Wildlife is abundant in Valdez and the surrounding area. Both black and brown bears live here and are frequently seen wandering about or eating their fill of fish and berries. Eagles, terns, ptarmigan, puffins and many other birds are observable too. The Prince William Sound is full of wildlife and natural beauty. Seals, sea lions and sea otters are commonly seen here. Dall porpoise, puffins, Humpback and Orca whales are also frequently spotted in the area. Pack your camera and your binoculars and come visit Valdez and see all the amazing wildlife for yourself.
Dock Point Trail – eagles, ducks, oyster catchers on low tide & various other species of birds Overlooks
Duck Flats – Migrating waterfowl from late April to mid-May and in October. Nesting birds in summer. Mallards, pintails, Canada goose, Arctic tern, cranes, herons, oystercatchers, kittiwakes, kingfisher, plovers. Moose, bears, and wolves (though seldom seen).
Mineral Creek Valley: bears, coyotes, fox. Stellers jay, chestnut backed chickadee, winter wren, Townsend’s warbler.
Crooked Creek Info Site – pink and chum salmon viewing platform and web cam, dipper nesting, bears
Dayville Road (tide pools and marine waters). Black and brown bears, marine mammals, such as seal, sea lion, sea otters. Waterbirds including loons, grebes, some sea ducks, gulls pigeon guillemot and marbled murrelet, swans, gulls.
Solomon Gulch Hatchery – Black and brown bears, marine mammals, birds, harlequin ducks year round in front of hatchery. Pinks mid to late June to early august; silvers from mid-July through mid-September.
Robe Lake - moose on far end of lake, red salmon spawn in lake, typical forest birds along Robe Road.
Lowe River – 60-100 eagles overwinter along the river, bears, river otters.
Shoup Glacier (tide sensitive) accessible by boat or difficult nearly 13 mile R/T trail. During winter the glacier can be accessed by hiking over frozen lake. Kittiwake rookery, marine mammals and birds.
Keystone Canyon – eagles, swans nest in area of Bridal Veil and Horsetail Falls and may be easily viewed from the highway in small pools along the river.
Pack Trail – forest songbirds. Infrequent mountain goats and other small woodland creatures. What other kinds of wildlife might you encounter along the trail?
