3 great hikes in Whittier, Alaska

The tiny town of Whittier, Alaska is famous for the fact that almost the entire town lives in one condo building. But there are great hikes in Whittier, too — three of them, to be exact. (There is a fourth, often-overgrown, bushwhacky trail to vistas over Blackstone Bay that I am not personally familiar with, but you can read about it here.)

The 3 best hikes in Whittier, Alaska

Because all three of the following trails start in Whittier, let’s establish how you get to Whittier in the first place. There is no commercial airport, but you can sail in on an Alaska Marine Highway state ferry or a cruise ship. And a lot of people get to Whittier by car or train, both of which pass through the longest highway tunnel in North America: the 2.5-mile Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel.

The tunnel is reached from the Seward Highway. Look for the signed turnoff at about mile marker 79, or roughly 50 miles south of Anchorage. There is a toll (currently $13 for passenger vehicles), which only applies to traffic going in to Whittier.

The tunnel is only one lane, so traffic queues up and is released in alternating directions every half-hour. You can check the schedule at the link above, but be ready for occasional delays when traffic comes to a standstill to let a train through the tunnel.

Without further ado, let’s get to those great hikes in Whittier. I’ll start with my favorite, and I’ll give trailhead directions starting from the Whittier end of the tunnel:

1. Portage Pass

Of all the hikes in Whittier — no, of all the hikes in Southcentral Alaska — this is the one I take visitors on if they want a big experience in a relatively short hike.

The Portage Pass trail is hike 66 in my guidebook, Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska. 

Portage Pass trailhead directions

To reach the trailhead: Once in Whittier, take the first right across the train tracks (look for a brown sign denoting forest/trail access) and follow posted signs for the trailhead. But before you go, I suggest checking the weather forecast and the FAA webcam in Whittier. If the weather in the pass isn’t decent, it’s not worth going.

Hiking the Portage Pass trail

Even if you only hike the first, steep 0.8-mile from the trailhead to the pass itself, you what I’d argue is the best view on any of the hikes in Whittier. Assuming the weather is reasonably clear, you’ll see Portage Glacier glimmering ahead of you, while Passage Canal — the deep, blue waters just outside Whittier — beckon from behind. If you continue, it’s about 1.5 miles of easy, sometimes winding trail down to the rocky shore of Portage Lake, with Portage Glacier right on the other side.

For a more complete trail breakdown, check out my post on the Portage Pass trail.

2. Emerald Cove (sometimes known as Shotgun Cove)

The Emerald Cove trail — sometimes also known as the Shotgun Cove trail — has the distinction of being not just the muddiest of hikes in Whittier, but the muddiest hike in Southcentral Alaska. It even beats out the phenomenal mudpit on the flanks of Near Point, which is really saying something.

With that said, if you catch this trail in relatively dry conditions, and you have good balance to deal with slippery bridges and boardwalks, and you have a good attitude about stream crossings, mud on your feet and extremely brushy surroundings, this trail can be the most fun of all the hikes in Whittier, in a jungle-gym, Tough Mudder-style obstacle course sort of way.

The Emerald Cove trail is hike 67 in my guidebook Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska.

Emerald Cove/Shotgun Cove trailhead directions

Once in Whittier, look for an early right turn onto Whittier Street, just as you’re driving into town. At an awkward four-way intersection, continue straight onto Blackstone Road and past the Buckner Building, an abandoned cement barracks. Follow signs for Emerald Cove as you veer right onto rough, unpaved Shotgun Cove Road; be prepared to steer around lots of holes. The trailhead is at the end of the road.

Hiking the Emerald Cove/Shotgun Cove trail

Now that you know about the mud you’re guaranteed to find on this trail, let’s talk about where it can get you: It leads to a pretty little waterfall and three different coves. The third is honestly a fairly miserable hike and “meh” at best, so I strongly recommend using the small but pretty first cove, or the absolutely gorgeous second cove, as your turnaround point for the hike.

The trail is relatively dry and easy until the first major landmark: A small, pretty waterfall, about 0.7-mile in. From there the trail gets narrower and brushier, and you’ll have to ford a few streams that are usually easy to manage, but worth a quick change of footwear or some quick-stepping with waterproof boots and gaiters.

Pay close attention to where you cross streams, because this is where it’s easiest to lose the trail. Of all the hikes in Whittier, this is the brushiest and the one where GPS is of the least-precise use, thanks to thick tree cover.

The first “destination cove,” which I’ve heard called Stair Step Cove, is about 1.5 miles from the trailhead, with a short, steep downhill access. The second “destination cove” is just over 2 miles from the trailhead. It’s spectacular, with a broad shale beach and a small lagoon; passing kayakers have told me it’s called Bight Cove. Even though the trail to this point is, without a doubt, the muddiest and slipperiest of all the hikes in Whittier, Bight Cove really is a worthy destination.

The third cove is called Emerald Cove, but as already mentioned it’s “meh” at best, and really gloomy at worst — especially when it’s littered with fish carcasses left by hungry bears. The first two coves qualify the Emerald Cove trail as one of the prettiest hikes in Whittier, but Emerald Cove itself just qualifies it as one of the “beariest” places I’ve ever been, and not in a good way.

Do keep an eye out for bears along the entire trail — there are fish in those streams, and berries in those bushes — and if you’d like a more thorough trail breakdown, check out my post on Emerald Cove.

3. Horsetail Falls

Horsetail Falls is really only at its best during the spring, when snowmelt sends it thundering enthusiastically down the mountain, or perhaps after a few good rains. However I find this trail well worth hiking in other seasons, thanks to its beautiful views over Whittier and the bright blue waters of Passage Canal beyond. This is also the shortest and easiest of the three established hikes in Whittier.

Horsetail Falls is hike 65 in my guidebook Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska.

Horsetail Falls trailhead directions

From the tunnel, drive into town and look for an early right turn onto Whittier Street. At an awkward four-way intersection, continue straight onto Blackstone Road and past the Buckner Building, an abandoned cement barracks. Follow signs for Horsetail Falls as you veer right onto unpaved Shotgun Cove Road, then take the first right onto Cove Creek Road. Park in a spacious but somewhat uneven gravel pullout at the end of the road; the trail starts on an old gravel roadbed at the far end of the parking area.

Work is also ongoing for a new connector trail that will connect a city park in Whittier to the existing Horsetail Falls trail.

Hiking the Horsetail Falls trail

Like all the other hikes in Whittier, the trail to Horsetail Falls is well-maintained by hard-working trail crews. It also quickly dives into dense thickets of salmonberries and high-bush blueberries. As you might imagine, bear encounters are common here.

Boardwalks help you cross soggier sections of ground and, after about 0.7 miles, vistas start to open up over nearby meadows. Keep an eye out to the west (hiker’s right) for Horsetail Falls, which is beautiful but honestly, not that impressive at a distance. The best views come when the trail ends at a platform with stunning views over the city of Whittier and Passage Canal just beyond.

I have to admit it took me years to even figure out which waterfall is supposed to be Horsetail Falls, since it’s not marked on any map I’ve ever seen. For a picture showing what it looks like, and a more extensive trail breakdown, check out my post on Horsetail Falls.