Sound Eco Adventures presents

A Virtual Drive from Anchorage to Whittier

Part III: Whittier

[ Back to Part I: Anchorage to Bird Point ]
[ Back to Part II: Girdwood to the Whittier Tunnel ]

This virtual drive is courtesy Sound Eco Adventures, a biologist-led tour operator located in Whittier. Sound Eco Adventures does various kinds of tours but specializes in whale watching.

Click the thumbnails to see larger versions. Look beneath the map, and on the enlargement pages, for captions.

East loading ramp Sign listing Whittier boat launch fees Two-hour parking at the east end of the harbor area Looking toward the east loading ramp from the road The Y at the end of the harbor road (hang left) The H float Turning the corner to the H float Looking east on Z float Exiting the ramp to the harbor Approaching the ramp to the harbor (3) Approaching the ramp to the harbor (2) Approaching the ramp to the harbor (1) A view toward the east harbor area The Harbor Store Approaching the Harbor Store and ramp to slips The Harbor Office and the Hobo Bay Trading Co. (hamburger joint) A view of the west side of the harbor area View from the harbor side of the pedestrian tunnel, toward the harbor The path down to the pedestrian tunnel Ramp down to the pedestrian tunnel North view toward the pedestrian tunnel entrance The road to Begich Towers Pedestrian tunnel intersection Parking lot Parking lot rate sign The main turnoff to the Whispering Falls parking area Past the tracks, toward Begich Towers and parking lot Railroad tracks crossing Junction of the harbor road and the Whittier road Whittier Creek bridge Approaching Whittier A bend as the road hugs the shoreline, just before Whittier comes into view Just past the staging area, on the way to Whittier The road to the tank farm The intersection of the main Whittier road with the tank farm road A small rest area The view toward the tank farm and Learnard Glacier The Whittier welcome sign Exiting the Whittier Tunnel, with cars in line to go back

Virtual Drive through Whittier

1. Exiting the Whittier Tunnel, with cars in line to go back. The tunnel exit is about a mile away from the Whittier small boat harbor. To the left, vehicles are lined up to travel back to Bear Valley.
2. The Whittier welcome sign. A sign welcoming you to Whittier. A small welcome area is just to the right, behind the sign.
3. The view toward the tank farm and Learnard Glacier. The tank farm (was used for jet fuel) and a nice hanging glacier is off to the left.
4. A small rest area. Some information and toilets.
5. The intersection of the main Whittier road with the tank farm road. At this point, continue straight. The main road winds around the right (south) shoreline of Passage Canal.
6. The road to the tank farm. A look up the tank farm road; there's not much up there.
7. Just past the staging area, on the way to Whittier. The main road continues this way for a mile or so.
8. A bend as the road hugs the shoreline, just before Whittier comes into view. To the left you can see a landing strip and, on the water, occasionally kayakers.
9. Approaching Whittier. Once past the bend you'll see buildings at the harbor come into view. The cruise ship dock will be on the left here.
10. Whittier Creek bridge. The bridge over Whittier Creek, just past the cruise ship dock.
11. Junction of the harbor road and the Whittier road. To go to the slips, boat launch, or harbor shops, continue straight. For the rest of Whittier, including long-term parking and the 14-story Begich Towers (a.k.a. BTI), bear right.
12. Railroad tracks crossing. You'll almost immediately cross some railroad tracks, which shared the road with the Whittier Tunnel and which follow alongside the road to this point. Just after that, the road bends left to parallel the harbor road.
13. Past the tracks, toward Begich Towers and parking lot. On the right you can see the "Whispering Falls" parking area (requires a fee) and, straight ahead, Begich Towers.
14. The main turnoff to the Whispering Falls parking area. This is where you can turn off to pay the parking fee.
15. Parking lot rate sign. The rate sign for the parking lot.
16. Parking lot. Whispering Falls parking area.
17. Pedestrian tunnel intersection. This is the intersection that marks the present edge of the built-up area of Whittier on the south side of the railroad tracks. Straight ahead you can see the Anchor Inn; to the right is the city shop and BTI, and to the left is the pedestrian tunnel and the fish packing plant.
18. The road to Begich Towers. You'd take a right at the previous intersection to go toward Begich Towers. (There's just one building, but it's called "Towers" nonetheless.)
19. North view toward the pedestrian tunnel entrance. Looking back to the north, a blue-and-yellow sign marks the pedestrian tunnel entrance.
20. Ramp down to the pedestrian tunnel. This tunnel will conveniently take you under the railroad yard to the harbor area. 		  21. The path down to the pedestrian tunnel. A view of the path down to the tunnel.
22. View from the harbor side of the pedestrian tunnel, toward the harbor. Here's the view that greets you as you exit the tunnel ramp. To get to the slips, bear slightly left of center in this picture; to get to the east loading ramp, go to the right of the small blue-grey building.
23. A view of the west side of the harbor area. There are various shops along the harborfront, now on all sides of the harbor. In the distance, on the left, you can see the Buckner Building, now abandoned.
24. The Harbor Office and the Hobo Bay Trading Co. (hamburger joint). A little further down are two Whittier institutions: the harbor office and the Hobo Bay Trading Co. (a hamburger joint).
25. Approaching the Harbor Store and ramp to slips. After the harbor office and a smaller loading ramp, you'll come to the harbor store, the small blue building.
26. The Harbor Store. It's another institution. The ramp down to where you can find the Sound Access is just to the right.
27. A view toward the east harbor area. Looking east from in front of the Harbor Store.
28. Approaching the ramp to the harbor (1). The initial approach to the ramp to the harbor.
29. Approaching the ramp to the harbor (2). The "Whittier Harbor" sign comes into view.
30. Approaching the ramp to the harbor (3). Various rules are posted at the gateway.
31. Exiting the ramp to the harbor. To get to the Sound Access slip, take a right when you get to this point. The ramp itself will be steep if the tide is low, and gentle if the tide is high.
32. Looking east on Z float. To get to the Sound Access slip, go to the end of this float.
33. Turning the corner to the H float. Take a left onto the H float. You can see the east loading ramp straight ahead.
34. The H float. The slip of the Sound Access--out of the harbor when these pictures were taken--is five slips up on the left. You can have a look at her here.
35. The Y at the end of the harbor road (hang left). At the end of the harbor road (the east side of the harbor), the road comes to a "Y". The harbor triangle is to the left here, and the east loading ramp is hard left here.
36. Looking toward the east loading ramp from the road. The east loading ramp is straight ahead, in this view.
37. Two-hour parking at the east end of the harbor area. There's two-hour parking in many places along the waterfront.
38. Sign listing Whittier boat launch fees. Note the fees for launching kayaks and other boats from this point. If you travel with us, Sound Eco Adventures pays all local fees associated with leaving or coming back to the harbor.
39. East loading ramp. The east loading ramp--often very busy with boats loading and unloading, putting in and taking out.


Back to Part I: Anchorage to Bird Point
Back to Part II: Girdwood to the Whittier Tunnel

Photos, text, HTML, and Perl scripts made by Larry Sanger and Rita Sanger. Images and text copyright © 2003 by Sound Eco Adventures. All rights reserved.