Mendenhall Lake

Went there via Nugget Falls Trail (less than 30mins) , easy access. Great view of the lake, glacier & the falls together, perfect!

Good trails and the payoff at the end at the falls and glacier is great. It's a receding glacier so go check it out. I didn't see the bears but some people in our group did. We saw a porcupine climb a tree. So cute. That's a terrible shot. Sorry.

Definitely a must visit if you make your way to Juneau. One of the top most beautiful places I've ever been. Check out the glacier and visitor center if you're looking for info. If you're looking for adventure check out one of the tours that goes out to the glacier or hike to the ice caves and the surrounding mountains.

Wonderful place close to the Mendenhall Glacier.

Beautiful setting and wonderful experience! The natural pristine Alaskan scenery speaks for itself! Come see the adjacent Mendenhall glacier before it permanently melts! 😕

Wish I could just go and sit on a rock and what the sun rise along with the scenic beauty around. It would be like heaven.

Winter is the time to see Mendenhall Glacier! You can walk out on the lake and get much closer than on land. It is absolutely spectacularly beautiful. On a cloudy day, the blues of the glacier really come out. And on sunny days, the blue skies and white snow are indescribable. This photo is untouched, the sky is truly that blue.

Each day brings different views & discoveries. Amazing driftwood to tease the imagination

The Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center is an absolute must-visit! The views of the glacier are breathtaking, and the center itself offers so much to enhance the experience. The exhibits are informative and well-presented, giving you a deeper appreciation of the glacier and the surrounding ecosystem. The staff were friendly and knowledgeable, ready to answer questions and provide insights about the area. We loved the trails leading to Nugget Falls--an easy hike with spectacular views. The opportunities for wildlife spotting added even more to the adventure. Whether you're here for the scenery, the education, or just to take in the natural beauty of Alaska, this place has it all. Don't miss it if you're in Juneau!

Our long hiking journey to the falls... The Mendenhall Glacier is a must to visit while in the area. This was a stop in Juneau via a Alaska inland cruise trip. If you take the cruise tour you will pay some outrageous price. Please do what's best for your journey and health. This trek was not for all. We decided to walk to the bus station (15min walk from port), the bus takes approx 35min to arrive along a walkable path that takes you 1.5miles one way. You will meet other hikers and bikers on your journey. The path is clearly marked, again keep in mind you are in the wild, you may encounter a bear, no eating. Take bear spray with you for safety. We met a lovely couple and walked together. One you arrive at the park have your national park pass or purchase one at the visitor center. The visitor center was clean bathrooms, nice gift shop, helpful guides, a film to view, food and seating to rest. They have a upstairs and down stairs for viewing. We decided to walk another 2miles to the waterfall in the park. Yes, more walking, Lol! You are in bear country, so make noise and no eating along the trails. The waterfall was so beautiful, it was indeed worth the journey! Now its time to make the long journey back walking the reverse. This was a trip to remember. Once we got back to town we walked all over Juneau to see more sites. Each of us finished out the day with around 30,000 steps for the entire day! "You Can Do It" @glampedlife

We really enjoyed visiting the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center. If you stop in, be sure to watch the short 15 minute movie - really well done and informative. I'm such a nerd about these things and really appreciated the exhibits, the information, time and energy that goes into making the Visitor Center interactive and fun. If you wanna hang out and see the galcier without the hike, the visitor center has you covered. Some in our party stayed put but still enjoyed breathtaking views of the glacier - it's RIGHT THERE. We donned our rain coats and took to the trails. It's a very easy, short hike to the glacier and once you're there - wow. Don't forget to go just a bit further on to Nugget Falls as well. Stunning views.

There's a reason the Mendenhall is the most-visited attraction in Juneau. It's a glacier you feel you can almost reach out and touch with your hand, no ice ax or crampons required, no dangerous crevasses to avoid, no need to set up your North Face tent on the ice for a chilly overnight stay. You can visit this glacier, take some pics, do some hiking, and still be back in town by noon to enjoy a beer and a cup of clam chowder. This was my third cruise to Alaska, and thus my third time visiting the Mendenhall. It's just as exciting and impressive as it has always been. For this visit, we rented a car via Turo, so we had as much time as we wanted/needed to check out the visitor center and all things around it. Our favorite part was the 1 mile loop hike behind the visitor center. It was a beautiful, soul-refreshing hike through the rain forest, crossing many steams and creeks. Highly recommend! I loved that, by renting a car, we were able to spend as much time as we wanted to at the visitor center. Next time, hopefully the weather will be a bit better and we can check out the waterfall again, too!

After arriving in Juneau, we avoided the crowded cruise shuttles and grabbed a taxi to Mendenhall. The glacier is an unreal blue! Pictures does not do it justice. Definitely worth a stop. From here, we walked over to Nugget falls. Tip: The visitors center has a water bottle refill station.

This stop is a must for anyone visiting the area. It's an amazing chance to see a glacier in person and to look at nature in all its majesty. The visitor center is larger with great views from most angles. It's easy to access and the staff was really friendly. They engaged with our little one and walked her through earning a sticker and badge for little rangers, which she absolutely loved and still talks about. The building was clean and well kept. They have a bus pull in area for tours and the park is large with great trails. You can easily spread out and get great photos for lifetime memories here. Overall: A+ Gorgeous natural glacier visitor center with excellent views and access points.

It was raining when we visited in early September but it was cool to see the glacier and the waterfall. There are different trails you can take and the visitor center staffs are informative and friendly. We only saw eagles but heard from one of the staffs that there are bears there. Would recommend if you're in Juneau.

Cool place in July! But I did work up a sweat hiking up the trail (in a raincoat) to see the famous Mendenhall glacier. This park has varying degrees of trails, overlooks, and facilities! Some are longer, more complex, while others are paved. It can accept those of limited mobility up to rock climbers! The parking lots can handle 2 wheelers to large tour busses. Infants to 90+ year olds. The visitor center is really well done and blends in well with the surrounding rock. As you look at the glacier, just remember it was once over a thousand feet taller thousands of years ago. I was enjoying the small icebergs as they had interesting looking shapes. If you are in the region, you should come here. The drive is beautiful! The park is well done. The views are great. The facilities are really good. It is well maintained. Better get here before the ice is gone!

We took the excursion to the site from our cruise ship. The visitor center is very nice inside and they have a short film that talks about the history of the glacier and the area. The beautiful Mendenhall Glacier (in Tlingit language "Sít") is a glacier about 13 miles long located in Mendenhall Valley, about 12 miles from downtown Juneau, Alaska. The glacier and surrounding landscape is a protected part of the Tongass National Forest. The glacier was awe inspiring on both land and from our cruise ship. We could hear cracking a few times and saw a small piece fall into the water. It truly is a breathtaking sight to see!

The soul of Alaska lies in its nature! Mendenhall Glacier is a visual feast that takes your breath away and captivates you to the core. Dream come true for me. We visited on a cruise excursion for a self guided tour. There is no entrance fee. The glacier is a true wonder of the world. The hike to Nugget Falls is definitely worth it! These are the biggest waterfalls I have seen in my life. Everyone needs to experience this!

This is the perfect spot to start your mendenhall glacier expedition. Watched the 15 informative movie. The trails are well manicured. The rangers were helpful.

"You're digging for gold, you're throwing away A fortune in feelings, but someday you'll pay You're as cold as ice" (Foreigner) "Don't be surprised when a crack in the ice Appears under your feet" (Pink Floyd) Ever seen a thirteen mile long river of ice? Well, if that's on your bucket list, you can pop a check mark next to it when you visit the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center. It's gorgeous here! You have great views of that big glacier, Mendenhall Lake, mountains, and icebergs drifting along in the water. They also have a Visitor Center/ Museum with a bookstore and gifts, and a few hiking trails that will get you beautiful views of waterfalls and salmon streams. There's plenty of wildlife out there, so keep an eye open for bears, porcupines, beavers, bald eagles, and salmon. What an awesome way to spend a few hours!

Came here as part of an excursion and initially I was disappointed. Disappointed because I can tell from global warming that this glacier is not what it used to be. I wish I was able to see it many years ago when It was much bigger. After thinking about this, I reflected that this is a once a in lifetime opportunity as someone visiting Alaska. There is a short hike that will provide great photo opportunities. Bring a zoom/telephoto lens. There's also a longer hike that bring you to a waterfall and even closer to the glacier. Due to time constraints we couldn't make the longer hike. Definitely worth checking out when visiting Juneau.

To be in Alaska is to be with nature. I'm so happy I had the chance to visit one of the world's wonders in the US and witness a standing glacier. The surrounding landscape is breathtaking and captures the beauty that the world has to offer. The contrast of the glacier against the rugged terrain is a sight that reveals the powerful forces of nature and serves as a reminder of the Earth's enduring power. The scent of the outdoors is crisp, fresh, and clean. The glacier feels so close yet so far. We rented a car from our cruise dock to travel to the visitor center, the most convenient way to travel, especially for large parties, given the older age of some of our family members. Once you park, take the opportunity to learn about Alaska's history at the visitor center. You can mesmerize the glacier through their large telescope. You can walk along the long path to the waterfall (around a 15-minute walk). It will be worth it, I promise. Take lots of photos, enjoy the moment. It will be a wonderful memory you won't forget.

Easy, paved and accessible trail to see the glacier. There is also a well groomed trail down to Nugget Falls. It's a pretty easy walk down and the falls are amazing. The center has interesting facts about the area and the glacier.

This is a must see if you come to Juneau. Beautiful majestic scenery abounds where you get great views of the Glazier and get a great history lesson on how glaziers are formed and see how the glazier has changed over time though nice displays throughout the visitor center. There are also some gentle scenic hiking trails at this park as well leading to a beautiful large Nugget waterfall that is very majestic in its own right. Relative to the educational element, the visitor center has great displays/photo's and on site Ranger presentations that show how the Glazier was formed and how much it has unfortunately shrank over the last fifty or so years which is shown through photo's and satellite shots. 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. Overall, what I really found appealing about this excursion is that it offers a great balance of activity based walking to complement the beautiful scenery with an educational element woven into it. A perfect outing/excursion if you are a like minded person and one that should not be missed!

Mendenhall is quite spectacular, do yourself a favor and catch a taxi from town to the visitor center. You have to pay extra to get them to take you all the way in. Here are the other options, 1. Catch public transportation and walk the 1.5miles to and from the center. 2. Get the taxi but not pay the entrance fee and walk 1.5 mi to and from the center 3. Take a tour/excursion bus ($50-$100 per person, princess excursion) . We chose the private taxi to and from town the total was $120 (Round trip) not bad. Doug was great, shared with us his story and all the knowledge he had of Juneau nice enough to give us his card so he can pick us up. The visitor center & discovery southeast book store hours are 8am-730pm 7 days a week. If we planned this in advance, I would've added a bit of hiking. We only learned of this place through some of the locals and decided on a whim to give them a visit, we were already a bit tired from our excursion in the a.m it was around 4pm when we got here. Go, you'll be glad to see this beautiful glacier and remember its only once in a lifetime! For Taxi service use Juneau Taxi and Tours - Doug Pegues 907-723-6219 or google them for the general #

Worth your stop to Mendenhall glacier. Beautiful view from the visitor center. The is a flight of stairs but elevators are also available where the the trails to nugget falls start. There is a small gift shop and several displays. The kids can do a junior ranger activity and get a badge. There are also different displays and exhibit for viewing.

The Hubby and I were taking an Alaskan Cruise and our first stop was Juneau. We had pre-booked a Helicopter Tour 7 months in advanced to fly over and land on the Glacier! We were looking forward to it but, due to inclimate weather conditions, several Helicopter Tour companies had to cancel their flights. This was the last week of June :( The next best thing was locating a shuttle to take us to Mendenhall Glacier and Visitor Center. There are several Vendors located on the Pier as you disembark your Cruise Ship. We booked a Trolley Shuttle for $80 per person to take us to the Glacier through Juneau Tours. Upon arrival at the Glacier, there is a walking path which takes about 10-15 minutes to get "close" to the Glacier. Not our planned Helicopter trip landing on the Glacier but, we still got to see the Glacier and it's surrounding waterfalls. After taking lots of amazing photos, stop off at the Visitor for a complimentary 12 minute movie about the Glacier. There is a small Gift Shop and clean bathrooms. NOTE: Make sure you wait at the correct pick up stop to be returned to the Pier. We waited at the drop off zone and missed our trolley. We quickly resolved the situation, called Juneau Tours who said they had been looking for us and we could catch the next trolley back. Allow about 2 hours for the Visit.

Great spot with tons of options. There's paid trails for more specific views and harder trails but also free options for some great views of the falls. Clean and well kept and very accessible for everyone. Most of the trail to the falls was paved and shaded. Very relaxing stroll to a great view. Clean bathrooms at the start of the trails.

The staff at the visitors centor was knowledgeable, provided information that was both intrguing and informative. The scenic views are picture perfect and take your breath away . It is definitely worth the trip

Mendenhall Glacier and the cascades are a surreal place to visit. The glacier and cascades are a once in a lifetime sight. The view will put you at awe, and the surroundings are utterly peaceful. This is a place you must visit in Juneau, Alaska.

Can you even say you've been to Juneau if you don't stop take in all the cool stuff Mendenhall Glacier Park and visitors center had to offer? With all the shuttles, buses and cars there's too many ways to get here to not stop by to enjoy its beauty. There are many stairs to climb to the center. But also a elevator for those unable to access them. There's a gray short movie to watch, bathrooms and many picture opportunities. Please be respectful of the area. It's breathtaking, especially if you hike one of the many trails nearby . My favorite was Definitely to Nuggets Falls a few miles in and out from the center.

On a Tuesday morning in May, my family and I drove here from the cruise ship, it wasn't too bad at 3pm. It is a steep incline to walk to visitors center. Once inside, very crowded inside and hard to look for merchandise because people are in the way. Also it was very warm inside. I left right away once I seen how crowded and hot it was. Beautiful glaciers and waterfall. Parking available.

The Mendenhall Glacier is one beautiful and amazing site in the world. The Glacier have been there for many years holding time. My wife and I enjoy the Glacier we got closed it amazing. We went the Mendenhall Glacier Viistor is was very informative and amazing display and history about the Glacier. They have a very nice gift they many items we enjoy it.

From where the visitor center is located if anyone did not want to walk out to the glacier you still have a great view of it as well as the waterfall. Restrooms were clean. Coffee was free; however it was horrible tasting coffee.

Mendenhall Glacier is a must-see when visiting Juneau. It's one of many attractions especially for those arriving on a cruise ship (which was what my parents and I did) that even if you're heading to Glacier Bay National Park, it's still a worthwhile visit. As many have mentioned, the glacier is located 12 miles outside of Juneau to the north. If you are traveling solo and have some time, I'd recommend taking the public bus from Juneau out here, since it's only $2 compared to the $45 roundtrip charge for the tourist shuttles. For the shuttle - it's a pricey ask for the convenience but if that amount isn't a concern, then definitely roll in and enjoy the commentary by the bus drivers; they are a hoot! The glacier itself is magnificent - rain or shine. Photos really don't do it justice. Once you arrive to the parking lot, it's a short five minute walk to the Visitor Center (clean bathrooms upstairs) and a fork in the road, taking you either through to Nugget Falls (a mile hike) or to a viewpoint for the Glacier. Depending on your party's interests, you can spend 2-3 hours here easily if you include everything in the surrounding area. Bring a warm jacket as it will likely rain and be sure to snap photos, but also put the phone down to really admire the natural beauty of the glacier.

Mendenhall Glacier maybe back in the day was a 5 star experience...going back 10, 15 and 20 years ago. But, fast forward to this present day of August 2022, and Mendenhall Glacier is a shell of its former self. It has receded like no other glacier I have witnessed throughout my Alaskan travels. And in fact, the primary discussion or topic, or message that the Visitor Center (which is situated right in front of "The Toe" of the glacier) was relaying to all the tourists that came here...is how much Mendenhall Glacier has shrunk in size. And when you think about the bigger picture... Mendenhall Glacier will never return to its original form. It's only downhill from here, and forever. And when I contemplate about that reality, it's sorta depressing. I guess, I wish I had visited here many years ago to appreciate and admire the best of what this glacier once appeared like. And one more thing, just looking at the pictures from inside the Visitor Center and the recessional transformation that Mendenhall Glacier has taken on...yeah, the photos were staggering! But, still, I am satisfied for the most part to have come here and explored around. Here's a big problem I discovered... Woah...the amount of cruise ship passengers! Yes, Juneau, Alaska, is one of the main primary hubs for cruise ship vessels to stop in port for the day. And the #1 activity for sightseeing in Juneau is definitely this, coming to Mendenhall Glacier. Before I go into anymore detail, I'll just rundown some statistics from my experience... - Mendenhall Glacier and the Visitor Center are located 13 miles northeast of downtown Juneau and the cruise ship port. - While walking around downtown, I overheard tours and transportations being offered to the glacier for $45 roundtrip. I believe that's just letting you off at the Glacier/Visitor Center to then venture on your own. - For me, I had a car so no problem getting there. - It is $5 fee per person day pass. - The VC is open daily from 8am - 7:30pm. - There is a very small and limited gift shop inside the VC to buy souvenirs. - The VC hosts a 15-minute film about Mendenhall Glacier and the rapid recessionary reasons behind it. - There are a bunch of short hikes to casually walk about for unique viewing perspectives of Mendenhall Glacier. They include... 1. Photo Point - 1/3 of a mile walk to an observation point. 2. Steep Creek - 1/4 mile loop along a boardwalk. 3. Trail of Time - 1 mile loop. Step back in time learning the history of Mendenhall along a paved and gravel walkway. 4. East Glacier - "challenging hike through the rain forest". 3.5 mile loop for 2.5 hours. 5. NUGGETT FALLS - the most popular hike at Mendenhall Glacier - "leads to the stunning falls of Nugget Creek". 2 mile walk roundtrip and 1 hour time. Let me say a little more about Nugget Falls... This was the busiest of all the trails by far! Upon arriving at the Mendenhall Lake Shores...it's very hard to capture photos. The number of tourists/visitors standing around was overwhelming, imo. I had to work hard and patiently wait before snapping my best photographs. The waterfall was striking...and you can get as up close to it as possible without hindrances. My advice would be to hike the trail first thing in the morning when you arrive or wait till the end of the day, when people have to return to their buses and cruise ships. Interestingly, from the shoreline at Nugget Falls, Mendenhall Glacier used to be visible, but not anymore. The glacier is completely obstructed by the rocks now. I'd also like to mention...is just how Mendenhall Glacier wasn't too colorful. It appeared dirty, especially the top layer of it. I'm just saying that I have been to other glaciers that appeared white and glistened...and this one looked roughed up and in poor shape. So, if I had to rank the general appearance and attractiveness of Mendenhall Glacier in comparison to say...being on a boat cruise viewing another glacier from water...I'd rank this towards the bottom. Finally, lol, and I know I've written a lot...it's the amount of passengers coming here from cruise ships was ridiculously out of control! Way too many people here, and this was in late August, towards the end of the popular summer travel season. And with the hiking trails being easily accessible for people of all ages, the congestion was at a fever pitch! Ultimately...if you're looking to get away into nature...this place is definitely not it. Or, if you're looking to capture your most epic, memorable photos as reminders of why you visited Alaska...you won't get it here as well (imo). Mendenhall Glacier is unfortunately a prisoner to the hands of time. It'll never get any better than the day prior, and so on...and so on. And, at least for me, when I put the idea that "nothing lasts forever" into context, Mendenhall Glacier may be the epitome of this concept.

This is one of the nicest visitor centers I have ever been in. It's two stories, handicap accessible and temperature controlled. There's plenty of seating. A shop, a small theater and elevators. They made it so much easier for us to access the trail to reach nugget falls and I am very grateful. Definitely worth the hike!

Mendenhall Glacier and Nugget Falls were an excursion stop on a tour we booked a couple of weeks ago. Our cruise stopped in Juneau and we had a nice amount of time in port so we decided to check it out. The park has many trails to hike to or around the glacier and falls. We had a little over an hour so we took the trail to the falls which afforded us a nice view of the glacier and the lake. Unfortunately, that trail is two miles round trip from where the busses drop you off so, you basically have to hike quickly there and back. It really is spectacular here and I wish we had some more time to explore a bit. I'm a hiker and it would have been cool to take the trail up to the glacier. There are several other trails that take you into other more remote areas however, there is wildlife out here (bears) and it's advisable to bring bear spray with you and take the appropriate precautions.

Absolutely gorgeous and a must-see in Juneau. We took a rental car to Mendenhall Glacier on a rainy dreary Friday in late September. Easy drive from the cruise port and as you drive up Glacier Spur Rd. the first view of the glacier is breathtaking. Once there we easily found a spot in the first visitors parking lot right at the entrance. There are free public restrooms or you can pay $5 to enter the visitors center where there are restrooms as well. There are multiple spots to see the glacier and take photos before starting any of the trails. We took the Nugget Falls trail, and although we are not hikers and had a four year old with us with a stroller it was an easy trail to navigate. Beautiful 2 mile round trip. Lovely flowing streams and lush vegetation surround you as you make your way towards the falls. The trail was practically empty during this time and it was incredibly peaceful. Once you reach the falls it's awe inspiring. Unfortunately since it had been raining a lot lately in the area we weren't able to get closer or walk out more to get the view of the glacier behind the falls. Still completely worth the trip to see the roaring falls and the glacier from other viewpoints. The blue coloring of the glacier is insane to see in person. We saw ice chunks floating in the lake. An absolute must see for anyone visiting Juneau before it retreats from view.

So obviously this isn't *really* a review of the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center, a relatively small, though nice, building we visited mainly for the bathroom and the gift shop, though it does have a couple small exhibits as well. It's really a review of the whole park area, which is definitely worth visiting. We finally made it to Alaska earlier this year, on a cruise we originally booked for 2020 that got canceled twice before eventually sailing last June - so this had been on my list for literally two years before we finally made it here. (We paid in 2020, and thus, paid 2020 prices for the bus - but I think it was only up to ~$45 per person this year, significantly cheaper than a cruise excursion, and a lot more laid-back, too, since you can explore at your own pace and go back to town when you wanted. Well, once every half hour.) All the trails are well-marked, well maintained, and of course, totally gorgeous. Sadly didn't have a chance to do the trail of time or east glacier trails, but the Nugget Falls trail gets you *right* up next to a huge, gorgeous waterfall, and the Steep Creek trail, while short, was also quite pretty - not nearly as specifically scenic though, just a pretty walk. And of course, the "photo point trail", which wasn't really a trail at all, that is, if you didn't really want to hike, you can see the main attraction, the glacier itself, with a very short walk from the drop-off point. Granted, not nearly as impressive of a glacier as, say, Hubbard... but you also can't walk to Hubbard Glacier, so they were both pretty cool. It does sound like we lucked out in terms of crowds, though - our cruise was right at the beginning of the cruise season, so the trails weren't empty, but they weren't crazy packed, either.

What a treat to see bald eagles and other raptors upclose. This place rehabilitates them until they are able to return to the wild. They do have a couple of residence as well. Place is small but leaves a big impact to anyone who visits it.

A great attraction in Juneau. The glacier is an easy walk from the parking lot and the lake is beautiful. There's small waterfalls too. The view from the visitor center is nice. It's perched atop a hillside. There were walking trails in the area. There's plenty of shuttles and buses to take you here. Setting aside two hours to explore the area was enough time for our group.

Very cool experience. I took public transportation (from downtown Juneau) which was $2 one way. The closest bus stop let's you off for about a 20 min walk to the glacier/center. The path is paved but bears may be around depending on time of year. Nice walk! There's several trails you can take in the glacier park. But you cannot reach the glacier as it is still almost 2 miles away and fronted by water.

Very disappointing. The bathrooms were filthy. Overcrowded visitor center didn't help the experience.

We were dropped off here as part of our tour and we were advised to go follow the path, approximately ond mile to Nugget Falls. We arrived here in June, right after solar solstice, so the temperature was in the low 70s. Snow was still apparent, mixed in the lush green forest and fresh clean air. The beauty of this natural wonder of the glacier was absolutely breathtaking! From our drop off point, we made our trek to Nugget Falls which was a easy hike on a paved walkway. Once you arrive at the falls, it is massive with ripples cascading down the mountain, spraying bits of water on your face when you stand close by. Truly a marvelous wonder to behold.

Fantastic tour and visit to the glacier and waterfall. The trails were easy and not as far as I thought they would be based on the signs. Got some phenomenal pictures on a fairly warm and partly sunny day. Make sure you allot at least 2 hours here, longer if possible as the visitor center has a ton to look at and see and I ran out of time to see all of it. Highly recommend a visit here.

My husband and I visited the Mendenhall Glacier visitor center on our journey in Juneau. We took a tour bus to the Glacier itself and wanted to start off by hiking around. Luckily, we packed all the necessities, because it was absolutely pouring at different parts of our hike. We didn't mind and half expected it based on what we read prior to coming. At our first stop, we approached a covered overlook with a park ranger inside. We had questions concerning the wildlife and found out some interesting facts pertaining to their movement patterns. She was very informative while we took a view minutes to capture the views and ask questions. Next, we decided to venture to the falls and down toward the Glacier. The walking path was definitely considered easy, which would be great for elderly population hoping to see both the falls and Glacier. Toward the end of the falls views, there are some rocks in the water that we found ourselves walking on, which made it challenging, but provided us a better photo op. Walking back, we decided to stop into the visitor's center for some post cards. While I didn't find any that suited what I was looking for, we did feel a little claustrophobic and overcrowded. It was evident that many of the individuals who opted to take the tour didn't really want to sit in the rain (I don't blame them!). While this is okay, there was not enough seating for all of these individuals so a lot of them were left standing around, which overcrowded the other areas. One thing I would say that I found interesting in the visitor center itself was the timeline of photos of Mendenhall Glacier. It truly is an eye-opener on how vastly it has been depleted over time.

One of the best national park visitor center's anywhere. Extremely informative video presentation, and best of all, crystal clear subtitles for the hearing impaired. Nice interpretive diagrams. Super simple trail to hike to one of the most amazing waterfalls you'll see anywhere. Plenty of free parking. Definitely mobbed with tourists, but not difficult to escape them.

Mendenhall Glacier is another of the natural wonders worth seeing if you are in town on a cruise vacation. We were on a bus tour and our driver parked at the end of Glacier Spur Road so we could get out to view and take pics. The glacier is enormous from the far away viewpoint we had, but between the snow capped mountains around it the image was majestic, and looked like a painting or a postcard with the trees and lush green landscape in front of it. A must see, and if one has time to hit the visitors center you can get a more close up view and information.

Going to see Mendenhall Glacier was definitely the highlight of our recent trip to Juneau where we spent five days there. I'm from rural Wyoming and spent plenty of time being raised in the mountains but the Alaskan wilderness just has an untouched aspect to it that I didn't get back in Wyoming. It was surreal. The Alaskan wilderness truly is a last frontier. We went on a couple trails. One near the parking lot we didn't go very far because a bear sighting was issued and it must have caused concern so that trail was closed out earlier on. We got numerous pictures of the glacier and went on the trail to Nugget Falls which is right by the receding glacier. Beautiful falls and environment! Highly recommend! We went to the visitor center building itself and read all of the reading displays and watched a short film about the glacier. We didn't see any bears here (or the entire trip for that matter) but saw some bald headed eagles. We went to Mendenhall in September which is when the rainy season is in high gear here. But if you layer your clothing, have a rain repellant rain jacket and maybe an umbrella when it isn't rainy you will be fine. Once again highly recommend to see this place and perhaps with a sense of urgency because the glacier continues to retreat rapidly and there is thinking that the visitor center may need to be moved because of it so the glacier can be seen up close again. The terrain and environment continously changes here due to glacier activity which makes this a unique visit because of that. Enjoy the gorgeous pictures I added!

OMG ! What an adventure it was =) A long overdue review. I unfortunately came here on a day where the visitor center was closed, but my brave and adventurous heart told me to go check out the glacier that was teasing me from across the frozen lake. ***NOT ADVISING OTHERS TO WALK ACROSS THE LAKE, CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS*** Walked across the frozen lake, now thinking back about it, seemed very sketchy and dangerous. The glacier is incredible, it's not something you get to see everyday, especially up close and personal. It was a pretty cool experience to be able to see it and even check out one of the small ice caves. After trekking back across the lake, I went up to the visitor center and was able to read some information about Mendenhall lake and it's history. I can see inside the visitor center there is some sort of gift shop area and much more info, hoping to check it out again in the future when they are open!

I absolutely love Alaska. Nothing beats the beautiful scenery, wild animals, seafood, clean air, northern lights and the glaciers. I procrastinated on booking our shore excursion to Mendenhall Glacier through our cruise line, but it ended up working out. At the pier, Juneau Tours has a booth to book a round-trip shuttle. I ended paying 60% less than going with the original tour through the cruise. With shuttles leaving every half hour it made it super convenient for us to decide how much time we wanted to spend at the National Forest. When we arrived, we did the scenic path on the raised walkway and took in the surroundings and watched the salmon swim upstream. We lucked out that it was a clear, sunny chilly day. When we got to the visitor center there were several look out points to get the perfect shot. You can get to the visitor center by walking up the steps, meandering up the ramp or the elevator. At the visitor center the observation deck provided a stunning view of Mendenhall. If you have children, stop by the ranger desk so they can request for a kids adventure book. If they complete activities they will be given a junior ranger badge. Be sure to watch the informational video so that you have some insight on the history of this phenomenal place. It's unfortunate that climate change is causing the glaciers to melt, so visiting before its too late is fleeting.

Make it your priority stop. It's breathtaking. Walk to nugget falls. It's all worth it. Not over-hyped.

WoW!!!! Amazing! Definitely go here when you are in Juneau! We took a shuttle from downtown, and it took like 20-25 mins. As soon as we got dropped off at one of their parking lots, we saw a black bear climbing a tree. The forest rangers were making sure you keep at a safe distance unlike some dumb lady they told me about last week that chased one. After the black bear sighting, we walked across the way to check out the glacier. It is an absolute wonder! It is so cool looking and just a wonderful and beautiful sight! So many photos!! There's a visitor center that will give you all the info you need, a little presentation too, clean restrooms and water fountains. Be sure to take the little easy hike down the Nugget Trail to check out the Nugget Waterfall. It's not strenuous at all, it's an easy walk down a paved trail to the waterfall, beach area, lake, and glacier. Glad we came by to check out this natural wonder and learn more about it. It was a wonderful visit and a must do! (tearing up) The area offers a lot of other activities too, so that may be worth looking into.

Located 12 miles from downtown Juneau. the Mendenhall Glacier is part of the 5,815 acre Mendenhall Glacier Recreational Area and part of Tongas National Forest. The area is managed by the United States Forest Service. The glacier extends from the Juneau Ice field to Mendenhall Lake. AT it's end point lies the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center which provides interpretive programs, an audio-visual presentation in their theater, a book store run by Discovery southwest Alaska, gift shop, tourist information and public restrooms. It is open year round. There are a number of trails which start at the Visitor Center but it is the West glacier Trail that gives you access to the Glacier. The Trail of Time has historical signs and is handicapped accessible. Nugget Falls Trail will lead you to Fabulous Nugget Falls. Mendenhall Glacier reached it's recent maximum length during the Little Ice Age in the 1700's and since that time it has been retreating. it has experience accelerated retreat in the last 50 years. Since 1929, it has retreated 3.25 miles. From Juneau you can reach the glacier by Uber, tour bus, taxis or a public transportation bus which is the cheapest form of transportation to the glacier. Be mindful of the fact that the bus stop leaves you with a mile walk to the glacier.

It's a absolutely beautiful thing to see. I was a bit worried to hear of the decline of the glacier in the numerous years. Would hate to see such a thing of beauty "melt away ".

This is what I wanted to do the most when visiting Alaska and I am so happy I did it. I came off of the cruise and this was part of my excursion. I feel that time was a little limited so I had to choose which path I had time to do. I did the shortest one and the one that took me right in front of the waterfall. Thankfully, the two hikes took about 1 hour 30 minutes. If I had more time I would've loved to spend more time here.