The lower portion of Crooked Creek Falls in August 2014

Crooked Creek Falls in Valdez is one of those waterfalls that isn’t advertised very well. A search doesn’t bring up any quick mention of this waterfall in Valdez, and yet it’s really tall. I should mention, this could be a different creek for all I know, but it’ definitely in Valdez.

I noticed a small cascade as I was driving by the Crooked Creek Information Center for the Chugach National Forest as I was approaching Valdez. It appeared to be 15′ tall or so, though I could tell that some of the waterfall was hidden behind the trees. Then as I was exploring Valdez when I had some time, I noticed that there was a much taller waterfall off in the distance. It was very foggy the day that I visited, so this waterfall could only be viewed when the cloud layers had cleared, but there was definitely a large waterfall, and its location would coincide with Crooked Creek. Looking at a topographic map, it seems that this whole waterfall drops about 1200′, which is quite impressive. So if you’re headed to Valdez, look for the tall waterfall that you might not expect.

Directions:

1. There aren’t many ways to enter into Valdez. You could fly or drive or take a boat, but even then, it’s limited. If driving, you pretty much enter the city via AK-4.
2. Along AK-4, there’s an information center for Crooked Creek in the Chugach National Forest. It’s on your right if driving into Valdez. The smaller view of the waterfall is roadside near the information center.
3. I viewed the bigger drop from Valdez itself, looking northeast.

Accessibility: 10/10 (easy)
Height: ~1200′
Length of Hike: roadside

The larger view of Crooked Creek Falls (or some creek dropping precipitously)

Where in the World is Crooked Creek Falls?