Whittier, Alaska: Tunnel-Laced Gateway to Prince William Sound
The Alaska Tourism Board cheerfully proclaims, “It’s prettier in Whittier!”. The locals, often with a rue smirk when recalling the notoriously bitter winter winds there, respond, “It’s shittier in Whittier.” Regardless of one’s stance, the tiny coastal town of around 300 year-long residents is an almost inevitable stop for visitors to Prince William Sound, Alaska—both by land and sea.
Whittier began as WWII strategic military position to resist the invading Japanese Empire and sits at the head of Passage Canal in a fjord paradise. Nestled between 2,000-foot tall, glacier-fed waterfall veiled cliffs to the south and emerald waters to the north, Whittier is connected to civilization via Route 1 to Anchorage. It serves as the gateway—via public ferries, a cruise ship dock, and boat filled marinas—to Prince Wiliam Sound to the east. The surreal drive (or train ride) from Anchorage traverses a one-lane, 2.5-mile tunnel through the mountains and is the longest of its kind in North America. Commuters must mind the switch as the direction of traffic alternates every half hour.
“Got to go catch the tunnel!” followed by an about face toward a vehicle is a normal way for those in Whittier to end a conversation.
Whittier Tunnel Time Lapse
Famously, almost the entire year-long population lives in the same condominium complex. Begich Towers rise before a breathtaking mountain backdrop in all their salmon, beige, and teal color palette glory. Relevant to boaters is Whittier Harbor that comes alive during the summer tourist and fishing season. The howling frigid winds of the dark winter yield to 15-hour stretches of daylight as everyone and their mother scrambles to load up boats for adventures. Prettier or not, all parties probably agree that Whittier certainly is fishier.
MARINA SITUATION
There are two main marinas in Whittier: the larger, central, public Whittier Harbor and smaller private Cliffside Marina & Yacht Club to the west. Whittier Harbor has 360 slips for boats up to 60’. It’s worth noting that larger vessels can generally only find Whittier Harbor moorage on a floating dock off the breakwater that requires a dinghy ride to and from shore.
TO-DOS
- Take in the Town
Whittier is worth a leisurely stroll if you’ve got an afternoon. The Harbor View Drive drag is full of charming souvenir shops, charter and rental outfitters, coffeehouses, casual restaurants, and the like. Don’t fight the kitsch, embrace it.
One accesses the rest of town to the south by way of a short walking tunnel. They just love tunnels around here. The Begich Towers loom over small fish processing plants. Sometimes a pair of domestic caribou laze in a pen out front, pets of a local shop owner. There’s an open-air boat lot adjacent to the parking lot. Throw in some midnight summer sunlight and an Alaskan lager buzz and you’re reaching peak Whittier.
A small Prince William Sound Museum is worth checking out and the Anchor Inn has a dive bar with the town’s quarter-fed laundromat. This commute may be necessary for cruisers who need a washer and dryer. You may encounter young Samoan guys debating their favorite basketball players, Spanish speaking fish plant workers smoking on break, sea salty fishermen nursing a beer, or amiable small business owners happy to see you.
- Chasing Waterfalls (and Glaciers)
Can one say they saw Whittier if they did not fully experience the cascading waterfalls and calving tidewater glaciers that surround the town? Lenard Glacier across Channel Passage due north is well worth a closer look, either on one’s own hull or via the excellent local charter companies. The stunning glacial waterfall system serves as a black-legged kittiwake rookery. The saucy birds raise their chicks in and around waterfalls.
Blackstone Bay around Decision Point to the south is also a great place to see waterfalls and the tidewater Blackwater Glacier. If you are without your own boat, there are many charters and rentals of all kinds: group powerboats, kayaks, and even jet skis. Alaska.org is a great online resource to explore the options. Our publisher had a great time in Whittier as part of a Boat Trader Stomping Grounds episode on YouTube. He also went on Phillips Cruises & Tours for his mother’s Aye Matey! (I’m Eighty) 80th birthday family sightseeing trip which included Glacier calving and margaritas made from ancient glacial sea ice!
- Hook ‘Em
Whittier is a fish town, especially in the summer. Alaskans, both on the recreational-subsistence and commercial sides, fill the air with engine roars. Walk by the harbor at any given hour during the day and you’ll see a cluster of onlookers around a fillet table where newly arrived fisherfolk carve up their fresh catch. Sea lions fight over tossed carcasses and fish heads. Salmon tend to be the star of the show with notable runs of all five major species: king, silver, red, chum, and pink. They also slay halibut, pacific cod, rockfish, black cod, and Doly Varden up there. Our publisher vouches, he reeled in a massive halibut on a charter out of Whittier. - Breath of Fresh Air
Whittier has local trails for those wanting to stretch their legs. The fourish mile roundtrip Portage Pass Trailhead to the glacial Portage Lake and Portage Glacier is probably the most popular. Blackstone Bay Vista trail is a go-to butt kicker, about six- or seven-miles roundtrip and very steep. One scrambles up to a breathtaking vista view of Blackstone Bay to the south. The easygoing Whittier Creek Trail is a pleasant stroll along Whittier Creek that hosts a salmon run as live entertainment. Remember that you’re in bear country and practice commonsense wilderness hiking practices. Get a mile or two out of town and it’s Ice Age rules all over again. - Buckner Building
One of Whittier’s strangest sites is the Buckner Building. The sprawling WWII-era military facility is named after General Simon Buckner who commanded the defense of Alaska against the Japanese invasion. It was expanded to house and entertain 1,000 servicepeople during the Cold War and at one point housed a movie theater, bowling alley, jail, and tunnels (of course) that lead throughout Whittier. The military abandoned it in 1966 and so began the decades of decline as the building passed through various private hands. Water infiltration led to brutal seasonal freeze-thaw cycles. The building went into foreclosure in 2016 with a structural assessment that deemed the place unsalvageable.
Now behind a No Trespassing sign, nobody is allowed to enter. I as an upstanding, law-abiding citizen would never, ever, cross-my-heart-and-hope-to-die ever go in. I gasp at the mere thought of such brazen disrespect for signage! But I’ve heard it is extremely cool and creepy in there, covered with local graffiti and a seemingly endless concrete maze. Headlamps would be a must for such rule breaking ruffians. Another factor to consider is that I talked to a guy who ran into a bear in there once. Just saying. - Eats and Drinks
You really can’t go wrong with any of the dozen or so seafood-focused cafes on the Harbor View Drive stretch. I spent many a down hour or two warming up with a cup of joe in the Lazy Otter Charters outfit. Wild Catch Café, Varly’s Seafood Café, and the Whittier Oceanfront Café are all winners. For $10-$20, you’ll get some top tier halibut fish and chips, salmon chowder, fish tacos, or reindeer sausages.
The swankiest establishment is the iconic, castle-looking Inn at Whittier (“The Inn”) right on the water. (Currently closed for renovation). In addition to a wide burger selection, this is the place to get that Steak & Alaskan King Crab surf n’ turf, a 12 oz. ribeye or 8 oz. filet mignon with half pound of king crab legs. Their Alaskan Halibut Dinner is pretty epic too. The bar is the place in town to splurge on an upscale cocktail and socialize with world travelers keen to share stories. I still have the empty bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue from The Inn I finished with a yacht charter chef crewmate. We were celebrating his birthday between back-to-back client trips—he plating chocolate mousse, me shuttling guests to remote shores via dinghy. Ancient bar rules state if your order kills the bottle, the round is on the house and you get the keepsake glassware. The Inn abided, proving itself a true lighthouse of civilization in the wilderness.
