Imagine gliding across a glacier fed lake into an electric blue ice cave.
The only sound is water dripping from the roof of the cave.
You are completely surrounded by smooth, crystal-like ice.
You can experience all this and more in Valdez Glacier Lake. Located in Valdez, Alaska, this glacier fed lake is just one of many incredible kayaking experiences you can have. Many people come to the 49th state hoping to step foot into the elusive ice caves. Sadly, the most famous ones of Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau have melted as of 2022. There are still ice caves left in Matanuska Glacier, Root Glacier, and Spencer Glacier but you’ll want to hurry up and get there!
Another option is kayaking in ice caves in the icebergs of Valdez Lake. This experience is otherworldly and was one of our favorite things we did on our road trip of Alaska. Read on to learn how you, too, can experience kayaking Valdez Glacier Lake.
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How to Get to Valdez
Valdez, Alaska is located 300 miles east (5-6 hours) of Anchorage, Alaska. Take the Glenn Highway east out of Anchorage, when you get to Glenallen, turn right to head south on the Richardson Highway. The Richardson Highway will take you straight to Valdez. We drove to Valdez in our campervan and found the whole drive, especially through Thompson Pass, stunning. Alternatively you can take a 45 minute flight over the Chugach Mountains from Anchorage through Ravn Air. You can also take the Alaska Marine Highway ferry from Whittier to Valdez. If we could do our road trip over, we would take the ferry to eliminate driving a repeat route down the Glenn Highway, we’ve heard the boat trip from Whittier to Valdez is incredible. Each option is beautiful and scenic so you can’t go wrong!
Where to Stay in Valdez
If you are traveling by RV or tent camping, there are several places for boondocking, or free camping, in Valdez. We have a whole post on how we find free campsites in our self converted campervan. If you require camping with hookup, there are multiple campgrounds located in downtown Valdez. The closest campground to Valdez Glacier Lake is the Valdez Glacier Campground. If you do not have an RV, there are several options for lodging from hotels to cabins and bed and breakfasts.
Valdez Weather
Valdez gets some form of precipitation 200 days a year. They have an average 70 inches of rain per year, double the average in the United States. When we visited, we stayed for a week and didn’t have a single day without rain! The best thing to do is invest in good rain gear and embrace the weather! Valdez also happens to be the snowiest place in Alaska, getting 500 inches of snow in Thompson Pass! July is the best time to visit with average temperatures in the 60s and the lowest chance of rain. Valdez Glacier Lake does freeze in the winter, tours don’t begin until June 1st.
What to Pack for Kayaking Valdez Glacier Lake
You’ll want to dress in warm layers to kayak Valdez Glacier Lake. Glaciers create what is called katabatic winds, this is the movement of cold dense air downhill to warmer less dense air. This phenomenon means the glacier lake is far colder than anywhere else in the area. We wore wool base layers, puffy jackets, shells, rain pants, waterproof gloves, and hats. Avoid wearing cotton as it will get very cold when wet, wool or other synthetic materials are best. If you are self guided, you’ll want to bring your own dry bag to keep gear in. We also packed a change of clothes in our dry bag in case anything catastrophic happened on the water.
How to Kayak Valdez Glacier Lake
By Tour
Anadyr Adventures offers a 5-6 hour Valdez Glacier Lake Kayak tour for $149. The advantage of going with a tour company is that the guides will know exactly where to take you, there is also an added element of safety. A guide will take you around the lake in inflatable kayaks through ice formations, around moraines, and towards the glacier face. Neoprene gloves and dry packs are provided but you’ll want to bring all the things we mentioned above. Tours are offered June 1st-September 20th. Anadyr Adventures provides a packing list here. You can also utilize this packing list if you are self guided. Anadyr Adventures also offers kayak tours to Columbia Glacier and Shoup Glacier.
Self Guided
Be aware that kayaking Valdez Glacier Lake self guided is risky. You should have kayaking experience and cold water immersion experience. If you are not comfortable with your experience level, you should book through a tour. If you have your own kayak, you can do a self guided tour of the lake. You can rent a kayak and other gear through Valdez Stay and Play if you don’t have your own. We took our inflatable kayak out and had the adventure of a lifetime. Never kayak alone and be sure to tell someone when you leave and when they should expect you to check in when you return. A Garmin In Reach is not a bad investment for self guided excursions like these.
Conditions are always changing in the lake due to icebergs moving but we opted to head east to the farthest point in the lake then come around the largest icebergs until we saw an opening. There are shallow parts and there is quite a bit of shale so we didn’t want to risk bottoming out in our inflatable kayak. We brought a patch kit, pump, and extra set of clothes in case we had any emergency with our kayak.
We spent three hours kayaking in the lake and found two ice caves as well as a unique split in an iceberg. Be cautious when approaching icebergs and caves. Look up at the roof to ensure there is thick ice above you. If the ice looks thin above you, do not enter into a cave. Ultimately it’s up to your comfort level whether you want to take a tour or kayak self guided.
There are so many incredible things to do in Valdez, Alaska but kayaking Valdez Glacier Lake may be one of the best. Kayaking into the ice caves is one of our favorite memories from Alaska. Whether you take a tour with Anadyr Adventures or take a self guided trip, you are sure to remember the experience for a lifetime. Get out and explore the glacier lake while you still can!
Other Epic Alaska Adventures:
Katmai National Park: The Bear Viewing Capitol of the World
Wrangell St. Elias National Park: A Complete Guide
Once in a lifetime experience! Your photos are beautiful, they remind me of the ice caves in Iceland I saw.
Thank you, it was an experience to remember for sure! Iceland shares a lot of similarities to Alaska, we found ourselves making comparisons a lot during this trip!
Wow! What an adventure! Such beautiful photos too. Thanks so much for sharing this!
Ah I love kayaking! This looks like such an amazing experience! I’d love to kayak Valdez Glacier Lake one day, thanks for the great guide!
Kayaking into the ice caves is one thing I would love to experience as well. The last photo is just beautiful…speaks a lot.