Mendenhall Glacier

Address:Juneau, Alaska

The most famous and most accessible of Alaska's glaciers is Mendenhall Glacier in Mendenhall Valley, 12 miles from downtown Juneau. You can enjoy Mendenhall Glacier's beauty from a cruise ship, as most people do, or you can get up close and personal to the glacier by hiking the paved trails with a guide. The trails offer great vistas, but won't take you onto the ice. Walking on Mendenhall Glacier is dangerous and should only be done if you have proper training. Most visitors come in summer, but the glacier is accessible year round and is suitable for families. Many touring options are available if you don't want to hike the trails. Activities at Mendenhall Glacier range from touring the beautiful visitor's center, to whitewater rafting in Mendenhall River and spending the night at Mendenhall Glacier's recreation area. Mendenhall Glacier is easily accessible by car or bus.

Set on a cliff, above the valley floor and surrounded by the hiking trails, Mendenhall Glacier's visitors' center is well worth a visit. The huge windows that are the curving wall of the center offer an uninterrupted view of the glacier. You enter the exhibit gallery through a simulated ice cave. Exhibits show animated views of the glacier advancing and receding, with corresponding dates, and a fabricated ice face of the glacier with signs explaining glacial processes. These are just some of the exhibits. All exhibits show how the Mendenhall Glacier moves and shapes the valley ecosystem. You can access the visitors' center by city bus, taxi, tour bus, or car. The city bus drops you a mile and a half from the visitors' center. If you make the trek, be prepared for rapidly changing weather.

Hiking trails at Mendenhall Glacier range from a short walk to a nearly 7-mile hike at 1,300 feet. Very informative park guides can point you in the right direction depending on what you want to see or do. Choices range from a trail leading you along Mendenhall Lake, ending at a gorgeous waterfall near the glacier's base, to a nature walk or a day hike through the forest, leading you to an abandoned rail tram and abandoned dam. The day hike is feasible for school-aged children. While on your hike make sure to stop by the scenic glacier overlook for some great photos. Allow an hour if you take a short hike, up to a full day for longer hikes or guided tours.

Other ways to enjoy Mendenhall Glacier are flight and helicopter tours, guided glacier treks and combination Glacier/Mendenhall River float trips. The Mendenhall River is a great place to go whitewater rafting. The six miles of Class II-III rapids, will give you an adrenaline rush, but they are not overly difficult. Rafting season is open approximately from May through September. Whitewater rafting trips can be completed in a half day. The river is also suitable for paddle and oar rafts, but portage may be required. Guides are optional, and permits may be required for private trips. Outfitters on Mendenhall River offer family trips. Mendenhall Glacier's recreation area has a picnic area, grills, campgrounds and cabins. The Skater's Cabin is the starting point for a groomed cross-country-ski loop on Mendenhall Lake in front of the glacier.

Blue "Glacier Express" buses run from downtown to the Mendenhall Glacier Visitors' Center every half hour or so. If you are driving from downtown, Mendenhall Glacier is only 12 miles away. Take Egan Drive and turn right at Mendenhall Loop Road. Mendenhall Loop Road turns into Glacier Spur Road and ends at the visitors' center. If you are coming from the Alaska State Ferry Terminal, you only have 7 miles to drive. Turn right onto Glacier Highway. After a mile and a half, the road splits at Auke Bay. Turn left onto Mendenhall Loop Road. After four miles, it will intersect Glacier Spur Road. Turn left onto Glacier Spur Road.