The nickname “Little Switzerland” is not wasted on the pristine area of Valdez that includes mountains, glaciers, fjords, waterfalls and much more. Whether you’re an active couple that enjoys skiing, kayaking and hiking or a couple that prefers quality time in front of a fireplace, sipping cocoa, Valdez is the place for you!
With Valdez being 304 miles from Anchorage at the head of a fjord and receiving over forty feet of annual snow, a winter loving couple couldn’t ask for a better place to escape to. Opportunities for hiking, rafting, skiing, sea kayaking, fishing and wildlife viewing abound. Prince William Sound provides a glorious backdrop for those who enjoy sea kayaking while hikers and cross-country skiers will never run out of terrain to conquer.
Cruises of Prince William Sound allow you to enjoy the beauty of your surroundings, including Columbia and Meares Glaciers, with a modicum of effort. Cruises range in length from an hour or two to all day and the longer cruises generally offer lunch stops at a nearby island for a native feast of locally caught seafood.
If you’d rather forego the leisurely route, consider the campsites at Blueberry Lake State Recreation Site. Perhaps you’d prefer some challenging and strenuous fishing? Prince William Sound can provide you with halibut the size of a grown man (weighing up to 300 pounds) as well as King, Pink and Silver Salmon which are nothing to sneeze at either!
Prefer an auto adventure? Just fifteen miles from downtown Valdez is Keystone Canyon, described by many as one of America's most scenic highways. Mountain walls shoot straight up from the side of the road and you’ll enjoy deep-plunging waterfalls that seem to come from nowhere. You’ll see some of the most magnificent waterfalls in North America like Bridal Veil Falls and Horsetail Falls.
While in Valdez, be sure to see Columbia Glacier, a four-mile-wide river of ice that is forty-one miles long and rolls into the waters of Prince William Sound. Valdez Glacier and Worthington Glacier are also not to be missed.
For history buffs, the six-mile drive along Mineral Creek Road will provide you with views of old mining sites that now yield wildflowers and berries as well as a multitude of waterfalls. For those who enjoy hiking, there is a 3/4-mile trail at the end of Mineral Creek Road that goes to an old mining stamp mill.
Education buffs will enjoy a visit to the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Terminus, which can provide an interesting and educational look at Valdez. This complex, located at the end of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, isn’t just a bunch of unsightly tanks. The two-hour tour (operating daily from May through September) can provide you with a look into the history of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline as well as information on its current operations and how it protects and restores the environment it impacts.
Valdez is a great place for couples to get away and get closer. Whether you’re the kind of couple that enjoys an active vacation or just one that enjoys the simplicity of a warm fire and a spectacular view, Valdez has everything you need.
