Portage Lake & Portage Valley Scenic Drive in Alaska

Drive through Portage Valley to see Alaska's single most popular attraction-Portage Glacier-or continue to Whittier to access the marine wonders of Prince William Sound. The Chugach Eskimos hunted and gathered in this area for thousands of years. They, the Denai'na Indians, and Russian fur traders also used Portage Valley to travel between Prince William Sound and Cook Inlet.

Turn-of-the-century prospectors dropped off at the head of Passage Canal dragged their supplies over the pass en route to Kenai gold fields. During WWII, the army built a railroad tunnel to Whittier, and it was opened to car traffic in 2000. It's a good hour's drive from Anchorage down the Turnagain Arm to Portage Valley, and the entire drive can take about a half day or longer.

Seward Highway

Potter's Marsh (Mile 117)

Photograph waterfowl from the boardwalk, read the wildlife displays, search for spawning salmon, or just soak in the sights and sounds of this peaceful marsh. Thousands of migrating birds rest here including trumpeter swans, rednecked grebes, golden eyes, and pintails. On still days, the surface of the water becomes a giant mirror that reflects the mountains and sky, making an idyllic photo.

Potter Section House Railroad Museum Image

Potter Section House Railroad Museum (Mile 115)

National Archives photos and model railroads help you imagine the lives of railroad crews who lodged here long before the road existed. Chugach State Park offices are now here (907-345-5014). Check out the massive, 9-foot-high rotary plow out back, used to clear the snow-piled tracks.

Turnagain Arm Trailhead (Mile 115)

Just across the road, the mostly level trail contours the mountainside with spectacular views breaking through the trees. Follow it 9.5 miles to Windy Point, or cut out after 3.5 miles at McHugh Creek.

McHugh Creek Picnic Area (Mile 111)

A waterfall tumbles over boulders into a still pond impounded by a 70-foot cliff at this scenic spot. You'd never guess that the thundering creek is only five miles long. Hike the trail along the creek to its source at Rabbit Lake-3,000 vertical feet-or go in just a short distance to smell the lush forest. Across the highway, you may see windsurfers braving the waves of Turnagain Arm.

Beluga Point (Mile 110)

The point juts into the Cook Inlet, offering a sweeping panorama. Step up to the viewing scope to spot belugas chasing salmon that come in with the tide, or killer whales hunting belugas. Displays explain whales, tides, and the cycles of life in the silty waters below. You can walk the rocky beach below at low tide.

Windy Point (Mile 106)

You'll know you've reached Windy Point by the parked cars and people milling about with cameras. Other than Denali, this is one of the state's best spots to see mountain goats and magnificent Dall Sheep. They roam to the road's edge to feed on plants and lick salt residues. Or, look for them high above on the craggy cliffs where their surefootedness protects them from wolves and bears. You might mistake them for specks of snow - until you see them move!

Indian Valley Mine (Mile 104)

This well-kept secret was founded in 1910 by a 56-year-old vagabond who ran away from home at 12, joined the circus, and came to Alaska with the Gold Rush. The Cowles family will show you his 100 year-old cabin, teach you to pan for gold, and regale you with Alaska stories. Pet wild deer, pigmy goats, and exotic birds at nearby Indian Valley Meats.

Bird Creek and Bird Ridge Trail (Mile 102)

Only in Alaska can you drive down an empty highway at 11:30 at night, come around a bend, and suddenly see hundreds of people running around, camping, and fishing. This is the scene at Bird Creek from mid-July through August, when its mouth fills up with pink and silver salmon (and anglers) at high tide.

Bird Ridge Trail climbs 3,000 feet in a little more than a mile to magnificent views of the fjord-like Turnagain Arm. South-facing, it is one of the first trails to dry out in spring, even while surrounding mountains are still shrouded in white. Hike up just a few hundred vertical feet to look for flowers and see the views.

Bird Point (Mile 99)

A short boardwalk leads to the water to view the bore tide, a rushing wall of water up to 6 feet high. Turnagain and Knik Arms are the only U.S. locations where they occur regularly. Look for the bore 2.25 hrs after low tide here at Bird Pt (1.5 hrs after at Beluga Pt., 3 hrs at Girdwood, and 4 hrs at Portage). The bike path across the highway leads 7 miles into Girdwood along the old highway.

Girdwood Turnoff (Mile 90)

Just before the turnoff into Girdwood [link to Girdwood landing page], notice the ghost forest that met its doom during the 1964 earthquake when the land sunk as much as 10 feet and saltwater penetrated the soil. Girdwood began as a mining camp in the early 1900s, and today it's Alaska's premier resort town. The mall at the turnoff is your last chance for gas if you're continuing on toward Seward, another 90 miles south.

Old Portage (Mile 80)

The Good Friday Earthquake sunk the earth 6-10 feet, submerging the former boomtown of Portage. An abandoned horse stable and cabin struggle to stand among the grassy wetlands. Photograph the standing "ghost forest," killed when saltwater flooded their roots.

56 min from downtown

47 miles one-way

Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center Image

Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center (Mile 79)

Visit Alaska's only drive-through wildlife park, sanctuary to orphaned and injured animals. Get close-up shots of bison, elk, deer, musk ox, moose, caribou, and eagles. Meet Mike Miller who hand-built the sprawling log cabin lodge (907-783-2025, $5 per person, $20 max per vehicle).

58 min from downtown

48 miles one-way

Portage Valley Highway

Moose Flats (Mile 1.2)

Walk the short boardwalk trail along the ponds. Spot ducks and other waterfowl that nest and rear their young along the river channels. During fall and spring migrations, long wedges of ducks, geese, and cranes fill the sky.

1 hr from downtown

49.3 miles one-way

Explorer Glacier Stop (Mile 2.4)

Stop at the turnout to photograph this beautiful hanging glacier high on the mountainside.

1 hr from downtown

50.5 miles one-way

Black Bear Campground (Mile 3.7)

Look for black bear, brown bear, and moose-or for their tracks. Spot mountain goats on the bare, rocky cliffs high above timberline. Find the vertical scars down the valley walls caused by winter avalanches and summer landslides.

1 hr 2 min from downtown

51.8 miles one-way

Williwaw Campground (Mile 4.3)

Look for spawning sockeye, chum, and coho in late summer and early fall on the viewing platform. The campground is named for the 130 mph winds that gust through the valley, strong enough to peel asphalt from the parking lot and lift boxcars off their tracks. Notice the trees and shrubs are bare of branches on the side facing the winds.

1 hr 3 min from downtown

52.4 miles one-way

Turnoff to Begich, Boggs Visitor Center Image

Turnoff to Begich, Boggs Visitor Center (Mile 5.2)

Follow the road to the right and there will be a turn-off to the Portage Glacier Lodge on the left. Keep following the road as it loops around, just 0.2 miles to the visitor center. The first road off to the right after you pass the lodge is the road to the MV Ptarmigan boat dock. Lakefront parking is just up ahead and if you continue towards the visitor center, there is available parking with special areas for busses and larger vehicles. Portage Glacier deposited a gravel ridge here called a terminal moraine during its 1893 advance. Walk the short Moraine Trail to learn more about this glacial feature. Inside the center, you can learn more and see a film. (Free admission. 9am-6pm, June-Sep. 907-783-2326)

1 hr 4 min from downtown

53.3 miles one-way

Portage Lake (Mile 5.2)

Deep enough to submerge an 80-story building, the lake was carved out over thousands of years of glacial advances. No fish survive here due to the immense deposits of silt. Look for dense blue icebergs from Portage Glacier blown to shore.

1 hr 4 min from downtown

53.3 miles one-way

Bear Valley Viewing Area (Mile 6.7)

It's free to go this far by car, and you'll get a picture-perfect shot of Portage Glacier.

1 hr 6 min from downtown

54.8 miles one-way

Whittier Tunnel (Mile 7.1)

Travel the longest highway tunnel in North America, the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel. A unique design that enables a single lane of traffic to travel directly over the railroad track saved tens of millions of dollars over the cost of constructing a new tunnel. (Check the schedule to avoid a potential two-hour delay.)

1 hr 6 min from downtown

55.2 miles one-way

Whittier (Mile 11.1)

Known best as a strange town dominated by concrete and poor weather, Whittier is making a comeback. Take a day cruise into Prince William Sound to see spectacular tidewater glaciers, waterfalls, seabird colonies, seals, otters, porpoises, whales, and more. Besides cruises, you'll find a variety of soft-adventure activities-including hiking, kayaking, and fishing. The town boasts offers a number of nice hotels and B&Bs, cute shops, and good restaurants. Cruise ships are calling at Whittier for the first time in 15 years, with a brand new terminal and dock. And while Whittier does get a lot of rain, that's why you'll find so many spectacular glaciers-you can see five right from town.

1 hr 13 min from downtown (plus wait time at the tunnel)

59.5 miles one-way

Portage Road

Byron Glacier Trail (1.2 miles down turnoff)

Walk the easy mile along Byron Creek to this impressive glacier. Look for crazy snowboarders on the avalanche chutes and mysterious iceworms that feed on pollen grains and red algae on the surface of glaciers. They move up and down in the ice as the temperature and sunlight change. Learn more on an iceworm safari with a Forest Service interpreter.

1 hr 5 min from downtown

54.5 miles one-way

Portage Dock (1.5 miles down turnoff)

Launch site for the one-hour MV Ptarmigan cruise [link to Portage Glacier Cruise page] to the face of Portage Glacier. Bring a wind jacket. ($29. Leaves every 90 minutes, from 10:30am to 4:30pm.)

1 hr 6 min from downtown

54.8 miles one-way

Portage Glacier Lodge (1.2 miles down turnoff)

1 hr 5 min from downtown

54.5 miles one-way

Girdwood Alaska

Tours & Activities » Portage Lake & Portage Valley