Visiting Juneau and Mendenhall Glacier!

View of Juneau from the cruise port

Despite it being the capital of Alaska, Juneau is a small town with no roads connecting it to the rest of the state. The only way to get into town is by boat or ferry. That being said, Juneau was the most “city-like” of all the Alaskan ports we visited, and is a very pedestrian-friendly city. On the day we visited, it was raining quite a bit, but it made the dramatic scenery even more incredible with the clouds lower to the ground. Thankfully we came prepared with our rain gear and warm clothes, so the weather didn’t bother us at all!

No first trip to Juneau would be complete without a visit to Mendenhall Glacier. The Mendenhall Glacier was one of the rivers of ice formed during the Little Ice Ages some 3,000 years ago and is one of 38 large glaciers that flow from the Juneau Icefield. We originally had hoped to do a kayak tour to get up close to the glacier, but unfortunately that tour was cancelled due to the weather, so we decided to visit the glacier on our own. We made the decision to skip the tour buses that take visitors to the glacier and hopped on a local bus instead, which took us to a stop about a mile-and-a-half away from the Visitor’s Center, and we walked the rest of the way from there. Along the way we passed many trailheads along the rainforest that looked to lead into some beautiful trails, and if we get the chance to go back we definitely would love to take the time to do some hiking around the area.

Walking along Glacier Spur Road on the way to Mendenhall Glacier with views of the rainforest.

Mendenhall River

Since this is a place most people go to visit during their time in Juneau, the viewing area was predictably pretty crowded, and because of that we decided not to go inside the Visitor’s Center or do the hike to Nugget Falls. We have heard both of these are worth it, so if you don’t mind the crowds and have the time, we would recommend doing both.

Even still, we were able to walk around a bit and enjoy the vast views of the entire 13-mile river of ice as well as Mendenhall Lake with blue icebergs floating in the water.

Mendenhall Glacier on the left with Nugget Falls on the right

Going to Mendenhall Glacier by local city bus was definitely the most cost-effective way to go, and we were able to avoid getting herded around with other tourists with a limited time schedule, but we do wish we could have checked out the Visitor’s Center and would have also enjoyed having a tour guide tell us more about the area and glacier. If you do get the chance to visit Mendenhall Glacier, there are many great tour options available, including the chance to walk on the glacier itself via a helicopter ride!

Here’s just a couple of many tours we can book for you for your visit to Mendenhall Glacier!

Mendenhall Glacier Lake Canoe Tour

Juneau Helicopter Tour and Guided Icefield Walk