Valdez and the Columbia Glacier
Prince William Sound Tidewater Glacier And The City Of Valdez · Valdez, Alaska
The port town of Valdez at the head of a deep fjord in Prince William Sound, and the Columbia Glacier to its west, one of the fastest-retreating tidewater glaciers in the world. Since about 1980 the Columbia has pulled back more than 12 miles, leaving a fjord choked with icebergs that cruise boats weave through. Valdez itself was rebuilt four miles from its original site after the 1964 Good Friday earthquake, and it is the southern end of the 800-mile Trans-Alaska Pipeline, whose tanker Exxon Valdez caused the 1989 oil spill. The Richardson Highway into town crosses Thompson Pass and winds through Keystone Canyon past Bridal Veil and Horsetail falls. In 2026 the six-hour Columbia Glacier cruise with Stan Stephens cost $173 for adults plus $6 in fees and ran from 16 May to 13 September, with sea otters, sea lions, whales and puffins often seen.
Valdez Small Boat Harbor, Kobuk Drive (cruise departures), Valdez, Alaska, 99686, United States
Columbia Glacier cruises 16 May-13 September 2026, departing 10:30 AM (7:30 AM on 13 June). Town open year-round; the Richardson Highway can close in winter storms.
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