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What to do in Valdez

This small town offers big adventure year round, and by land or sea Valdez boasts unparalleled access to Alaska’s most spectacular landscapes, wildlife and outdoor activities. Nestled between the impressive Chugach Mountains and the stunning Prince William Sound, Valdez accommodates any type of traveller from the waterman to the explorer to the casual sightseer.  This special place should retain a spot on everyone’s Alaskan itinterary, and we will continue to supply you with the many exciting reasons why.

Bike & Hike to Solomon Gulch

This week I took the bike path heading out of town and headed to Solomon Gulch, located just across the port of Valdez. About 22 miles round trip and full of perfect photo ops, this is an ideal way to spend a sunny afternoon outdoors.

Valdez Glacier Stream
Valdez Glacier Stream
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The only time Anadyr guide Ilene Price is serious is when she’s on a bicycle

Our first stop was at the fish hatchery where 230 million Pink Salmon eggs and 2 million Coho salmon eggs are incubated annually.  Its not difficult to imagine that from July through September this is a great spot to catch a view of otters, eagles, gulls and bears who come here to feast.

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Solomon Gulch

 

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Nesting Kittiwakes
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View of Valdez from across the bay at very low tide

After snapping a few photos and checking out the city of Valdez from afar, we headed up the road to hike the John Hunter Memorial Trail.  This is a piece-of-cake, lush 3.8 miles of gravel trail out and back.  Small bridges brought us over flowing streams that looked and sounded serene.  A few simple climbs brought us to beautiful views of the Chugach range.  Arriving at the reservoir was impressive, with various shades of blue and green melding into eachother where the sky, mountains, and water met.

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The ride back into town brought us directly to the dinner table!  A hot sake toast was the perfect end to an epic 6 hour excursion.

We rent great all terrain bikes (Giant & Trek!) at Anadyr.   Grab your packs and lunch and head across the bay for an afternoon of adventure and sightseeing while you’re here in Valdez.

Sara, Anadyr Adventures Office Staff