Portage Valley, Chugach National Forest

Located fifty miles south of Anchorage at the tip of Turnagain Arm, Portage Valley was carved by numerous glaciers that still straddle mountain peaks visible from the valley floor. Heading toward Portage Lake and Begich-Boggs Visitor Center, spruce and cottonwood garnish the mountainside, salmon rush upstream, while moose frequent day-use areas and bear forage on lush summer vegetation. At the end of the valley, shimmering blue icebergs that recently calved off Portage Glacier are drifting to the shore of Portage Lake. Portage Valley has played a key role in providing passage to and from Prince William Sound for the people and animals of Alaska for centuries.