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Whittier is located on the northeastern corner of the Kenai Peninsula, about 60 miles (97 km)
southeast of Anchorage. It was built by the US Navy during WW II for its ice-free, deep water
port. It is situated on two river bed deltas between the mountains and Passage Canal, a
deep water fjord leading to Prince William Sound. Passage Canal averages a 1.5 miles (2.4 km)
wide and 600 feet (183 meters) deep. The ports' cargo facilities allow for freight transfer
from sea/train barges to the rail line that operates to Anchorage and points north.
During the summer months Whittier is very busy port. The small boat harbor has 350 slips and it is
center of activity for charter boat fishing, sailing, scuba diving, kayaking and day boat
excursions into Prince William Sound. Like Seward, Whittier is also an Alaskan terminus for
major cruise lines operating 7 day cruises from Vancouver, BC.
Directly across Passage Canal from the harbor is a Kittiwake Rookery, home to thousands of the
black footed seabirds. Visitors often hike along the waters' edge to beach comb and pick the
mouthwatering salmonberries and blueberries found while walking along the harbor or hiking the
Portage Pass or Horse Tail Falls trail. The entire community is surrounded by
the Chugach National Forest, the second largest in the United States.
Population: 181
Location: Whittier is on the Passage Canal in the northeast region of the Kenai Peninsula.
Access: To the north, there is road and railroad access to Anchorage, Talkeetna,
Denali and Fairbanks.
To the south, one can travel by road to Seward,
Soldoatna and Homer.
To reach Whittier, visitors will drive or ride the train through North America's
longest vehicle tunnel, the 2.5 mile (4 km) Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel. This World War II era train
tunnel was converted into a unique railroad and vehicle tunnel in early 2000. The Alaska state
ferry system makes regular port calls on Whittier from Valdez and Cordova.
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