College Fjord

Located on the northern edge of Prince William Sound in Southcentral Alaska, College Fjord is home to a multitude of large and small glaciers, including five tidewater glaciers that actively calve icebergs into the fjord. The fjord was discovered by the 1899 Harriman Expedition, and professors onboard named glaciers after top East Coast colleges, including Harvard, Yale, Wellesley, Vassar, Williams, Bryn Mawr, Holyoake, Radcliffe, Smith, Dartmouth, and Barnard. Today, many cruise ship itineraries include time in this impressive bay, particularly near the faces of the two largest glaciers: Harvard and Yale. These glaciers are fed by snows ...

Located on the northern edge of Prince William Sound in Southcentral Alaska, College Fjord is home to a multitude of large and small glaciers, including five tidewater glaciers that actively calve icebergs into the fjord. The fjord was discovered by the 1899 Harriman Expedition, and professors onboard named glaciers after top East Coast colleges, including Harvard, Yale, Wellesley, Vassar, Williams, Bryn Mawr, Holyoake, Radcliffe, Smith, Dartmouth, and Barnard. Today, many cruise ship itineraries include time in this impressive bay, particularly near the faces of the two largest glaciers: Harvard and Yale. These glaciers are fed by snows falling in the Chugach Mountains, and the entire area lies within Chugach National Forest, second largest national forest in America. In addition to cruise ships, tour boats from Whittier offer day trips that include time in College Fjord. Access by sea kayak is also from Whittier, with most visitors opting for a water taxi to the mouth of the fjord due to the distances and exposed waters.

About the Expert

Don Pitcher has written or photographed 10 travel guidebooks to Alaska, Wyoming, Yellowstone-Grand Teton, and the San Juan Islands for Avalon Travel Publishing, Random House, and Sasquatch Books.