Prince William Sound, Alaska Wildlife, glaciers, wilderness Personalized, value-added tours Casually informative Departing Whittier "The western gateway to Prince Wm. Sound"

BY HIGHWAY

Whittier is located about 60 miles southeast of Anchorage via the Seward Highway. Most of our clients get here in a rental vehicle, but it's also possible to connect with our shorter trips by taking a bus (e.g. The Magic Bus) or the Alaska RR. The Seward Highway is a National Scenic Byway with magnificent views of the Kenai Mountains across Turnagain Arm. It is not uncommon to see Dall sheep, beluga whales and bald eagles from the Highway. Allow plenty of time for the drive -- both to take in the sights and to allow for heavy summer traffic.

The Whittier/Portage Valley turnoff from the Seward Highway is about 12 miles past Girdwood. After several miles on this road you will pass a turnoff to Portage Lake on your right. Shortly thereafter, you cross Portage Creek and immediately enter a short tunnel, cross another creek, pass a scenic overlook and continue around a bend to the Bear Valley staging area, where you will stop at a toll booth ($12 RT). The attendant will give you an information brochure and answer any questions you may have. Passage through the one-lane tunnel is controlled by traffic lights. The tunnel opens once an hour on the half-hour going to Whittier, and once an hour at the top of the hour leaving Whittier, and stays open for 15 minutes in either direction. We advise arriving at the staging area well before the time that you wish to drive through the tunnel.

For the latest tunnel information including the current schedule, check the Whittier Tunnel Website, or call 1-877-611-2586.

Parking and other facilities in Whittier are concentrated near the small boat harbor, located just past a private marina and the cruise ship terminal. Most of our sightseeing tours originate where our boat, the Sound Access, ties up at slip H-11. The ÒHÓ float is the farthest to the right as one faces the harbor, and is reached by walking down the ramp between JuneÕs B&B office to the right and the Harbor Store on the left. Some trips load at the fuel dock near the harbor entrance, and a few load at the public dock/launch ramp located at the far right end of the harbor, next to the Sound Ideas gift shop.

You may find our Anchorage-to-Whittier Virtual Drive helpful, although the harbor area shown in the photos is now paved.

The Anchorage-Whittier train, the "Glacier Discovery," runs daily between May 15 and September 17, 2008. Board the train at the downtown Anchorage train station for a 10:00 AM departure, arriving in Whittier at 12:20 PM. The return train leaves Whittier at 6:55 PM and returns to Anchorage at 9:15 PM. See the Alaska RR Schedule web site for more details. These trains are scheduled mainly to accommodate passengers bound for the larger tour boats and have very little room for freight and bulky baggage. The train stop in Whittier is a short walking distance to the Boat Harbor. Reservations are recommended. You may do this online, or by contacting:
Alaska Railroad
PO Box107500
Anchorage, AK 99510-7500
In Anchorage: (907) 265-2620
Toll-Free: 1-800-544-0552
Email: reservations@akrr.com

ONCE IN WHITTIER . . .

For parking, follow the "glacier cruise parking" signs. There are also sometimes a few open spots in permit-only parking lot in the harbor area -- buy your $5 day permit at the harbormaster's office or shops on the waterfront. There are several restaurants are in the harbor area, with 2-hour free parking nearby.

A public campground that can accommodate RV's, motorhomes or tents is located about a half-mile from the harbor area, with access via the "glacier cruise parking" lot. For more information, call (907) 472-2670.