Begich, Boggs Visitor Center 7. Williwaw Campground 10. Tours 12. Gary Williams Nature Trail Points of Interest 4. Tangle Pond A 60-site fully accessible campground designed for RV and Hour long tours of Portage Lake to Portage Glacier, operated (see circular map) Opened to the public in 1986, and rededicated with new exhibits Another trout fishing location in the valley. tent camping. Paved sites with pull-through style parking pads, by Holland America under a special use permit with the An easy, self-guided trail showing glacial effects upon in 2001, the Begich, Boggs Visitor Center is built upon the Portage Valley offers visitors a lot to see and do, from 5. Black Bear Campground campfire rings, bear-proof dumpsters, hand-water pumps, Forest Service. Forest Service interpreters provide narration the landscape. Length: 1/4 mile loop. Time: 20 minutes. terminal moraine left behind by Portage Glacier in 1914. hiking and camping, to fishing, wildlife viewing and A 13-site campground designed for tent and small RV outhouses, picnic tables and bear-proof food containers. No during each trip. Cruise operates from mid-May through mid- Elevation gain: 25 ft. photography. Here are a few places you won’t want to hookups or dump station. September. For information on trip times, ticket prices and The visitor center offers an unique opportunity to learn about camping. Cleared sites, campfire rings, bear-proof dumpster, 13. Portage Glacier Lodge miss! reservations call: (907) 783-2983. the , America’s second largest national bear-proof food containers, water pump, picnic tables and 8. Williwaw Ponds (see circular map) 1. Moose Flats Day Use Area outhouses. No hookups or dump station. forest. Trout fishing opportunities exist. 11. Portage Pass Trail Privately owned gift shop and restaurant operated year A great spot to stop and have a picnic, enjoy a 1/2 mile walk Trail starts on the Whittier side of the tunnel. This moderate around under special use permit from the Forest Service. 6. Williwaw Fish Viewing Platform 9. Byron Glacier Trail on the interpretive boardwalk trail, or do a little trout fishing. trail leads to Portage Pass with spectacular views of Portage For more information, please call (907) 783-3117. Award-winning exhibits, educational presentations, the film Late July through early September you can see salmon An easy to moderate trail along Byron Creek to the snowfield “Voices from the Ice,” information services, and an Lake and Glacier, and the surrounding sub-alpine terrain. 2. Alder Pond traveling up the creek to spawn. Species normally seen are at the foot of Byron Glacier. Avalanche danger exists If you plan on fishing, be sure to check the Alaska Natural History Association bookstore are available to serve the Length: 1 mile. Time: One-two hours. Elevation gain: 750 feet. Try your luck or practice your technique at this trout fishing red (sockeye), chum (dog), and pink (humpy). Williwaw Nature throughout winter and into spring. Length: 0.8 miles (rough Department of Fish and Game’s fishing regulations public. location. Trail starts here. This easy 1/2 mile trail connects the viewing trail surface). Time: one hour round trip. Elevation gain: 100 ft. Tunnel schedule information is available by calling before you go. platform to Williwaw ponds. The creek near the trail is closed 3. Explorer Glacier Viewing Area (907) 566-2244 from Anchorage or toll-free (877) 611-2586. to salmon fishing. This area offers a great view of Explorer Glacier. Keep a lookout for signs of beaver activity in the area.

Trail of Blue Ice

Portage Glacier tunnels Day Lodge

BEGICH, BOGGS VISITOR CENTER HOURS Summer Winter Sunday 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Closed Tuesday 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Closed Wednesday 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Closed Thursday 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Closed Friday 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Closed Saturday 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Summer hours begin on Memorial Day weekend and run through the end of September. Winter hours subject to change due to weather closures. Call (907) 783-2326 (Begich, Boggs Visitor Center) or (907) 783-3242 (Glacier Ranger District) for the current hours of operation. CHUGACH NATIONAL FOREST • PORTAGE, ALASKA welcome to PORTAGE VALLEY

R10-RG-159 revised Portage Pass is a narrow land land is a narrow Portage Pass William bridge between Prince Sound Arm. As and Turnagain the two the air pressure between high areas equalizes, extremely These winds can be created. snapped 50 foot winds have away twigs, peeled flagpoles like asphalt, and lifted boxcars from asphalt, and lifted boxcars the railroad tracks. Be prepared for quick changes in weather. Heavy Heavy changes in weather. quick Be prepared for time. at any and strong winds can occur rain/snow hypothermia. warm and dry yourself to avoid Keep Avoid away! mind that medical help is far in Keep the proper equipment having dangerous situations by necessary the adventure and experience to tackle planned. have you of freezing Periods ice in the winter. off the lake Stay the ice very the winter make throughout and thawing unstable. in the even Valley in Portage danger exists Avalanche surroundings and of your Be aware summer months. conditions. to evaluate how know noise when hiking, Make Don’t approach wildlife! and learn to handle areas, how especially in brushy an encounter with a wild animal. bolt out in front Be alert moose and bear that may for vehicle. of your Play It Safe And Enjoy Your Stay Your And Enjoy It Safe Play

Wild Weather Wild to a variety is host Valley Portage its location, Due to the As clouds rise over situations. of wild weather on the and snow drop lots of rain they mountains and Kenai Chugach Anchorage only in though it may be sunny So even below. mountains rains in heavy driving force winds there may be gale 55 miles away Portage Valley. Valley Strong winds in Portage only branches create flag trees; on the side out of the wind. grow

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- but on leashes. WILDLIFE CHECKLIST (continued) live. learn where they pink (humpy) salmon pink (humpy) salmon red (sockeye) (coho) salmon silver chum (dog) salmon for and telephoto lenses porcupine short-tailed weasel coyote grey wolf hoary marmot snowshoe hare red squirrel red-backed vole common shrew Dolly Varden rainbow trout at anytime, LAND WATER spotting scopes, Which have you seen? you have Which Portage Valley is a wild place! From the tini From the place! is a wild Valley Portage est of shrews to the largest Alaskan moose - many - many moose Alaskan to the largest est of shrews creatures call Portage Valley home. With a few tips, some a few With home. Valley Portage creatures call onsiderate of wildlife.onsiderate common goldeneye beaver black-billed magpie bald eagle fox sparrow warbler Wilson’s orange-crowned warbler golden-crowned sparrow common redpoll ruby-crowned kinglet jay Steller’s common merganser moose brown bear black bear mountain goat These animals live in Portage Valley. in Portage animals live These AIR LAND the best views. that may behavior in the animal’s alert changes for too close! indicate that you’re animals! vehicle. home or in your the law! against need to adjust your may - you of the day the middle to fit theirs. schedule it requires patience and a little luck. Watchable Wildlife Watchable patience, and a little luck, you’ll be able to make your wildlife en your to make be able a little luck, you’ll patience, and memorable. and counters enjoyable • Be c • Use binoculars, • - be wildlife and any you distance between a safe Keep • and the you for dangerous wild animals — it’s feed Never • them at best to leave — it’s pets under control your Keep • keep them pets always When hiking with • is OK — it reason is never any animals for Harassing wild • wildlife, where to look for know To • Remember most species aren’t going to be active during • can be seen anywhere, Wildlife is named after Congressmen The Visitor The Visitor Center of Alaska and of Alaska of Nick Begich along with their pilot Don They, . Brown, Jonz, and congressional aide Russel L. this important transportation link for people. this important transportation from disappeared in 1972 en route to Juneau between and Cook Inlet. Sound and Cook Inlet. William between Prince Whittier provide the railroad and tunnel to Today, across these glaciers using them as a ‘portage’ using them as a ‘portage’ across these glaciers early traders, miners, and indigenous peoples traveled and indigenous peoples traveled early traders, miners, 2003 found. Before Portage and Burns Glaciers began their latest retreats, their Burns Glaciers began Before Portage and over flew were last heard from as they They Anchorage. been No sign of the men or their plane has ever Portage Pass. Why is the Ice Blue? is the Why know? Did you Glacier ice is formed under the weight of countless snowfalls, which which snowfalls, of countless the weight under ice is formed Glacier or Sunlight, ice. dense, compact leaving most of the air, squeezes out — with each the colors of the spectrum is made up of all white light, the ice ice, like In regular energy. amount of different a color having white light — creating the scatter the air bubbles the in your freezer, energy ice, the lower glacier strikes When sunlight appearance. has the which and only the blue color, absorbed by the ice colors are eye! is reflected back to the most energy, Portage Glacier Portage

Portage Glacier — A Century of Change. Glacier — Portage Glaciers today, Yet, past. times long us of ice remind of rivers These land. influence on the to exert their giants continue these icy Alaska. South-central can be seen throughout effects Their include: signs of glacial activity more common Some of the Portage Glacier has advanced and retreated over the years, due to climatic fluctuations. This diagram illustrates the retreat of retreat This diagram illustrates the due to climatic fluctuations. the years, over and retreated Glacier has advanced Portage and the main Lake position of Portage the current The blue colors show the last century. Glaciers over and Burns both Portage Glacier. of Burns and the main retreat tones indicate land The brown Glacier. of Portage retreat Moraines flow are deposited by glaciers as they piles of rock and debris Large on built the visitor center is In fact, valleys. or retreat from, down, Glacier deposited by Portage that was a terminal (end) moraine its most recent and 1914, when it began between the late 1890s retreat. Silt and Portage blue coloration of Portage Lake The unique milky stays suspended in the Creek is due to the silt or rock flour that pick up they the landscape, the rocks over As glaciers move water. the mountainsides, creating the fine grind against along the way particles. dust-like U-shaped valleys U-shaped create the sides and bottom of the glacier Rocks embedded along scouring piece of sandpaper, a large qualities as the same erosive by the deposited with silt and gravel This, along the mountainside. like valleys flat-bottomed (or U-shaped) create steep-walled, glacier, Portage. -

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t or (907) 743-9500 Anchorage, AK 99503 3301 C Street, Suite 300 3301 C Street, Glacier Ranger Distric Glacier Ranger Chugach National Forest Chugach www.fs.fed.us/r10/chugach Begich, Boggs Visitor Center Visitor Boggs Begich, For more information about information more For (907) 783-2326 or (907) 783-3242 (907) 783-2326 PO Box 129, Girdwood, AK 99587 Girdwood, PO Box 129, Portage Valley please contact: please Valley Portage Forest Service National Forest, • Chugach USDA TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity is an and employer. USDA provider TDD). All photos © 2003 Burnie Shultz il Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, Room 326-W, il Rights, and 20250–9410 or call (202) 720–5964 (voice D.C. Washington, SW, To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civ Director, file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, To USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720–2600 (voice and TDD). and Center at (202) 720–2600 (voice TARGET USDA’s with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of communication for with disabilities who require alternative means should contact large print, etc.) audiotape, (Braille, information program sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital sexual political beliefs, disability, religion, age, sex, Persons (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) status. or family The U.S. Department prohibits discrimination in Agriculture of (USDA) The U.S. national origin, color, and activities on the basis of race, all its programs