Visitor Information

There is no visitor center, but you can contact the Whittier Chamber of Commerce (tel. 907/677-9448; www.whittieralaskachamber.org), which includes a business directory with links on its website.

The people at the Harbormaster's office are helpful and maintain public toilets and showers; it's the two-story building at the harbor (tel. 907/472-2327, ext. 6; www.whittieralaska.gov).

Special Events

Whittier holds a summer-long halibut derby and a silver salmon derby from July 1 through September. The town also has an old-fashioned Fourth of July celebration, beginning with fireworks at midnight on July 3. Contact the Chamber of Commerce, above, for information on any of the events.

Getting There

Getting There

By Car: Take the Seward Highway to the Portage Glacier Road, at mile 78.9 (48 miles from Anchorage). The road through the 2 3/4-mile-long World War II rail tunnel to Whittier is only one lane and also accommodates trains, so you'll have to wait your turn. Get the schedule on the tunnel's website (www.tunnel.alaska.gov), through its phone recording (tel. 877/611-2586 or 907/566-2244), or by tuning to 1610AM in Portage or 530AM in Whittier. Checking the schedule may help you avoid a wait of an hour or more if you miss an opening, but you can also wait if you arrive just on time at peak hours when there can be too many vehicles to get through in one open period. Typically, the crowding comes in the summer around 6 to 7pm Friday to Sunday. In summer, the first opening from Whittier is at 5:30am and the last to Whittier is at 11:15pm. The tunnel closes at night. Winter hours are shorter and changeable, so check ahead. The toll is $12 for cars; $20 for RVs, cars with trailers, or large vans. It is charged only going toward Whittier. Special permits are required for huge vehicles (over 14 ft. high or 10 ft. wide). Parking in Whittier is $10 a day.

By Train: If you take a day trip on the Sound from Anchorage (or Girdwood) -- the way most people use Whittier -- you can leave the car behind and take the train. The large tour operators will book it for you when you buy your boat ticket. The Alaska Railroad (tel. 800/544-0552 or 907/265-2494; www.alaskarailroad.com) runs a daily train timed to match the schedules of Prince William Sound tour boats. Unless you have planned an activity or tour on the water, however, you'll find the 6-hour stay in Whittier is too long to just hang around. The round-trip fare is $80, one-way $65, half price ages 2 to 11.

By Bus: Boat tour operators have buses that can save time and money over the train. Reserve when you buy your boat cruise ticket.

By Ferry: Ferries of the Alaska Marine Highway System (tel. 800/642-0066; www.ferryalaska.com) connect Whittier, Valdez, and Cordova. The fast ferry Chenega crosses 110 miles of Prince William Sound in 3 hours. Passenger areas are enclosed, quiet, and smooth -- hardly like being on a boat at all. The fare from Whittier to Valdez or Cordova is $89 for an adult, half price ages 6 through 11, free 5 and under. A 15-foot car costs $105 to take along. The Whittier-to-Valdez run creates the opportunity for a wonderful loop tour of a couple of days or more: Drive Anchorage to Whittier, take the ferry to Valdez, and then return to Anchorage via the Glenn Highway or continue up the Richardson Highway to Fairbanks and drive back to Anchorage on the Parks Highway.

Whittier is the main port connecting Southeast and Southcentral Alaska via the oceangoing ferry Kennicott. The ship's route runs from Prince Rupert, B.C., to Juneau, across the Gulf of Alaska to Whittier, around the Kenai Peninsula to Homer, and out to Kodiak. The loop takes 2 weeks. The fare for the 2-day voyage between Whittier and Juneau is $221 for adults, $508 for a 15-foot vehicle, and roughly $200 to $350 for a cabin. A Chugach National Forest ranger interprets the scenery on the Prince William Sound ferry in the summer.

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