Prince William Sound is a remote area with no road access from our side of the peninsula. Great Alaska guests access this amazing region on day cruises of Kenai FJords National Park, and our fishing guests access it via our 29 foot offshore cruisers, the Stellar and The Fair Chase. There are also access points in Whittier, Cordova and Water taxi companies from Seward as well.
Alaskan Halibut fishing, wildlife and Scenery
Alaskan Halibut fishing, wildlife and Scenery
Alaskan Halibut fishing, wildlife and Scenery
Alaskan Halibut fishing, wildlife and Scenery
Alaskan Halibut fishing, wildlife and Scenery
Prince William Sound
Overview
Prince William Sound is an incredibly rich and beautiful body of water bordered by numerous mountains, glaciers, fjords and shoreline. People love to go fishing, kayaking, wildlife viewing from cruise boats, and camping on the waters and shores of “the Sound.” The Sound has the Kenai Peninsula on its western border, and is surrounded by Chugach National Forest and private lands, mostly owned by the Chugach Alaska Native Corporation.
The Sound’s main towns are Cordova, Valdez, Whittier, and the Native villages of Tatitlek and Chenega. There are roads to Whittier and Valdez, and people take the Alaska State Ferry to roadless communities. Major cruise ships use Whittier and Valdez as turnaround points and destinations, making those ports really good places to start a land-based extension to your Alaska cruise.
History
Humans have lived in and around Prince WIlliam Sound for over 10,000 years, mainly because (really tough) Native people migrated from Asia to North America in kayaks, and they thrived on the area’s rich bounty of subsistence food. Some of these Natives stayed in the Sound and lived in the region. Captain James Cook landed in the Sound in 1778 and named the region to honor King George III’s son, Prince William Henry. Russians harvested furs from the late 1700’s to 1867 when Alaska was sold to the United States. In 1964 the Great Alaska Earthquake and resulting tsunami destroyed Valdez and killed a number of people in the Native Village of Chenega.
Great Alaska Involvement
Great Alaska visits the lower end of Prince William Sound on a regular basis to fish for halibut and rockfish, accessing the area from Seward, just around the corner from the Sound. We use our own 29-foot custom all welded aluminum charter boats, ‘the Fair Chase’ and ‘Stellar.’ Many Great Alaska guests arrive on cruise ships to the Port of Whittier (and Seward – near the Sound) where they are picked up by our staff for a private shuttle to our main lodge on the Kenai Peninsula. The Sound is a little farther and spread out than neighboring Kenai Fjords National Park, and has similar wildlife, glaciers and marine habitat. As a result our guests typically only tour the Sound when the weather in Kenai Fjords is harsh.
In Closing
Prince William Sound is a large and spectacularly beautiful marine-based region in South central Alaska. The Sound shares a common border on the Kenai Peninsula, and a common South central coastline with the neighboring Kenai Fjords National Park. Common activities include offshore fishing, tidewater glacier viewing, watching marine wildlife such as whales, Orcas, Stellar Sea Lions, and puffins and other sea birds.
Great Alaska Trips in Prince William Sound
- Fishing packages that stay for 4+ days at the lodge may venture to the Sound in search of halibut and rockfish;
- We pick up guests from the Ports of Whittier and Seward as a start to any Fishing Lodge or Nature Safari trip.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get to Prince William Sound?
Can I do more activities in Prince William Sound on a Great Alaska trip
Prince William Sound and Kenai Fjords National Park have similar ecosystems, habitat, wildlife, glaciers, and fjords. These highlights in the Sound are spread across hundreds of miles of coastline. In Kenai Fjords, those similar features are in a much more concentrated area. So our guests prefer to visit Kenai Fjords on their busy Alaska vacation. Most of our trips include wildlife and glacier tours in Kenai Fjords, along with hiking, biking and fishing on the Kenai Peninsula.
where is Prince William Sound?
Prince Willam Sound is the nearly open water outside of the town of Seward. From Seward, Resurrection bay runs about 37 miles to Cape Resurrection and the entrance to Prince Willam Sound. Once in the open water (past cape Aialik or Cape resurrection), I let my clients know that if you sailed Southwest, the first landfall you would make is Hawaii! That allows for some pretty big swells on the occasion. Prince william Sound is one of Alaska’s most beautiful Saltwater regions.