KOA Journey campgrounds are the perfect oases after a day on the road. Whether it’s along the way or a quick getaway, they’ve got you covered. Located near the highways and byways of North America with long Pull-thru RV Sites, they deliver convenience to the traveling camper. Pull in, ease back and take a load off.
KOA Journey campgrounds are the perfect oases after a day on the road. Whether it’s along the way or a quick getaway, they’ve got you covered. Located near the highways and byways of North America with long Pull-thru RV Sites, they deliver convenience to the traveling camper. Pull in, ease back and take a load off.
Valdez KOA is located at MM 2 on Richardson Highway. Go approximately 1 mile past Dayville Rd; campground is on the right.
Late arrivals with a reservation, please check the office/General Store door for a map to your site and campground information; proceed directly to your site using the map. For After Hours arrivals without a reservation, please follow the instructions on the night registration board located on the porch of the office/General Store.
TEXT or Call during office hours: 907-835-2723,or Email: [email protected]
Campground Store is open 9am - 5pm. daily.
Phone Help Desk Team operate 9am to 5pm. daily,
Welcome to Valdez, Alaska; a largely undiscovered, incredibly beautiful hidden gem of a destination. In our opinion, Valdez is one of the most spectacular places on Earth! The blue of the Sound and sky, black and white soaring mountains nestling around the quaint fishing town, boats bobbing in the marina, sparkling sun, purple fireweed set against green grass, and free-roaming abundant wildlife create a feeling of wonder and an experience you will never forget.
Photo: One of the views from our RV Park and Campground in Valdez.
In the following guide, we'll share local stories, insider tips, and a range of area cultural and outdoor adventure offerings to help you plan your Valdez Alaska adventure.
The Wildlife
The Valdez area (and our campground) is often visited by moose, the occasional black bear bumbles through, foxes, eagles, and an occasional elusive lynx.
Out on the water, you’ll see whales, sea lions sunning on the icebergs, and adorable sea otters swimming belly up while they look at you and eat their shellfish. HUGE fish swim the waters and even amateur fishermen catch them!
The Fishing
Allow us to share a brief side story (this is NOT a fish tale). On a fishing excursion, campground owner Jason and his sister-in-law Heather each caught halibut of 115 and 125 pounds!
The halibut is the most unimaginably delicious fish—tender firm and flakey at the same time, with the most delicious flavor. We have some wonderful recipes for halibut. Easy Freeze Inc. will fillet it, flash freeze it and FedEx it to the destination of your choice.
Local Alaskans come each year for their catch to savor over the long winter. You can also fish huge salmon, giant prawns, and many other species (as of December 2023 we have about 30 pounds of freshly caught halibut and salmon in our freezer!).
The Climate
The climate of Valdez is like a rainforest microclimate. You can escape the oppressive summer heat, as temps here get to a maximum average of around 70 degrees. Frequent rain keeps things green and blooming, and the sunny days are just astonishingly, sparklingly gorgeous. The air is incredibly clear and pristine.
Endless Outdoor Adventure
In and around Valdez there are many things to do and see. There are trails to be hiked, kayaking adventures, winter skiing (including heliskiing), ATV adventures, survival camp adventures, helicopter tours, charter fishing expeditions, harbor cruises to view the whales, sea lions, glaciers, and icebergs up close and many local restaurants to sample (some that serve freshly caught seafood from the Sound). The local museum has the incredible history of Valdez, once wiped out by a tsunami created by a nearby earthquake, and the history of the pipeline, which terminates in Valdez.
You can also simply come and camp in your RV, get a cozy cabin, or tent camp and hike and relax.
Whatever your style---come and experience undiscovered Valdez, Alaska; it’s a place you will never in your life be able to forget.
After Valdez, continue your adventures and homebase at our brother and sister KOA parks where you can travel the “triangle.” One common route is to head from Valdez to Fairbanks then down to Denali, then the Kenai peninsula, ending back in Anchorage.
You can also fly right into Valdez from Anchorage on Ravn Airlines. The flight from Anchorage to Valdez is one of the most beautiful views you’ll see EVER. After your flight, come stay with us at the Valdez KOA in one of our cozy cabins! Or fly into Anchorage, rent an RV, and drive the triangle—Kenai-Fairbanks-Valdez-Anchorage.
Let’s be honest. You could spend a lifetime in Valdez and never run out of amazing outdoor adventure opportunities. So allow us to help you narrow it down. The following are some ways to spend a couple of days based on your outdoor preferences.
Boat tours, ATV tours, glacier cruises, kayak and raft tours, flightseeing, wilderness guides
No matter if you enjoy being an active participant or would rather sit back, relax and observe, there are lots of options. Either way, you’ll be immersed in incredible beauty, the joy of getting out there and bringing back memories that will last forever.
Hiking
Hike any of the local trails to get spectacular views. Trails range from the more flat and fairly easy Dock Point Trail with beautiful views of the Sound to the historic Trail of 1898 that was part of the gold rush, to the Goat Trail or Shoup Bay Trail for Shoup Glacier viewing (difficult/advanced). We promise your resulting Instagram feed will be unparalleled.
Fishing and Fishing Charters
Spend a day on a fishing charter. While you are out having one of the most authentic Alaskan experiences ever, you’ll see glaciers, icebergs, incredible views, sea creatures (whales, sea lions, sea otters, eagles) AND you’ll come back with edible treasure. Charters range from several hundred dollars to several thousand depending on whether you want to rent a seat or a whole boat. Gear is provided. If you think about the cost of fish in the grocery store per pound, you will probably easily make back your money and have the most delicious year’s worth of seafood and a crazy-cool adventure (plus bragging rights). The fish are HUGE around Valdez and they are swimming in super clean waters. Halibut, pink, silver, and king salmon, rockfish, prawns and many other species abound.
Easy Freeze has been in business since 1987 and is perfectly set up to prepare, filet, and flash freeze your catch and ship it FedEx to wherever you want. Win up to $10,000 if you take place in the fishing derby and happen to catch the biggest salmon or halibut!
We like to eat, so you’ll find most of our local tips revolve around food! The following are our go-tos:
Photo: Jason and Kristin Britt, KOA hosts, at the Nat Shack.
The Nat Shack - crunch wraps—yum! My favorite is the Banh MI, while my husband likes a taco wrap called The Classic.
The Fat Mermaid - extensive menu with many delicious choices.
Sacred Grounds - coffee delights (the Mexican Mocha is our favorite)
Safeway - if you want something low-key and delicious, the hot, ready-to-eat chicken strips are so delicious that all of the locals buy them up and they usually sell out. Also their donut holes and scrumptious and tend to sell out.
Old Town Diner - hamburgers and fries that are cooked to perfection by a talented line cook. They are particularly flavorful and mouth-wateringly delightful.
The Prospector is a great store to shop for gear (both good looking and practical stuff), local artist's shop, The Painted Moose and Valdez Art Co-op, a cooperative shop of local artists all with various styles and mediums.
On the road, drive slow and consider NOT driving after dark. There is wildlife in the road constantly. We rounded a corner coming around Destruction Bay and-----GOATS everywhere! What the heck?! And watch out for big bangly beautiful moose!
ENJOY the trip, be in the moment, turn off the device and spend most of your time looking outside and/or being outside. Oh my gosh—it’s been so fun Rv-ing from New Hampshire to Alaska and back! First of all, we love the adventures we have on the cross-country trip and the sights we see. Adding to that, driving through Canada is incredible. Though we’ve gone different ways, we usually drive Highway 90 from New Hampshire west and cross the border at Great Falls, Montana. In Canada, there are LOOOOONG stretches of road with VERY little traffic, and Canada has these incredible pull-outs all along the way, where you can boondock with astounding 360-degree views. It feels like your own world. You might be right next to the road, but there is no one ON the road; I know it’s hard to believe but the highway will be completely empty and quiet. It makes it feel like your own million acres. So quiet and beautiful and private.
We always see herds of buffalo families everywhere across the road with little buffalo babies, as well as sighting bears frequently foraging next to the road, many moose and other creatures; especially in British Columbia. And Alaska is so unspoiled. The air is clear, colors more brilliant than other places. And the light is different. Partly I suspect, because the air is so clean. Alaskans are self-reliant but help each other. It feels like little time has passed since early days. Life is more dependent on the vicissitudes of Mother Nature. Alaskans are independent, they are frugal and respectful of resources, they are kind, they are hospitable, and challenges abound. It’s a wonderfully different and interesting place.
We LOVE to hear about all of your adventures while in Valdez. Your enjoyment and experience in Valdez brings us enjoyment. It’s one of the main reasons why we do this. Our top two values are friendliness and cleanliness, and we want you to remember our campground that way—super friendly and super clean. We are constantly working to use the campground’s income to modernize, update, and beautify. We have some big plans for our future and hope you will come back to visit us again and again.
Come on up and stay with us. Text us for another bundle of firewood or snacks to be delivered to your site and make sure to visit us in our camp store for a great souvenir or two and to tell us about your stay before you go.
Experience the adventure of Alaska and the beauty of Valdez – a trip and destination you will remember throughout your years! We visited once, and fell so in love with Valdez we went back and brought my brother and his girlfriend up to see it in 2010. They then left their life in Chicago and bought Bettles Lodge in Bettles, Alaska! When the opportunity came up in 2018 to potentially buy the campground, we took a year to consider, then left our 20 year careers to change gears and buy the campground there from our parents (who founded it) because we love it so much. We want you to see it and love it too. Valdez is simply unforgettable.
That doesn't mean this area has to always be empty. When you start reviewing camping options, your history will display here to help compare sites and find the best stay. You will be able to share your stay information with friends or family and save it for a later time if you have a KOA Account.
Make checkout easy by booking all your reservations at once. Add your sites from different campgrounds into your shopping cart* and then choose checkout.
