If youre trying to figure out how to get to the glacier without a tour, let me save you some time and hassle and tell you that you should either book the tour or take the shuttle. If you are a full time wheelchair user, its extremely important to book transportation to Mendenhall Glacier that is wheelchair accessible. I definitely think a trip out to Mendenhall is worth the time. Mendenhall Glacier Weather - Alaska Shore Excursions . To get back to our starting point, the trail required some bouldering and down-climbing on rock walls. Beyond just gazing at this massive field of ice from the Visitor Center, here are a few things to do in the Mendenhall Glacier area: While a visit to Mendenhall Glacier is a must while youre in Juneau, there are so many more things to do and places to explore. The Ultimate Travel Guide to Juneau, Alaska - Thrillist Your scenic cruise in and out of Tracy Arm will be marked by stunning waterfalls; youll also be in better position to spot wildlife on land than in the wider Glacier Bay. Just ask how much time there is at the glacier and make sure it matches what you want to do. Look for the boardwalk near the shuttle bus stop. The trail starts above the visitor center and is well signed. Make your decision about whether or not to do it and then let fate (or weather) make the final call! I meant to post it here. While the trail is rated moderately difficult due to its length and the trail being gravel, if you can make it, we highly recommend the trek. While you cannot drive to Juneau itself, once youre in Juneau this is the only glacier in Southeast Alaska you can drive to. Mendenhall Glacier is a massive, 13-mile long river of ice. We are in Juneau one day (12 hours) on our Alaskan (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? We'd like a bit more time to take pictures, etc. You will fly over amazing scenery then land and walk on top of the glacier. There are a lot of stairs on this hike as well as some rock steps, rocky sections as well as some roots and mud. Our hotel offers a delightful range of amenities, including breakfast every morning of your stay, and a rooftop hot tub to unwind in anytime you desire. the Alaskan Bar. We will also be stopping in Glacier Bay and College Fjord. Located about 30 minutes from downtown Juneau, this area is not be missed on a visit to Alaska's state . 2-5 day small ship explorations. Visitors can walk to Mendenhall Lake at the foot of the glacier via the wheelchair-accessible Photo Point Trail. Can you walk to Mendenhall Glacier from cruise ship? The Glacier has several great opportunities for visitors, whether you just want to take in a view, learn about glaciers and the habitat around this one at the visitor center, or go for a hike. This tour is limited by permits issued by the National Parks Service so book early for this unique experience! While there are other ways to get to the glacier (like a kayaking or helicopter tour discussed below), its very straightforward to take a tour or a shuttle from the cruise ship docks. Absolutely! You can take the city bus to Mendenhall Glacier. The Tracy Arm Fjord is 45 miles south of Juneau, but worth the trek. Mendenhall Glacier is by far the most iconic and popular attraction in Juneau, and for good reason. Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center - Tripadvisor Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It isn't really a "hike" per se. Take a stroll through the historic town and do some shopping. Time out at Mendenhall glacier was well worth it. Juneau Wildlife Whale Watching & Mendenhall Glacier - Viator Wet and Rainy but worth it! - Review of Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau, AK By car: An easy drive from downtown Juneau, take Egan Drive and turn right at Mendenhall Loop Road which turns into Glacier Spur Road and ends at the Visitor Center. Tips for Visiting Mendenhall Glacier Getting There: Mendenhall Glacier is easily accessible from the cruise ship docks if you don't want to do an organized excursion as part of your Alaska cruise. The glacier is part of the Tongass National Forest and is one of many in the Juneau Icefield, which altogether encompasses a massive 1,500 square miles. Theoretically, Juneau has a few Uber and Lyft drivers, but Ive never been able to successfully get a ride (I keep trying because Im curious about this). , Take advantage of the tourist infrastructure. They are very nice and should be willing to customize something for you. A locals joint with exactly zero ambiance, this was the perfect end to my day. . The Visitor Center is about 12 miles from downtown Juneau, where Juneaus cruise ship docks are located. Glacier Bay and College Fjord contains tidewater glaciers. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. This article will tell you everything you need to know to visit the glacier from the perspective of a former resident and a frequent visitor as well as a tour guide. Trips available from Whittier, Homer, Seward, Juneau, and Sitka. You can embed this widget using the code below: Mendenhall Glacier Dog Sledding & Helicopter Tour, Juneau Whale Watching & Mendenhall Glacier Tour, High 54.8 F at 4:21am | Low 49.3 F at 9:48pm, Last Updated on Jul 4 2023, 10:30 pm AKDT, 212 Admiral Way Ste. We were able to get $15 round trip tickets to (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? Glacier scientist Shea suggests seeing Athabasca Glacier, right off of the 114 . It looks doable by most people, just long. The East Loop Trail has a lot of stairs and steep sections as well as some rocks and roots. It rains more days than not in the Juneau area, so anticipate . It is part of the Tongass National Forest and is about 40 miles east of Ketchikan along the Inside Passage. Venture within yards of the massive, awe-inspiring face of the living Mendenhall Glacier. If you haven't already done so I would check out the Cruise Critic website which has a wealth of informaiton about cruising - if you go into Boards and then Alaska you will certainly find answers to anything you can think of! Open hours in summer are daily 8am to 7:30pm. How much is a taxi from Juneau to Mendenhall Glacier? Take in the magnificent sights during your free time at the glacier before being taken to an authentic Alaskan feast at Gold Creek. Waterfall lovers will not want to miss this mellow, flat trail to a gorgeous roaring waterfall on the shores of Mendenhall Lake. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. Keep in mind that there is always the possibility of a helicopter trip being cancelled due to weather, but do not wait to see what the weather is going to be to decide to book as it will probably be sold out by then. Worth seeing - Review of Mendenhall Glacier Visitor - Tripadvisor Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center: Worth seeing - See 7,092 traveler reviews, 4,516 candid photos, and great deals for Juneau, AK, at Tripadvisor. This is a truly incredible splurge if youre looking for something really special and expensive on your trip. Cruise ships dock at Marine Park with 2 berths, Ferry Terminal, and South Franklin Dock. I might do Mendenhall before or after that on my own. There are photo ops, of course, even in poor weather. So it sounds like if you can only see Mendenhall glacier from the visitors' center, it isn't worth doing. If you have questions about tours prior to booking, please email [emailprotected]. Mendenhall Glacier | How to Visit | ALASKA.ORG Take a right onto Montana Creek Road. Right in the middle of downtown Juneau. Review. Advertising - I saw the courthouse, state capitol, and St. Nicholas Orthodox Church before returning to the tram area to meet my tour. Last Updated: Dec 23, 2022. You can also take a taxi from downtown Juneau (12 mi), Juneau Airport (5 mi), or the Auke Bay Ferry Terminal (7 mi). Yes! Mendenhall Glacier is arguably one of the most popular things to do in Juneau - but there's more to this area than a simple glacial overlook. Trails and outdoor areas open all year. Car, train, or group tour. In order to receive a refund, changes and cancellations must be made more than 7 days prior to your tour date. We recently did a weeks' cruise to Alaska, which was a wonderful experience. The most important thing is to wear (or bring) a rain jacket. I want emails from Fodor's Travel with travel information and promotions. Paddle across Mendenhall Lake, navigating past icebergs, surrounded by one of the richest samplings of Alaskan wildlife you'll find anywhere. Glacier Bay was disappointing since mostly melted about 2.5 weeks ago. Tours generally cost between $50-$80 per person. Read our, Ways to Experience Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center, Specialty Museums, Historic Sites, History Museums. The bus will set you back $30 . Dont miss the movie which is excellent. Similar to other Southeast Alaska port towns (and lots of other places in Alaska) its still mostly taxis. 777 reviews #3 of 85 things to do in Juneau Points of Interest & Landmarks Geologic Formations Visit website Call Write a review About Mendenhall Glacier is one of the most beautiful and accessible glaciers in the U.S., loved for its dazzling blue glacial ice that stretches for 13.6 miles. To this end, I won't expand on what people have already said here. You can do a great job admiring the glacier FROM the center; one need not do it while approaching. Boy! In the summer months, you can expect daytime highs in the 60s, though some days the temperature can rise to the upper 70s. While you explore the Mendenhall Glacier and other aspects of Alaskas capital city, the Silverbow Inn Hotel & Suites would be honored to be your home away from home. The only glacier in Southeast Alaska accessible by road, Mendenhall's grand edifice plunges from the immense Juneau Icefield, dropping 4,500 feet over 13 miles. Highlights plus less visited destinations. Travelers described the glacial scenery as incredible and breathtaking, and recommended bringing along a quality set of binoculars and a camera to capture the scene. Expect this experience to last around 3-4 hours and cost around $300 per person. If you have a rental car, you can just drive there and park. If you have already received tickets, please call the local tour operator phone number listed on your tickets for tour-specific questions as they will be the best resource to answer unique questions. . The glacier is huge - much bigger than it appears in pictures. You will be able to leave a comment after signing in. Most visitors have glaciers as one of their must see experiences while visiting Alaska and the Mendenhall Glacier is a unique and easy place to see one. Amazing places deserve to be shared with others - why not Write a Review! If you watch you tube videos about going to Nugget Falls you can see the walk. 4.5Facilities 5.0Atmosphere How we rank things to do Mendenhall Glacier welcomes more than 400,000 visitors each year, and it's easy to see why: aside from its stunning arctic beauty, the. Tracy Arm stands out because the fjord is narrower than Glacier Bay with high, craggy rock walls on either side. The benefits of the tour are mainly having a guaranteed seat at a guaranteed time. as the weather often changes several times a day. Currently these glaciers are about 20 kms long but have been receding since around 1700. So, while it is possible, I dont recommend trying to take a taxi or ride share to the glacier. U.S. Forest Service Rangers are stationed around the area to help visitors get the most out of their experience. You can always choose the shuttle instead of a tour if you want to be flexible about the time. Lots of interesting information in the visitor's center.Be prepared for the standard propaganda about human-caused global warming. I found it interesting that they admitted the melt-off started before or around the beginning of the industrial age and it appears to have progressed quite a bit before humans could have produced much pollution. We did the whale watch and Mendenhall glacier combo tour. Nugget Falls Trail: Is it worth it? You have up until 7 days prior to your tour date to cancel for any reason. Almost none is horizontal. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-59752311', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Mendenhall glacier is beautiful and too bad it rained when we got there but still beautiful. You should plan to spend at least 45 minutes at the Mendenhall Glacier, though you could easily spend a half or full day, exploring trails, enjoying the views, spotting wildlife,and taking photos. If you have further questions please email [emailprotected] or if it is an urgent matter you can call 1-888-586-8489, Published: Jul 25, 2019 Keep an eye out for small icebergs floating in the lake! You know what no one tells you ahead of time? Alaska cruise whale watching guide & tips | Royal Caribbean Blog You can see it from other views (and most do). The Steep Creek Trail gives you one of the best opportunities to see bears, especially while they fish for spawning salmon. I'm Jennie. The snowline separates the accumulation zone from the ablation (melting) zone and the glacier needs to have more than 60% of its area in the accumulation zone. Walk to the Mendenhall Glacier and Nugget Falls. Give yourself an hour to walk there and back, plus however long you want to spent soaking up the waterfall (which might be awhile!). A difficult thing for people to wrap their head around in Juneau is the limited availability and long wait times for on demand rides. A guide joked that Alaska had a lot of flat land some of it goes up and some goes down. The glacier is located about 12 miles north of downtown Juneau. The glacier itself is free to visit. Walk to the capital, all downtown offices, and the harbor. An umbrella can also be helpful if you have one. Nugget Falls is about a mile from the visitor center on a flat and wide trail. Mendenhall Glacier is located near the town of Juneau, Alaska in the Tongass National Forest of Southeast Alaska. It seems relatively simple to get transport from the port to Mendenhall visitor center. You can get pretty close to a glacier without a lot of work by visiting Mendenhall.We came here while on an Inside Passage cruise. Its a short walk to get to the turn around point where youll have magnificent views of the Mendenhall Glacier located across the Mendenhall Lake. Credit: Shutterstock / fon thachakul. The visitor center has done an excellent job of sharing the impact of climate change on Alaskas glaciers and the Mendenhall Glacier in particular. You can either stay and take the shuttle back to town/ship or they took us back after about a 1/2 hour stay. It looked like it was going to pour when I woke up in Juneau. Mendenhall Glacier welcomes more than 400,000 visitors each year, and it's easy to see why: aside from its stunning arctic beauty, the glacier is only 12 miles outside Juneau and it's the only . We will also be stopping in Glacier Bay and College Fjord. Stunningly beautiful Tracy Arm is a fjord 45 miles south of Juneau that actually consists of two deep and narrow fjords Tracy Arm and Endicott Arm. To go all the way to Auke Bay to whale watch and then back to town and then back out to Mendenhall is wasting a lot of time. Mendenhall Glacier Reviews | U.S. News Travel My cruise is also doing Glacier Bay. Aug 1st, 2009, 07:59 AM. This tour is not offered on ships and you do need to book in advance as this is a popular option. Even now, back home, Im still in awe of this opportunity. They also have a "video" where you can sit through. No food or drink other than water, May through September due to bear activity. Worth seeing when visiting - Review of Mendenhall Glacier Visitor It is closed in April. I live in Juneau and don't know much about the package tours but I see a blue school bus that goes between town and the glacier that's operated locally for a reasonable price. The glacier and surrounding landscape is protected as part of the 5,815 acres (2,353 ha) Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area, a federally designated unit of the Tongass . ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-59770448', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Mendenhall Glacier from the dock area on June 7. By shuttle: For a fee, the Glacier Shuttle is quick and convenient with one leaving from downtown every 30 minutes. Mobile ticket Offered in: English For me it was a hard climb but I'm not used to non track climbing. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. BTW we did a zip line once (but over 40 years ago). Learn more 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) Taxi may be the cheapest for four. If you want to get out to Mendenhall Glacier but dont want to be on a tour, the Mendenhall Glacier Shuttle is the way to go. Both whale watching and Mendenhall are probably 30 plus minutes outside of town. The glacier and its surroundings are protected as the 5,815 acre Mendenhall Glacier . On especially busy days, it runs every 20 minutes. Youch! You might want to check out Juneau Sightseeing Tours at the link below. Mendenhall is not a tidewater glacier. The glacier is the homeland of the Aakw Kwaan (Tlingit People). Wheelchair users can also access both the Photo Point Loop which goes down to the lake with excellent views as well as the trail to Nugget Falls. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. However, I dont recommend it because it takes a long time (1.5-2 hours each way depending on your walking speed and where your ship is docked). Paddle across Mendenhall Lake, navigating past icebergs, surrounded by one of the richest samplings of Alaskan wildlife you'll find anywhere. At the time of this writing, there are not ice caves at Mendenhall Glacier you can safely access. Every minute on the glacier was absolutely mind-blowing. This is also a terrific way to leave crowds behind as the visitor center area does get very crowded on busy ship days. Mendenhall Glacier: Worth seeing - See 757 traveler reviews, 467 candid photos, and great deals for Juneau, AK, at Tripadvisor. I think I'd enjoy standing next to the waterfall with Mendenhall in the background. Our hotel is located in the heart of downtown Juneau and offers a welcome respite after a long day of adventure. Would it be interesting for 2 young teens? Asall good hikes do, this day ended with a cold beer. This was a bit disturbing and the most eye opening part of the excursion for me as a picture is worth a thousand words as they say and the pictures/displays here are painting a sad picture relative to this glazier. The other thing they dont tell you is that sometimes you can hear running water flowing underneath you. Should we consider doing the two things separately? Beautiful to see. Follow Glacier Spur until you see Mendenhall Loop Road on your left, turn left, and then continue on it. It is only a short walk from the bus drop off. Unfortunately, kayak rentals and tours in the area, usually offered by, You can also experience Mendenhall Glacier from the air via a. I love to share the places I love with visitors, newcomers and my fellow locals. If the weather is poor or you dont want to walk quite as much as we did, wed recommend taking the shuttle bus to the Mendenhall Glacier. If you have further questions please email [emailprotected] or if it is an urgent matter you can call 1-888-586-8489, Please email us at [emailprotected] or call 1-888-586-8489In order to check the status of your reservation request, please use the following link: alaskashoreexcursions.com/order-status. How do I get to Mendenhall Glacier by bus? . The Mendenhall Glacier and Mendenhall Glacier Visitors Center. I was with a 21 year old bloke from the hostel and he had no trouble. Mendenhall Glacier Ice Adventure Tour. 45 minutes to all day. The view of the 377-foot waterfall with the glacier in the background is breathtaking - and it is as close as you can get to the glacier short of taking a tour to actually walk on it. October through April open Friday through Sunday, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. I can unsubscribe any time using the unsubscribe link at the end of all emails. They are a husband and wife team and can provide taxi and/or tour services. Please send an email to [emailprotected] letting us know which tours you would like to cancel as we must have all cancelation and change requests in writing. Mendenhall Glacier is only about 12 miles from downtown Juneau, which makes it one of the most accessible in the entire state. 5 Juneau, Alaska 99801. Trail of Time: This trail will take you back through time as you explore various vegetation and landscapes which vary based on how long ago the glacier originally retreated from the area. Juneau prospered, and was established as Alaskas capital in 1906 when the government was transferred from Sitka. No visit to Juneau is complete without a close-up look at the Mendenhall Glacier. My goal is to share stories, travel tips, and inspiration so you can plan your own adventures around the globe. Yes! A must IMHO, seen Glacier, Tracy Arm, Hubbard and College Fjord, Mendenhal is a great hiking experience! Is Mendenhall Glacier worth seeing? With far fewer crowds in Juneau than usual this summer, its the perfect time to explore this incredible city, and wed love to be the ones to show it to you. Cookie Policy - It has retreated quite a bit since I first went to it 30 years ago, but still remains one of the most beautiful places in Alaska and is a favorite of Juneau residents, not just visitors. Mendenhall Glacier, about 12 miles from downtown, is the most Alaska thing you'll see here -- a giant white sheet of ice, slowly flowing downhill from high up in the Coast Range mountains.

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