This Quiet Alaska Town Is An Underrated Gem For Nature Lovers
Waterfalls plunge from the walls of Keystone Canyon, icebergs drift across glacier-fed lakes, and mountains rise directly from the waters of Prince William Sound in Valdez. Known as the unofficial Waterfall Capital of Alaska, the town also offers access to Columbia Glacier, Valdez Glacier Lake, and some of the state's most scenic coastal landscapes.
Long before Valdez became an underrated gem for nature lovers and year-round adventure tourists, it was home to the Alaska Native peoples of the Chugach and the Athabascan. The first recorded non-native visitor is thought to be Captain James Cook, who, though he never actually set foot on Alaskan soil, sailed into Prince William Sound in 1778, naming it Sandwich Sound after his patron, the Earl of Sandwich.
While Valdez's history has been shaped by disasters, including the 1964 Good Friday 9.2-magnitude earthquake that destroyed much of the town and the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill that leaked nearly 11 million gallons of crude oil into the sound, today's Valdez is better known for waterfalls, glaciers, and adventures in Prince William Sound.
Chasing Roadside Waterfalls
In the unofficial “Waterfall Capital of Alaska,” you don’t have to go far to see waterfalls plunging down the walls of nearby Keystone Canyon just beyond Valdez, including Horsetail Falls. The 300-foot-tall cascade is located at about Mile 13.5 on the Richardson Highway, one of the most-photographed stretches of roadway in the state. The most renowned of these is Bridal Veil Falls, a 600-foot waterfall in Keystone Canyon, located at Mile 13.9. The tallest roadside waterfall in the state is prone to extremes, slowing to a trickle in late spring, crashing dramatically in late summer and early fall, and spraying anyone who gets close enough to photograph it. In the winter, Alaska Guide Co. offers 3- to 4-hour ice-climbing tours of the waterfalls in Valdez, providing helmets, harnesses, boots, crampons, and ice tools.
Hiking Historic Trails
Valdez is home to some of the most picturesque and historic trails in Alaska, including the Trail of 98, a network of old routes used by prospectors during the 1898-1899 Klondike Gold Rush. The trail is divided into four sections of varying difficulty and length: the 2.6-mile one-way Keystone Canyon Pack Trail, the 3.2-mile return Goat Trail, the 6.6-mile return Wagon Road, and the 2.8-mile one-way Thompson Pass Pack Trail, which runs through the 2,678-foot-high mountain pass known as Thompson Pass.
Legendary in Alaska as a route used during the gold rush to connect Valdez and the interior, Thompson Pass is popular year-round for hiking, biking, and skiing, and hosts several extreme sports events, including the Fat Bike Bash, the Alaska Kite Festival, and the Mountain Man Hill Climb, where riders compete to drive snow machines up a 1,700-foot slope with the fastest time.
Kayaking and Glacier Tours
Paddlers love Valdez, making it a top kayaking destination for brave water sports enthusiasts who want to navigate around the icebergs in Valdez Glacier Lake. While you can explore the lake on your own, icebergs can shift suddenly in the water, so book a tour with an experienced local outfitter like Anadyr Adventures. Tour possibilities are endless, but all tours include out-of-this-world scenery, known wildlife hotspots, and landmarks. Book a day trip, a multi-day camping trip, a mothership trip, or a lodge trip if you prefer to stay in the comfort of a remote wilderness lodge overnight and paddle by day.
One of the premier experiences in Valdez is exploring Columbia Glacier in Prince William Sound, one of the world's fastest-moving tidewater glaciers. Lucky paddlers may spot harbor seals and witness incredible calving events, in which a section of ice suddenly breaks free from the glacier and crashes into the water with a roar.
Life Along Egan Drive, Valdez’s Main Street
Sitting on the northern shore of Port Valdez, a deep-water fjord surrounded by the peaks of the Chugach Mountains, Valdez is a surprisingly walkable port town where much of the action revolves around the waterfront. Egan Drive serves as the community's Main Street before becoming the Richardson Highway as it heads north toward Thompson Pass. To learn more about the original town and how it looked before the massive 1964 earthquake, the Old Town Valdez Museum is a must-see, featuring a scale model and exhibits. The Valdez Museum on Egan Drive explores the town’s post-quake history with displays on the Gold Rush, the founding of Valdez, and the construction of the Trans Alaska Pipeline, whose giant terminal and oil storage tanks are visible across the inlet.
The small coastal town has a vibrant nightlife with plenty of pubs, breweries, and convenient food trucks, perfect for winding down after a long day of hiking in the mountains or kayaking in the sound. Check out 10+ local brews on tap at Valdez Brewing, handmade, stone-baked pizza at the Stampmill, or try hand-pattied burgers at the Old Town Diner. Don’t miss the Growler Bay Brewing Co., a brewery and taproom in a historic Old Town building that survived the big quake.
Discover Valdez, Alaska’s Hidden Nature Gem
If you're looking for a quiet Alaska getaway surrounded by dramatic natural beauty, Valdez is an underrated destination where waterfalls, glaciers, mountains, and Prince William Sound take center stage. Chase roadside waterfalls in Keystone Canyon, hike historic Gold Rush-era trails through Thompson Pass, kayak among icebergs on Valdez Glacier Lake, and take guided tours to the massive Columbia Glacier. Beyond outdoor adventures, the walkable waterfront town offers two museums that tell the story of its fascinating history, from the Gold Rush and the 1964 earthquake to the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. With local breweries, restaurants, fun food trucks, and easy access to some of Alaska's most spectacular landscapes, Valdez is an ideal base for nature lovers seeking a less-crowded side of the Last Frontier.
