Valdez Visitor Information Centers
First time visiting Valdez? Or been before and want to discover something new? Check out these great sources for finding local hot spots and learning more about the area.
Valdez Visitor Center
Staffed by local employees, the center can provide brochures and maps, as well as an orientation to the town and suggestions for things to see and do.
USFS Crooked Creek Information Site
This small cabin is managed by the Forest Service, and you’ll pass it along the Richardson Highway just before reaching Valdez. Stop off for local information, as well as a viewing platform where you can spot spawning salmon—and sometimes bears—from July to October.
Alaska Avalanche Information Center
If you’re here in winter and want to enjoy winter sports in the Chugach Mountains, come here for avalanche forecasts, updates, and safety information.
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Visitor Information Centers
Stuffed bears and musk ox: The Valdez Visitors Center serves up some unexpected exhibits, along with all the information you need to know to have a great experience in town. The knowledgeable locals who staff the center can help answer questions, hand out town maps and visitor guides, and direct you to the wealth of brochures on tour operators and hotels.
Operated by the U.S. Forest Service and open only in summertime, it’s staffed by guides who can help you understand the area. There’s also a stream that runs thick with pink and chum salmon when they return each summer to spawn. Thanks to a footbridge over the stream and the clear Alaskan water, it’s easy to see the fish. (The best viewing is from mid-July through October.) You may also see black bears, who come to feast on the 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.