Keystone Canyon facts for kids

Keystone Canyon along the Richardson Highway

Keystone Canyon is a deep, narrow valley, also called a gorge, located near Valdez, Alaska. Its tall walls stand almost straight up, and it stretches about 3 miles long. This amazing canyon connects the upper and lower parts of the Lowe River.

Exploring Keystone Canyon

A view looking north into the narrowest parts of Keystone Canyon, with Bridal Veil Falls dropping into the Lowe River.

The main rock you see in Keystone Canyon is a type called slate. This slate is usually strong, but some parts can be crumbly. The bottom of the canyon changes in width, from about 100 feet to 500 feet wide. Even with a river flowing through, the water usually stays low, rising only about 4 feet.

The canyon has steep walls, especially on the east side. There aren't many small streams flowing into the canyon, except for one called Waterfall Creek. This creek creates a beautiful cascade with falls hundreds of feet high! In the middle of the canyon, it gets very narrow, with walls reaching 50 to 75 feet high.

Two famous waterfalls, Horsetail Falls and Bridal Veil Falls, are found inside the canyon. The Richardson Highway, a major road, also passes through this scenic area. The Valdez-Eagle Trail goes through the southern end of the canyon.

A Bit of History

Keystone Canyon got its name from William R. Abercrombie. He named it after Pennsylvania, which is known as the "Keystone State."

Cool Features of the Canyon

Horsetail Falls

Waterfalls to See

While there are many small waterfalls in the canyon, two are especially impressive:

• Horsetail Falls is a beautiful waterfall that drops 328 feet into the Lowe River. You can easily see and take pictures of this waterfall from a special viewing spot along the Richardson Highway, about 13 miles from Valdez.

Bridal Veil Falls

• Bridal Veil Falls can be seen from another viewing spot, just a short distance north of Horsetail Falls. This spot is also the start of the "Valdez Goat Trail," which is part of an old military trail from the Klondike Gold Rush days.

An Old Tunnel

The unfinished railroad tunnel

Long ago, people wanted to build a railroad through Keystone Canyon. This railroad would have helped transport minerals from Interior Alaska. Many different companies tried to build it. Today, the only thing left from these efforts in Keystone Canyon is a short, hand-cut tunnel. Disagreements between the companies led to the project being stopped. An old silent movie called The Iron Trail tells a story inspired by this time.