Description
Tour Update: This trip will spend time exploring the glacier up close and hiking around the edges of it safely from the bedrock. For safety reasons, this tour no longer takes guests on the glacier.
The Mendenhall Glacier Paddle and Trek experience is a favorite among Juneau glacier tours and an experience you’ll be unlikely to forget! Imagine paddling a canoe over the tranquil waters of a serene glacial lake, with the grand peaks of snow-capped mountains and cascading Nugget Falls reflected in the surface, skimming around glowing blue icebergs, and marveling at the region’s diverse wildlife, from gulls and terns nesting along cliffs to mountain goats, porcupines, river otters, beavers, bald eagles, black bears, and other inhabitants of this magical landscape. At the edge of the awe-inspiring Mendenhall Glacier, the adventure continues as your guide takes you up close to the glacier ice for an in-depth exploration.
With the glacier only twelve miles from Juneau, the Mendenhall Glacier Paddle and Trek adventure is conveniently situated near the historic port town. This exclusive tour is the only one with permits to venture across Mendenhall Lake and right up to the glacier, allowing you to spend up to two hours exploring the rocky moraines around the ancient ice! With a maximum group size of just 12 participants, this intimate favorite among Juneau glacier tours allows plenty of time to question your knowledgeable guides and learn more about all you are seeing and experiencing. Your excursion is followed by a leisurely paddle back to your retrieval point by the lake’s edge. Pick-up and return from the cruise docks, as well as from many Juneau hotels, is included in this stunning, family-friendly 6-hour experience. Join us on this top tour, because after all, no visit to Juneau is complete without a close-up experience of the legendary Mendenhall Glacier!
To explore Mendenhall Glacier without the paddling portion of the tour, consider the Mendenhall Glacier Trek.
What's Included
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the trip still operate if it is raining?
What if our cruise ship's schedule is canceled or delayed?
What about restroom facilities along the way?
How many guests can attend on this tour?
Will we see/explore ice caves?
Know Before You Book
Quick Facts
Itinerary • 5h 30min • 7 activities
Your guides will pick you up from Mount Roberts Tramway, just a short walk from the cruise docks, for transfer to the warehouse.
At the warehouse, you'll receive a rain jacket & pants, rubber boots, a waterproof backpack, dry bags, & paddling gear before being taken over to Mendenhall lake.
Hopping in the canoe with your guide, you'll paddle for an hour to reach the opposite shore, going by icebergs and the face of the glacier.
Upon reaching the opposite shore, you will hike up to the face of the Mendenhall Glacier to explore the edges & fascinating ice formations of the massive river of ice.
After your time at the glacier, you will hike back down to the canoes to paddle your way back across the lake to the launch site.
You'll be taken back to the warehouse to return your gear & collect anything you may have left behind during your tour.
At the end of your tour, you'll hop back in the vans for a drive back to Mount Roberts Tramway, where you can take a short walk to your cruise dock or explore downtown.