# Valdez

Come to Alaska and see for yourself the skiers and riders who came for one season, and decided to stay a lifetime.
Home to 17 of the highest peaks in the United States—including the towering 20,320-foot Mount McKinley located in Denail National Park—over 100,000 glaciers, and 70 potentially active volcanoes, heli-skiing is the major attraction for destination winter visitors. In recent years, a sophisticated winter tourism industry, catering to powder seekers, has evolved from simple beginnings, serving ardent mountaineers and adventurers, to a world-class infrastructure featuring sophisticated helicopters, certified guides and apres ski creature comforts which rival resorts in the lower 48.
Off the slopes, winter visitors can take in the spectacular scenery by snowmobile, dog sled, train or even a charter fishing boat. Despite the state’s reputation for extreme winter temperatures, coastal areas, like the heli-skiing mecca of Valdez, enjoy rather temperate Pacific climate systems, with an average January high temperature of 37.5 degrees F. By March, Valdez’s average high temperature reaches a balmy 44.7 degrees. Needless to say, the snows linger long into the spring on the high peaks, offering some of the best late-season skiing and riding in the world.

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