Alaska leaves us speechless with its sheer beauty and grandeur. Every turn reveals a new breathtaking view that makes us exclaim, “Wow!” Join us as we recount our latest adventure, journeying south towards the stunning coastline and the mesmerizing Prince William Sound.
Many guests at the Gold Dredge, along with numerous Alaskans, have praised Valdez as one of the most beautiful areas in Alaska. Naturally, it made our must-see list. Located on the southeast coast, Valdez is about a six-and-a-half-hour drive south of Fairbanks. Given the distance and our two days off per week, we realized that a six-hour drive would leave us little time to explore. So, we considered making Valdez a stop on our way home to Washington in mid-September. However, the challenge with a late September trip is that much of Valdez would be shut down for the season by the time we passed through.
We shared with the folks at Gold Dredge 8 our desire to explore Valdez during the summer season, while everything is still open. They agreed it would be the best time to visit and kindly accommodated us with an extra day off, giving us Tuesday in addition to our scheduled Wednesday and Thursday.
To make the journey more enjoyable, we decided to leave after work on Monday and stay overnight along the route. This plan allowed us a leisurely drive on Tuesday, with plenty of opportunities to stop and take in the breathtaking scenery on our way to Valdez.
This blog is not about Valdez, but about the road to Valdez, because in Alaska, getting someplace is as much part of an adventure as being someplace. We included many pictures in this blog post with the hopes of portraying at least a little of the beauty that fed our eyes.
We left Monday to start our way to Valdez. Just south of Fairbanks, we were once again treated to a magnificent view of the Alaskan Range and the majestic Denali peak. This breathtaking sight, which we first encountered on our way to Fairbanks in early May, never gets old.
Tanana River in the foreground with the Alaskan Range in the background.
We spent Monday night at Delta Junction, where we enjoyed some delicious bison burgers with live music at a local favorite, the Buffalo Center Drive-In.
Buffalo Center Drive-In - Best burgers around
Homespun band playing at the Buffalo Center Drive-In.
Richardson Highway
We set out early on Tuesday morning, eager to embark on our journey to Valdez via the Richardson Highway. Having traveled many of Alaska’s major highways, including the Alaskan (AK-2), George Parks (AK-3), Steese (AK-6), and Elliot (AK-2), we were excited to add the Dalton (a continuation of the Elliot, AK-2) to our list. Each of these drives has been a unique and wonderful experience. However, the Richardson Highway (AK-4) holds a special place in the hearts of many Alaskans. Connecting Valdez to Fairbanks, this highway offers stunning views of the Wrangell-St. Elias Mountains and the Alaska Range. The drive is a visual feast, featuring picturesque landscapes, glaciers, waterfalls, and the historic town of Copper Center.
Southern arm of the Alaskan Range south of Delta Junction.
The Richardson is beautiful and historic. “In 1905 President Theodore Roosevelt established the Board of Road Commissioners for Alaska and designated Major Wilds P. Richardson as president. Richardson was particularly concerned about the development of interior Alaska and emphasized the speedy construction of a more permanent Valdez-Fairbanks route.” The 385-mile trail, often referred to as the “Valdez-Fairbanks Taxi,” was a vital route during the early 20th century, especially during the gold rush era. Along the trail, roadhouses were strategically placed about a day’s travel apart, providing essential services such as meals, lodging, and a place to rest for travelers, miners, and dog-sled drivers.
We learned about the Valdez-Fairbanks trail first at the Fountainhead Auto Museum. Here are a few pictures we took at the museum related to the Fairbanks-Valdez taxi.
This 1916 Dodge taxi traveled from Valdez to Fairbanks back "in the day."
The road was not for the faint of heart.
Museum placard describing the hazards of the trail.
Historic Taxi Roadhouse
Tuesday morning, we stopped for coffee at the Meier’s Lake Roadhouse, which is one of the few remaining roadhouses from this era. Established in 1906 by Charles Meier, the roadhouse provided essential services to travelers, including miners and dog-sled drivers, who were making their way between Valdez and Fairbanks. It is a great place to stop as the owner is very nice and the setting is like a museum.
Historic Meier's Lake Roadhouse.
Meier's Lake Roadhouse interior with a striking couple!
Gulkana Glacier
Around mile marker 197 on the Richardson Highway, you’ll find a memorial dedicated to Wilds Richardson. This memorial is situated at the summit of Isabel Pass, part of the south-facing flank of the Alaskan Range. This scenic spot, at an elevation of 3,280 feet, offers a stunning view of the Gulkana Glacier perched upon Icefall Peak. The first picture below is without zoom, and the second is zoomed in so you can see the glacier better.
College Creek Valley in front of Gulkana Glacier
Gulkana Glacier
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve
As we left the area around the Gulkana Glacier and headed south, we were greeted by a breathtaking view of Mount Drum, part of the Wrangell range within Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. The sight was particularly stunning as clouds draped over the peak like a blanket.
Mt. Drum draped in clouds.
Wrangell-St. Elias is the largest national park in the United States, and curious about its name, we did some research. The park is named after the Wrangell and St. Elias Mountain ranges. The Wrangell Mountains were named after Baron Ferdinand Petrovich von Wrangel, a Russian naval officer and explorer, while the St. Elias Mountains were named by Danish explorer Vitus Bering. Incidentally, Wrangel opposed the sale of Alaska by Russia to the United States.
We stopped at the visitor center on the way back from Valdez and stayed for about an hour. While touring the center, we learned some very interesting facts about the park. It is an immense expanse, covering approximately 13.2 million acres (about 20,587 square miles). To put this into perspective, the park is larger than each of these nine U.S. states: New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Hawaii, Connecticut, Delaware, Rhode Island, and Maryland. Another comparison is that it is larger than six Yellowstone parks.
The view of Wrangell-St. Elias from the visitor center.
This vast area encompasses a diverse range of landscapes, from towering mountains and expansive glaciers to lush valleys and wild rivers. The Wrangell and St. Elias Ranges contain some of the largest volcanoes and greatest concentration of glaciers in North America. Mount St. Elias is the second tallest peak in North America (18,808 feet). The park’s sheer size and variety of landscapes make it a great destination for exploration. Don’t plan on driving much into this park. There are only two roads allowing access, one is 60 miles and the other 42 miles, and they are both gravel roads.
The great expanse of the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.
Thompson Pass
South of Wrangell-St. Elias, and close to Valdez is Thompson Pass. Thompson Pass has an elevation of 2,805 feet, making it one of the most accessible high mountain passes in Alaska. At the peak of the pass, a pull-off allows travelers to photograph the Chugach Mountain range to the south and nearby Worthington Glacier looking north.
Standing on Thompson Pass.
Chugach Range viewed from Thompson Pass.
Worthington Glacier as seen from the Thompson Pass.
Captain William R. Abercrombie was sent to the region in 1898 by the U.S. Army to locate the safest and most efficient route for a trail to interior Alaska. Abercrombie worked quickly, and by September 1899, the government’s half-finished route was already filled with prospectors. The pass was named in 1899 by Abercrombie in honor of Frank Thomson of Pennsylvania. However, Abercrombie misspelled the name as “Thompson” on his sketched map, and that spelling has remained ever since.
Keystone Canyon
North of Valdez, you’ll find some stunning waterfalls in Keystone Canyon along the Richardson Highway. Two waterfalls are notable. Bridal Veil Falls stands at about 600 feet tall and is one of the most iconic waterfalls in the area. Another beautiful waterfall, Horsetail Falls is approximately 330 feet tall and is also easily accessible from the highway.
This picture with Allen shows the size of Bridal falls.
Horsetail Falls.
End of the Trail
As a sidenote, it's interesting to know our journey from Fairbanks to Valdez is mostly parallel to the Alaska Pipeline. We saw long stretches of the pipeline along the way along with a few pump stations. Part of the reason to maintain the highway is to service the pipeline.
Our journey along the Richardson Highway was nothing short of spectacular. From the awe-inspiring views beginning with the Alaskan Range and Denali to the historic charm of the Valdez-Fairbanks Trail, every mile offered a new adventure. The breathtaking scenery of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, the majestic peaks like Mount Drum, and the serene beauty of Thompson Pass left us in constant awe. Keystone Canyon’s stunning waterfalls, Bridal Veil Falls and Horsetail Falls, were the perfect finale to our unforgettable trip. Traveling this historic and scenic route was an experience we’ll cherish forever, and we can’t wait to explore more of Alaska’s hidden gems.
Our next blog will be about lovely Valdez!
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