Have you ever been sightseeing in Valdez, Alaska? We loved it!
Velvet green mountains and loads of waterfalls are all around Valdez. There’s also no shortage of wildlife viewing here. Come along as we take in the sights in Valdez.
Solomon Gulch Fish Hatchery
If you’re sightseeing in Valdez, the Solomon Gulch Fish Hatchery is a little ways from town, but it is worth the drive. If you’re driving your RV, there’s RV parking.
First, you can learn about the hatchery. There’s a walking tour with signs to follow. And, at least when we visited towards the end of July, you’ll see loads of spawning salmon!
With the salmon come other sea critters. We watched as a group of sea lions enjoyed the never-ending fish buffet. Gulls and bald eagles were on hand to scoop up any scraps.
Many people get to see bears here getting in on the easy fishing. One showed up about an hour after we left, so we didn’t get to see one there. Odds are you will though. The mountain views are lovely from there as well.
Sightseeing in Valdez
Valdez is a small town full of bunnies.
It’s easy to walk or ride bikes around town. There’s not much to the city, but there’s an effort to make it look nice. You’ll see lovely murals and other intriguing things as you tour town.
Stop at the waterfront to look for sea otters eating crabs.
Eagle’s Rest Campground
Eagle’s Rest Campground was a convenient campground but a little loud. Our site, 603, was right next to a 24-hour car wash and a Safeway open 4 am – midnight. Look at the map when choosing your site and avoid those areas. There was also a guy with a guitar singing outside well past quiet hours.
You could walk and bike to everything in town from here though. And the scenery was beautiful.
That said, if we went back, we would probably pay the extra money and stay at Bear Paw II, and adult-only campground.
Lu-Lu Belle Glacier Wildlife Cruises
A must do when sightseeing in Valdez is a glacier and wildlife cruise. If you’re not on a tight schedule, we recommend Lu-Lu Belle Glacier and Wildlife Cruises.
Captain Fred narrates a fantastic tour of Prince William Sound, and there isn’t a set end time for the cruise. He goes until we’re done looking at things. Our trip ended up being about 9 hours.
You will see a ton of wildlife and get up close to the Columbia Glacier.
We saw sea otters, sea lions, puffins, bald eagles, a humpback whale, and probably something I’m forgetting. You’ll see more in the video than in these photos.
Sea otters on an iceberg raft were something Captain Fred said was unusual!
Plus, Captain Fred will pull the Lu-Lu Belle right up into multiple caves to look for puffins. It was crazy how close he got!
Bring all of your winter layers – it’s frigid up by the glacier! But sitting still there and watching the glacier calve is impressive! Plus, Captain Fred navigates you through an iceberg field to get up close to Columbia Glacier.
I’m sure we missed some things while sightseeing in Valdez, but these activities were worth the drive. What would you like to see most on a trip to Valdez? We hope you get to experience it someday!
Next post: Hiking Worthington Glacier
Check out all the videos in our Alaska 2018 adventure here.