater glacier in Southcentral Alaska.
Whale Watching Tours View All
This family-run company operating out of Valdez will show you the best glaciers, with great customer service along the way. On any given day trip you’ll likely see huge rafts of sea otters, horned and tufted puffins, cormorants, humpback whales, or even bald eagles. Stan Stephens offers two daily tours, one of which features Columbia Glacier, the largest tidewater glacier in Southcentral Alaska.
Sea Kayaking Tours View All
Throughout the decades, Anadyr has carefully tailored its trips to offer an option for just about anyone. Never kayaked before? Try the Valdez Glacier Tour for a relaxing paddle on a lake with an easy hike to the glacier. You’ll explore icebergs and even kayak into a glacial cave. Got a six year old that can’t wait to get out there? At 3 – 4 hours, the Duck Flats tour offers a mix of wildlife (sea lions and otters are common) and Valdez history. ...more
Historic Park or Site View All
This was the original port and city of Valdez. The city was moved to its current location 4 miles down the road after it was devastated by the 1964 Good Friday Earthquake.
During the winter of 1907 the A.J. Meals Co. freighted a 70-ton steamboat over Marshall Pass from Valdez. The steamer was carried piece-by-piece on horse-drawn sled to the Copper River, 31 miles east. The 110-foot-long ship traveled 170 miles of the Copper and Chitna Rivers.
Eight signs will guide you through the Copper River watershed landscape. See if you can visit all eight signs on your tour through this upriver basin formed by the ancient, glacial Lake Atna!
This roadstop honors Lt. “Billy” Mitchell, considered the father of the modern air force, and showcases the mountain named in his honor.
This railroad tunnel was hand-cut starting in 1905. Nine companies were battling to take advantage of the short route from the coast to copper country. Progress on the tunnel was interrupted and after a gun battle, construction halted and the tunnel was never finished. You can read about the tunnel and these events in Rex Beach’s novel, The Iron Trail.