Prince William Sound, Alaska

Prince William Sound is a sound of the Gulf of Alaska on the south coast of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is located on the east side of the Kenai Peninsula. Its largest port is Valdez, at the southern terminus of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System. Other settlements on the sound, which contains numerous small islands, include Cordova and Whittier plus the Alaska native villages of Chenega and Tatitlek.

Most of the land surrounding Prince William Sound is part of the Chugach National Forest, the second largest national forest in the U.S. Prince William Sound is ringed by the steep and glaciated Chugach Mountains. The coastline is convoluted, with many islands and fjords, several of which contain tidewater glaciers. The principle barrier islands forming the sound are Montague Island, Hinchinbrook Island, and Hawkins Island.

Activities and attractions in Prince William Sound include viewing whales, sea otters, bears, seals, and an array of sea birds. Glacier tours are popular, as is kayaking and fishing.

Things to See & Do

* Valdez
* Whittier
* Bird watching
* Glacier tour
* Kayaking

General information

Cruise Season - May - September
Currency - United States Dollar (USD)
Language - English
Population - 10,000 approx
Electricity - 2 perpendicular flat pins USA style or with a round pin below
Time - GMT minus eight hours
International Country Telephone Code - 1

Port Location - The main port in Prince William Sound is located at Valdez.

Travel Links - There are three flights a day from Anchorage to Valdez offered by ERA Aviation. The flight takes 40 minutes. You could drive or go by rail to Wittier and get a boat across Prince William Sound. The boat trip would take at least four hours. However, most boats from Wittier only offer day trips - glacier sight seeing and fishing - there isn't a scheduled ferry between Wittier and Valdez.