State Marine Parks in Prince William Sound and
Resurrection Bay
(Prince William Sound)
(Printer
version State Marine Parks in Prince William Sound and
Resurrection Bay)
Prince William Sound and Resurrection Bay are premier ecosystems with a diversity of wildlife and habitat. Enclosed by high mountains and glaciers, and protected from the high seas by barrier islands, the area is a boater’s paradise. Fiords, bays, coves, lakes, glaciers, mountains and hundreds of islands provide a rich and unspoiled beauty.
Safety on the Water
Because the Sound and Resurrection Bay is surrounded by mountains filled with
glaciers adjacent to a relatively warm ocean current, the weather tends to be
quite wet and cool. The weather is unpredictable and though the Sound is
protected, can become a flurry of whitecaps. Be prepared to "weather out" a
storm and ready to arrive late at your destination. Cellular phone service is
limited to local areas near communities, so carry a VHF radio for emergency
situations and be prepared to take care of yourself in PWS as the U.S. Coast
Guard or other boats may not be nearby. The area's vast size and limited
development provides a true wilderness setting.
Low Impact Camping
To maintain the wilderness character and preserve the ecological conditions of
the beaches and forests of the marine parks, visitors are encouraged to practice
low impact camping techniques. These techniques include relying on gas stoves
for cooking, rather than firewood, and camping on the beach when tides allow in
place of the more sensitive forest floor covering.
Please remove all trash from the park. Campsites should look the same before and
after use. Most of the environment in the Sound, both above and below water, is
fragile and can easily be damaged.
Although sport hunting and fishing are allowed, as is berry picking for personal
consumption, all flowers, non-game animals and marine life should be left for
others to enjoy. Take proper precautions when storing food. Bears are found even
on the islands.
Boats may not dump their wastes within park boundaries. Giardia, as will as
other wilderness parasites found in the Sound, can be removed by treating your
drinking water in one of one of several ways: chemical, filtration or boiling.
Access
Please note that access to any of these parks is by floatplane or boat. Shoup
Bay SMP near Valdez can additionally be accessed by a foot trail. All towns have
multiple access, but Cordova is limited to airplane and ferry - no roads connect
the town to the rest of the state. See a list of authorized commercial taxi
services for Prince William Sound.
State Marine Parks Near the Town
of Whittier:
Many of the parks in Prince William Sound can be reached from Whittier. There
are seven parks near Port Wells and another further south on Latouche Island.
These parks offer the weekend boater plenty of options for protected anchorages
in forested or glaciated surroundings. Special attractions include wildlife
viewing, good camping areas, historic sites and one of the world’s largest fish
hatcheries.
State Marine Parks Near the Town
of Valdez:
Sawmill Bay, Shoup Bay and Jack Bay SMPs offer a variety of recreational
opportunities within an hour’s boat ride from Valdez. While located next to the
main shipping channel to the Valdez Oil Terminal, these parks offer excellent
opportunities for a wilderness experience. The serene, forest-ringed Sawmill Bay
SMP offers protected anchorages and good camping. For island camping and a
fair-weather anchorage, visit Jack Bay SMP. Shoup Glacier spills into an
iceberg-filled saltwater lagoon accessible on most high tides by small
shallow-drafted boats. Visitors will enjoy views of the glacier, interesting
geologic features and a large kittiwake rookery.
State Marine Parks Near the Town
of Cordova:
Three diverse marine parks are located near Cordova. Canoe Passage SMP is a
shallow wetlands passage cutting through Hawkins Island. Boswell Bay SMP,
adjacent to the Copper River Delta Critical Habitat Area, contains vast
tidelands and high energy beaches. Beachcombers and wildlife watchers will find
this area an excellent spot for exploring. Kayak Island SMP is located at the
approximate site of the landing of the Bering Expedition in 1741 - the first
Europeans to set foot in Alaska. A large dagger of land thrust out into the
cold, unpredictable waters of the Gulf of Alaska, it offers a rare adventure to
the few who visit it.
State Marine Parks Near the Town
of Seward:
The five marine parks in Resurrection Bay and Day Harbor are all popular boating
destinations with protected anchorage, good seasonal fishing, dramatic views of
glaciers, sharp rocky spires, dense forests and exceptional wildlife viewing.
There are few good upland sites for camping, but all the parks have good camping
spots along the shoreline.
Please Protect the Parks
In this wilderness setting, no public facilities are provided. To maintain the
wilderness character of the area, please practice low impact use and camping.
Fires are allowed only on ocean
beaches below mean high tide. Portable fuel burning stoves and designated fire
pits must be used elsewhere. Use only dead and down wood. Cutting live or
standing trees is prohibited.
For hunting and fishing regulations, contact the Alaska Department of Fish and
Game.
Commercial operators must have a permit to operate within park units.
Pack out what you pack in. Trash collection is not provided.
Target shooting or discharge of any weapon is prohibited, except for legal
hunting and lawful defense against wildlife.
Disturbing cultural or historic objects is prohibited.
For your own safety, please follow all applicable U.S. Coast Guard regulations.
Source: Alaska State Parks.
For more information on Alaska State Parks, visit the Alaska State Parks web site.
Alaska
National Parks
Denali National Park,
Kenai Fjords National Park,
Lake Clark National Park,
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park
Alaska State
Parks by Region
Anchorage,
Interior Alaska,
Kenai Peninsula,
Kodiak,
Mat-Su
Valley,
Prince William Sound,
Southeast Alaska,
Southwest Alaska
Alaska State Parks by Name
Anchor River State Recreation Area and Stariski SRS,
Birch Lake
State Recreation Site,
Caines Head State Recreation Area and Resurrection Bay State Marine Parks,
Captain
Cook State Recreation Area,
Chena
River State Recreation Area,
Chena
River State Recreation Site,
Chilkat Bald
Eagle Preserve,
Chugach State Park,
Clam Gulch
State Recreation Area,
Deep Creek
State Recreation Area,
Delta
Junction Area State Parks,
Denali State Park,
Haines Area State
Parks,
Harding
Lake State Recreation Area,
Independence Mine State Historical Park,
Kachemak Bay State Park and State Wilderness Park,
Kasilof Area State
Parks,
Kenai
River Special Management Area,
Kodiak Area State
Parks,
Nancy Lake State Recreation Area,
Ninilchik
State Recreation Area,
Point Bridget
State Park,
Salcha
River State Recreation Site,
Sitka Area State Parks,
State Marine Parks in Prince William Sound and Resurrection Bay,
Summit Lake
State Recreation Site, Tok
Area Parks,
Totem Bight
State Historical Park,
Upper Chatanika State Recreation Site,
Wickersham State Historic Site,
Wood-Tikchik
State Park
