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Valdez, Alaska

Valdez is nestled in the eastern Chugach Mountains on the Prince William Sound. Once famous for its copper and gold mining, Valdez now boasts spectacular access from a stunning locale. The Chugach Mountains, spanning about 300 miles (E-W) are famous for their deep maritime snowpack and spiny heli skiing and snowboarding terrain. Keystone Canyon, the carved slate gateway to the head of the fjord where Valdez sits, is full of cascading waterfalls in the summer and perfect ice flows for plugging tools in the winter. The Lowe River, with a 5-mile class III section, runs the length of the canyon, eventually dumping into the sound just south of town. The coastline around Valdez is known for its sea kayaking, glacier spotting, and hyper-productive fisheries (think salmon with every cast), so you don’t have to be high in the mountains to enjoy the area. By land or by sea, Valdez will keep you busy.

Maps

  1. Ice Climbing in Keystone Canyon near Valdez, AK – Places I’ve Never Been

    If you live in Alaska and are even remotely connected to the outdoor community, you’re aware that Valdez has some of the most fantastic ice climbing there is. So, as someone who’s recently had my first addicting taste of digging tools into the ice, Valdez zoomed straight to the top of my “gotta get there” […]

Featured Mountains in Valdez

Mountain Approx. Elevation
West Peak 4,875 ft (1,486 m)
Sugarloaf Mountain 3,100 ft (945 m)
Mount Shasta 4,153 ft (1,266 m)
Mount Hogan 4,849 ft (1,478 m)
Mount Francis 5,082 ft (1,549 m)
East Peak 6,230 ft (1,899 m)
Chugach Mountains 4,049 ft (1,234 m)
Valdez Glacier 3,337 ft (1,017 m)