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United States

Valdez, Alaska

Valdez, Alaska: Glacier Country, Wilderness, and the End of the Pipeline

Valdez is a town of about 4,000 people at the end of the Richardson Highway, the only road in, surrounded by mountains. Locals say val-DEEZ, not the Spanish way.

Worthington Glacier spilling down a green valley in the Chugach Mountains beside the Richardson Highway outside Valdez.

Photo: OKJaguar · BY-4.0

More views of Valdez, Alaska

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What Cruise Travelers Should Know

Ships tie up at the John Thomas Kelsey Municipal Dock, and passengers can walk from there into downtown Valdez and around the harbor; Kelsey Plaza is on shore by the dock. If a larger ship or a second ship is in port, it may berth at the Valdez Container Terminal's 700-foot floating dock, a few miles east of downtown.

  • The town covers about a square mile and is easy to explore on foot.
  • The Kelsey Dock connects to shore by three bridges, while the container terminal's dock reaches shore along a causeway close to 3,000 feet long.
  • The visitor center is at 309 Fairbanks Drive.
  • The currency is the US dollar.

Valdez on Your Own

Valdez is small enough to see on foot from the Kelsey Dock: the museum, the small boat harbor and the shops are all close by. For one short ride, take a taxi across the bay to the Solomon Gulch salmon hatchery.

  • The Valdez Museum: At 217 Egan Drive, it covers Alaska Native history, the 1898 gold rush, the 1964 earthquake, the pipeline and the Exxon Valdez spill. In 2026 admission was $15 for adults and free for anyone 18 and under.
  • The harbor: Boat tours, fishing charters and kayak trips start from the small boat harbor, with restaurants and shops around it.
  • Solomon Gulch Hatchery: On Dayville Road across the bay, a path runs beside the weir where returning salmon gather, and eagles, sea lions, seals and bears may turn up.
  • Getting back on time: All-aboard is usually about 30 minutes before sailing, and your ship posts the exact time. A ship will not wait for passengers touring on their own.
  • Watch the clock: All-aboard is given in ship's time, which may not match the local clocks or your phone. Alaska is nine hours behind UTC in winter and eight hours behind in summer.
  • Opening hours and prices change, so check before you go.

Getting Around Valdez

There is no public transit in Valdez, but the town is small enough to walk, and bikes, e-bikes, a taxi and rental cars cover the rest. Summer trolley and bus tours also run from town.

  • A paved bike path runs beside the highway, linking downtown with the neighborhoods out of town.
  • The Richardson Highway is the only road out of Valdez; it climbs through Keystone Canyon and over Thompson Pass toward Fairbanks.
  • Horsetail Falls, about 328 feet high, can be seen from a turnout 13 miles from Valdez in Keystone Canyon, and Bridal Veil Falls from another turnout just to the north.
  • Worthington Glacier, at Mile 28.7 near Thompson Pass, has a state recreation site with a view of the glacier and is one of the US glaciers you can reach on a paved highway.
  • The car rental kiosk is at the airport, a couple of miles out of town.

Where to Eat in Valdez

Seafood is the local specialty, and the eateries around the harbor and downtown also offer pizza, tacos and burgers. Halibut and salmon are the fish of these waters, and fishing charters leave from the small boat harbor.

  • Valdez's fish derbies, held each summer, are the longest-running fish derbies in Alaska.
  • The town has a local craft brewery.

Tipping in the United States

Tipping is expected in the United States, and some restaurants add an automatic gratuity or service charge, so check the bill before you add more.

  • Foreign currency is almost never accepted, so bring US dollars.
  • Tour and activity guides are usually tipped $5 to $10 per person per day.

Culture and History in Valdez

Valdez's Alutiiq name is Suacit, "the people from the place that rises into view", and the area has long been home to the Alutiiq and Sugpiaq people. In 2021 the Valdez Native Tribe officially acknowledged Suacit as the town's Native place name.

  • The Maxine & Jesse Whitney Museum, beside Prince William Sound College, holds a large collection of Alaskan art and artifacts.
  • The college hosts the Last Frontier Theatre Conference, which brings playwrights and actors from across the United States.
  • Local galleries and shops show work by Valdez artists, from pottery and paintings to jewelry.
  • Valdez averages about 360 inches of snow a year, the most of any sea-level community in North America.

History of Valdez, Alaska

Valdez began as a gold-rush landing in 1898, became the start of the first overland supply route into Alaska's interior, and was torn apart by the 1964 earthquake. Today it is the terminus of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline.

  • 1790: The Spanish explorer Salvador Fidalgo named the inlet Puerto ValdĂ©s, after Spain's navy minister, Antonio ValdĂ©s y Fernández Bazán.
  • 1898: Steamship companies promoted a route over the Valdez Glacier to the gold fields. It proved twice as long and steep as claimed, and many prospectors died on it.
  • 1901 and 1907: Valdez was incorporated in 1901, and in 1907 a shootout between rival railroad companies in Keystone Canyon ended its hopes of a railroad to the copper mines; a half-finished tunnel remains.
  • 1910: The Richardson Highway linked Valdez with Fairbanks; it stayed open year-round from 1950.
  • March 1964: The Good Friday earthquake set off an underwater landslide that destroyed the waterfront. Thirty-two people on the main freight dock died when it collapsed into the sea.
  • 1967: The town was rebuilt on more stable ground four miles away, and 54 houses and buildings were moved there by truck.
  • 1977: The Trans-Alaska Pipeline, built from 1975, began carrying oil from Prudhoe Bay to the tanker terminal across the bay; the first tanker loaded in August.
  • March 24, 1989: The tanker Exxon Valdez struck Bligh Reef and spilled about 10.8 million gallons of crude oil into Prince William Sound.
  • Where to learn more: The Valdez Museum, at 217 Egan Drive, covers the town's whole story; its second site, at 436 South Hazelet Avenue near the ferry dock, has a model of Old Town Valdez before the earthquake and opens by appointment.

Valdez with Children

Valdez suits families who like the outdoors: salmon and wildlife, waterfalls you can see from the road, and walking trails from town. The town is compact, so much of the day can be spent on foot.

  • Younger children: The Valdez Museum is free for anyone 18 and under, and town parks such as Corbin Creek Park have playgrounds.
  • School age: At Solomon Gulch Hatchery, children can watch salmon at the weir; keep at least 100 yards from any bear, and at least 50 yards from seals and sea lions.
  • Teenagers: Rafting trips run the Lowe River's Class III rapids through Keystone Canyon, and kayak trips paddle out into Prince William Sound; check the age limits when you book.
  • Marine mammals and bears here are wild, and harassing a marine mammal is a crime.

Accessibility in Valdez

From the Kelsey Dock passengers can walk into downtown, while the Valdez Container Terminal a few miles east reaches shore by a long causeway and transfer ramps, so ask your ship which dock it will use before you go ashore. Downtown itself is compact.

  • A paved bike path beside the highway links downtown with outlying neighborhoods.
  • A local taxi service operates in town; ask in advance about space for a folding wheelchair.
  • Ask the museum about access at its Egan Drive site before you visit.

Shopping in Valdez

Downtown and the harbor have gift shops and outdoor-gear stores a short walk from the dock, and local galleries sell work by Valdez artists.

  • Pottery, paintings and jewelry are among the work local artists sell.

Beaches and Waterfront Around Valdez

Valdez's waterfront is mostly docks and the small boat harbor at the head of the fjord. Dock Point Beach is one of the city's parks, and the trails and waters around town suit walking and paddling.

  • Kayak operators take paddlers to protected waters such as Shoup Bay, among mountains, glaciers and seabird colonies.
  • The Mineral Creek Trail is an easy 1.75-mile round trip up a valley of waterfalls to the 1913 W.L. Smith Stamp Mill.
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Valdez Alaska Cruise Port Guide — Vidalumi | Vidalumi