Prince William Sound is a glacier-carved body of water in south-central Alaska, ringed by the Chugach Mountains and dotted with tidewater glaciers. The main gateway towns are Valdez, at the end of the Richardson Highway, and Whittier and Cordova, both reached mostly by ferry or a single tunnel.
Getting There
Valdez is about 305 miles from Anchorage via the Richardson Highway, a roughly 6-hour scenic drive through Thompson Pass and the Keystone Canyon waterfalls. Whittier is much closer to Anchorage, about 60 miles, reached by a one-lane highway tunnel shared with the railroad and open on a timed schedule. Cordova has no road connection to the rest of Alaska at all; visitors arrive by ferry on the Alaska Marine Highway or by small plane.
What to See and Do
Glacier and wildlife cruises are the main draw, with boats out of Valdez and Whittier visiting tidewater glaciers such as Columbia Glacier and Meares Glacier, where chunks of ice regularly calve into the water. Sea otters, harbor seals, sea lions, and occasionally orcas and humpback whales are common sights on these tours. Kayaking among smaller icebergs, salmon and halibut fishing charters, and hiking trails around Valdez, including the popular route to Solomon Gulch Hatchery to watch salmon runs and the bears that follow them, round out most visits.
A Brief History
Valdez was largely destroyed by the 1964 Good Friday earthquake and tsunami and was rebuilt about four miles from its original townsite. The town is also the southern terminus of the trans-Alaska pipeline, and Prince William Sound became internationally known after the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill; decades of cleanup and recovery have since restored much of the sound’s wildlife and fisheries.
When to Go
May through September is the main season for glacier cruises, fishing charters, and the ferry schedule that connects Cordova and Whittier to the rest of the system. Winters are quiet and snowy, with Thompson Pass near Valdez known for some of the heaviest snowfall totals in the state and a following among backcountry skiers.
