Mendenhall Glacier Reviews

We highly recommend visiting Mendenhall Glacier. From the visitor center it is a nice walk to see the Glacier.

Weather grounded our helicopter landing on the glacier but we enjoyed hiking to nugget falls, exploring the area and visitor center just as much. Plenty of spots for great photos. Arrive later in the day to avoid the early morning tour bus rush from the cruise ships.

Short hike to see the glacier, maybe a little over a mile or so.. Well worth it. Will see the waterfall too.

Our third visit to the glacier. During that span of time its easy to see how much the glacier had retreated.

We have seen Mendenhall Glacier 25 years ago and then again in 2022. It is amazing how much it has reseeded. We used to be able to walk almost right close to it but now it is so far way.

We did a cycle tour (Bike and Brew) and saw some incredible views of the glacier from across the water. It's so majestic, beautiful too. Cycling was a great way to consume the miles, most of the tracks were actually designated so we were rarely in the traffic and our guides were brilliant at navigating us across the tricky parts

We were on the Disney Wonder took one of their excursions to take a helicopter out to the Mendenhall Glacier. The helicopter ride was about 20 minutes from Juneau airport to the landing on the glacier. Once on the glacier we were showed glacial fissures, glacial streams, blue ice, and we even did the glacial push-up to drink from the glacial streams. Our guide took some fabulous photos of the family. It is a memory we will cherish forever. Let's hope many more generations will see this natural wonder.

We booked an excursion to the glacier from the cruise ship. The bus trip was approx. 20-25 minutes from Juneau & we enjoyed the sites. You get dropped off at the visitor's center. There are 2 options for seeing the glacier one path takes you to the look out & other you can get up close.

we took this tour along with the glacier gardens as a package from the cruise ship.

the bus dropped us off at the visitor center and left us specific instructions as to when an where to meet to get back to the ship. unfortunately this was an extremely busy day and there were dozens of buses so it was a little chaotic and our return was a bit delayed.

There is a visitor center and a glacier viewing area right near the parking lot. there is also a mile or so trail to get to nugget falls. the trail is quite easy and worth the walk.

it is not possible to walk on or near the glacier itself.

i would have liked to have seen the visitor center but we were given warnings of the dire consequences of missing the bus. then we had to wait 15 minutes for our bus so we could have actually seen it. oh well.

worth doing

We took a cruise excursion to the Mendenhall Glacier. There were several cruise ships in town and there were lots of buses dropping off passengers. It was a rainy cloudy day so we really didn't need more than 45 minutes to walk the short falls trail and visit the crowded visitor center. Unfortunately they had dropped us off there for over 2 hours. I would recommend taking something like the Glacier Express we saw in town instead of a tour as it was difficult to find a dry spot to wait for the bus.

This is a must-see when in Juneau. The glacier is awesome. We did the hike to the water fall and skipped the visitor center. It’s an easy 2-mile hike that most people can do so it was a little congested with “slow walkers”

Walk the trails - even the more challenging ones are relatively easy for inexperienced hikers, and worth the effort.

We were on an Alaskan cruise with a large group so we wanted some cool but cost effective things to see while in port. The Mendenhall glacier was absolutely amazing and one of our most favorite things of the trip. It is also in the same location as the visitor center and the nugget waterfall. From the port, we took a free shuttle to the drop off location which was a bunch of booth vendors selling excursions. They were charging $40 per person to take you to see the glacier (not sure if they allotted enough time to see the falls up close). We walked less than a quarter of a mile to the city bus stop from that point. You can take line 3, 4, or 8 (8 is an express bus that only runs during rush hour times) for $2 a person if 18+ or $1 if under 18. HAVE EXACT CHANGE/CASH. They will not make change for you. We were dropped off at the dredge lake road exit and walked 1.5 miles to the glacier. If you let the drivers know where you are going, they are really good about telling you when to get off. The walk was quick and completely worth it as you see some beautiful scenery and rainforest along the way. There is a $5 per person entry fee to get into the park. It is a short walk to see the glacier with a lookout point where you can get pictures. If you want to continue on, there is a path to the falls with good signage. It is 2 miles round trip to get to the falls. The buses run every 30 minutes. On the way back to the stop, we took the steep creek trail (just the smallest loop which probably added 8 extra minutes (the steep creek trail is a couple of hours if you do the whole thing). Plan on about 5 hours to see the glacier, falls, visitor center, and travel time. We walked around 6 miles total on flat, well maintained paths/roads to do the excursion this way. Totally worth it!

This is a great glacier to visit no matter your mobility level. My elderly parents were able to visit the look out and then walk to the visitor's center which is right off the parking lot. They also walked out to Photo Point. My children and I took the longer walk out to Nugget Falls. There are several other trails in the area as well for those who have more time, including some with more difficulty. It's a beautiful, peaceful evening. It was fun to see the glacier on a misty evening and another time on a blue sky day for totally different perspectives.

Beautiful place! Along with Nugget Falls, Mendenhall Glacier was the first of many Glaciers we saw on our Alaska trip. Even though it was the first we saw, it is one that stands out as one of the most memorable. Nugget Falls is right next to the Glacier which makes this a very beautiful and awe inspiring place.

When arriving at the Park, you will walk past the Visitor Center...stop at the bathroom first...it is a bit of a walk, 2 miles round trip. The path to the Glacier is mostly level ground and fairly easy to moderate terrain. Following the path gets you to the viewing area of the Glacier and quite close to the waterfall-Nugget Falls, which is also beautiful. The walk does not allow you to walk on the Glacier...but still amazing.

Trail to Nugget Falls was flooded out, Creek Trail closed for spawning season so bears can get to fish without visitors around. Cruise ship crowds made it shoulder to shoulder everywhere, and if raining, everyone is crammed into the Visitor Center. Total waste of time and money (to get there).

I took the bus tour from near the cruise pier which was quick and convenient. It cost $30, but not sure if it was worth that. However, the glacier was beautiful, although is shrinking. It was a beautiful walk to it and Nugget Falls.

We enjoyed another visit to this awesome glacier but sure have noticed it has receded quite a bit in the last 10 years. If you have a chance, see it soon.We enjoyed walking along the nugget trail, seeing the glacier at the base and then farther up the trail.

We took an excision off the cruise ship to Mendenhall Glacier. It was 20 mins away and the tour driver gave us 1 hour to explore. We did not go into the main building as we didn’t have much time. Also,was sprinkling but then stopped. You can see the glacier from the signage but we also walked the nugget falls trail to get closer. It’s off to the right. Paved about 15-20 mos each way so enough to get there take photos and walk back to the bus before heading to the whale watch.

The glacier has melted back quite a lot but can still be clearly seen from the viewpoint.
There is also a nice walk to the waterfall.

We took a stroll through part of the Tongass National Forest and it ended at the overlook for the Mendenhall Glacier. It was fascinating to realize we were standing on ground that was once covered by this glacier. It is well worth the walk to see and experience it

Very good views of Mendenhall glacier and saw a could whales along the way.. Would recommend this trip for visitors to Juneau.

We hiked and saw the glacier. So gorgeous & I can't wait to go back! Our tour guide with Gastineau Guiding was incredible!

Proposed to my fiancé here. Mendenhall was why we chose to visit Juneau and it did not disappoint. Incredible backdrop for a memorable experience.

We felt like we had the whole park nearly to ourselves. Some friendly locals helped me to see the mountain goats that were high up in the cliffs near Nugget Falls.

Can’t wait to return, although it is sad that this beautiful piece of nature is disappearing.

I love visiting places that allow me to see things I’ve never seen before. The glacier did not disappoint. Pictures don’t do it justice. Be careful if you book the glacier with a whale tour. You may not have enough time to walk the trails.

Great way to spend a day while staying in Juneau. We walked along an easy trail from the visitors center to a beautiful waterfall. The weather was hot that day and this was a nice cool area.

We rented bikes in Juneau and rode out to the Glacier Park. Very fun. The hike to the waterfall is easy and worth the time.

We did canoe lake paddle to the glacier, the view was spectacular. My heart always smiles on a site of glacier. It is so sad that all the glaciers are shrinking and what the guide told us this one is shrinking very fast. Still, great site and fun trip.

All the helicopter rides to the Mendenhall Glacier were sold out, so I went to the Visitor Center. The glacier is far more colorful than I had imagined. The blue areas are actually crystal clear and refract light the same way the blue sky would. It is a receding glacier and dumps tons of fresh water into the ocean every year. Alaska does have some advancing glaciers too.

Easy 20 minute drive from port to AMAZING views in every direction. Trail to falls and glacier are doable for any age. The majesty of the surrounding mountains from all angles including wildlife.
The water at the falls is so pure & cold I had to have a drink.
Photo options of glacier are fun to work for. Walking in the lake ti get the perfect shot a must.
Be on the look out on the walk back along the shore for pieces icebergs to hold your own Glacier!!

Not far from town. Worth the trip. Scenery is spectacular. The short trail through Tongas Forest worth walking which will dump you out at Glacier.

Beautiful--I took a tour of Juneau and then went to Mendenhall Glacier. I walked the trail to Nugget Falls---just amazing.

Gorgeous views. Walked to Nugget falls. Easy walk. When we were there it was not very crowed which was nice. Absolutely gorgeous place to visit

Trails to see glacier and waterfall are easy to walk and bring you to excellent viewing points. Excellent interpretation along the way. Walk from bus stop is 1.4 miles on level paved path.

Mendenhall is a short taxi ride out of Juneau. We contracted with a taxi for out/back service with 2 hours at the glacier. We were able to hike out to Nugget Falls and enjoy the film at the visitor center with plenty of time. The hike is very easy and gives you a great view of the glacier standing at the bottom of the falls.

Loved visiting this park. Just amazing what nature can do. You have to go to visitor center to learn more about this glacier

Through Dolphin Jet Boat Tours, we took a comfortable van ride to the gorgeous Mendenhall Glacier and Nugget Falls in Juneau, Alaska. We will be back and can’t wait to bring our family with us!

Beautiful area well kept, Great View of the Glacier and Water Fall our bus dropped us off at the front gate and was on time for pick up , our driver was great on the ride up to the Glacier

This was a very popular site, with many people from tour bus groups, including ours! Even though the trails to the receding glacier were busy with people, it was possible to find benches to sit on and look at the beautiful scenery. The glacier’s history isn’t obvious with the naked eye but a park ranger gave a talk about its history every 20 minutes or so at the edge of the pedestrian trail. This is an important site, not only for its beauty, but for its clear evidence of global warming.

If you like to walk and discover some natural beauties, please visit the Mendenhall Glacier. You can take many nice photos. I did not have much time to spend at the visitor center for getting more info about the Glacier and potential trails for walking. However, if you reserve 1-2 hours, you would spend more comfortable time over there.

Wish the sun had been out, the glacier would have appeared more blue and much more beautiful than what it was.

Our group of 4 were on Norwegian Cruise Bliss and arrived 24 Sept. We did not book our land tour through the cruise but took a coach, buying tickets from one of the booth at the cruise centre. Ticket cost at $45 per person and we took this option because the itinerary is more flexible and cheaper.
The coach loop from the town to the Glacier Visitor Centre every half hour until 6pm.

The walk from the visitor centre to the viewing platform and to the Nugget Fall is easy. This is probably the most convenient way to look at a glacier and you get a good view at most of the day.

We were blessed by great weather and a beautiful view! Take the time to view the natural beauty of this glacier.

I took my wife and 3 kids aged 10 12, and 14. We all enjoyed the sights and sounds of the Last Frontier. It is definitely worth going. Enjoy!

Fantastic glacier. Take the time to walk 1 mile to the water fall for a great view of the glacier and the falls, as well as flora along the way. Highly recommend

Breathtaking, green, lush, and the waterfall was the best part. We walked about a mile through the Tongass Rainforest, and although it was a long walk, the waterfall was worth it. Bring comfortable shoes and be prepared to walk a long way. The glacier was amazing too. But the rainforest is equally as amazing.

There are several ways to view the Mendenhall Glacier. Because we were cruise ship tourists, we booked an excursion with the ship that included a visit to the glacier. The view is awe-inspiring. We were there in the summer time, and I would like to believe that the glacier recedes less in the colder months, but sadly I think global warming is really taking its toll on this natural wonder. It was a bucket list item, and I am so glad I got to see it before experts predict it will completely recede behind the mountains in the next 20 years.

We were on a tour from Whale Tales that dropped us off at Glacier park. The trail was closed off due to bear activity so the waterfall visit by the Glacier was pretty much the visit. 2 miles total to the water fall round trip via a trail. Glacier nice but compared to all the others that followed, it wasn't that great. My opinion is to go on the whale boat ride and there are great views of the Mendenhall glacier from the lake, unless you just like to hike. The park for most part is free by itself, no one was checking for any type of tickets although a sign says that there is a fee. If you go to the waterfall, bring a water bottle to fill. The water is fantastic to drink.

Truly amazing place. We canoed their but you can hike as well. Great place to touch a glacier. It was not as cold as I thought it would be.

Many years ago I was fortunate enough to fly and land on Franz Joseph Glacier in NZ. but this trip to Alaska gave me a great up personal view of Mendenhall Glacier, the waterfall and the visitors center.

What a great experience and an easy walk around the area and then seeing the visitor center - well worth the visit.

Great experience. Flooding while there. Still enjoyed. Safe and recommend doing with tour operator. Dress for weather changes.

Mendenhall Glacier was my first experience with a glacier in my life. It was absolutely stunning with plenty of viewpoints and interesting features. The walk from the visitor centre to the glacier was easy and you can have the most amazing view of the glacier and the waterfalls. Wish I had more time to explore/hike the surrounding areas.

If you book a tour, find one that is shorter. It was raining and we were given 2 hours to hike in the area. The visitors center was jammed with people avoiding the rain, and little to do after the displays.

Absolutely stunning! Incredible look into the history of our world and understanding how it was carved and created. A fantastic sight and beautiful area to hike through. Easy but long walk to the falls and glacier.

We got a taxi from Auke bay where we had been on a whale watching trip. The taxi provided the passes for the glacier and all in was about 40 dollars. The scenery is stunning even when it was pouring with rain. We walked to nugget falls for photos, the falls are beautiful and not to be missed. We also made a stop to the visitor centre, it has great information on the glacier. We also returned to Juneau by taxi for another 40 dollars, suggest you book this yourself as the people selling the tours to the glacier when you get off the ship as much dearer.

I’ve never so closely realized the effects of climate change than when I was here. Particularly in the visitor centre where you can see how it used to look 10, 20, 50 years ago it’s insane to reconcile those photos with what’s in front of you now. Don’t get me wrong - it was gorgeous but also incredibly eye opening. The visitor centre is small but well done. I wish we had done the walk to the waterfall next to the glacier but we were misinformed on how long it would take

Do not miss this opportunity to see a glacier so up close from a park-like setting! We loved touring through this relatively small park with a beautiful glacier and lovely waterfall (a short walk through the park path to get to the base of the waterfall). Awestruck beauty!

The trail to the waterfall was wonderful about a mile.
Mushrooms growing.
Beautiful nature walk that opened up a beach area.and very very strong waterfall.
Was so amazing..
And the Glacier being very majestic!!
What a beautiful site.
It was completely free.
They had an observatory and gift shop..
It was beautiful!!

A very nice spot to visit and experience while in Juneau. Great place to spend time outside and doing some hiking. I would not recommend taking the city bus as the walk to the Visitor Center from the drop off spot, and back, is a fairly long distance.

Stopped here a tour including the salmon hatchery in Juneau. Great views from the visitor center and you can walk up to the shoreline for the best photos. Great view of a huge waterfall as well. Walk out to waterfall was going to be like 40 minutes so we did not have quick enough time on tour but seems like it would be worth it. Little gift shop and bathrooms available. I would probably due the float option next time.

We took three trails on our visit yesterday. Photo Point trail was crowded with cruise visitors, but definitely offered the promised photo angles for the glacier. Nugget Falls trail is about a mile long one way and takes you right to the foot of this powerful waterfall. My personal favorite was the much longer and tougher East Glacier Trail, which wound up, up, up through the Tongass. This trail does not offer big views of the waterfall, but there were lots of little treats along the way. Nice way to spend our day in Juneau.

Fantastic tour. Harmony the driver of the bus was excellent. We learned so much about Juneau, the Glacier and the history of both. We had the opportunity to stop in town and visit The Red Dog Saloon…best Duck Farts in Alaska!

We did the helicopter ride to Mendenhall Glacier, which included a walk on the glacier. Did this as part of a tour on a recent cruise. Well worth the expense.

Absolutely, one of the most beautiful sites in Juneau not to be missed. The waterfalls are awesome. Do not miss. It is a mild hike

Since we were on a cruise didnt have time for any serious hikes but the short hike to the waterfall and getting reasonably close to the glaciers is worth the price of admission. Excellent visitors' center, salmon stream nearby and good chance will see a bear or 2. Something for all ages and ability

Loved visiting the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau. There is a bit of wild life to see there as well. Got some great photos as well. Highly recommend a visit while visiting Juneau.

The Glacier was stunning! Nothing like it, to get there we took a taxi for $50 for four of us and he dropped us near the park where public bus stops too but still 15-20 mins walk, which was an incredible walk. Taxis can take you all the way to the visitor center but they will charge extra $20 per person. On the way back there were no taxis back so we called a taxi from the visitor center and it came within 15 mins and it was also about $50 to get to cruise ship dock. You can also take a public bus, which is cheap and a great way to get there. Many people assume you should not be taking buses in Alaska since it hinders transportation plans for locals. Its so not true! We took buses in Ketchikan, Anchorage and most of the public buses are empty and only quarter full. There is a misconception spread by possibly tour and cruise ship businesses that you should not take public buses, please do, its the least expensive and least impactful on Alaska' s beautiful nature.

There is a good chance your've arrived here from a cruise ship that has just witnessed the Hubbard Glacier which is the biggest & arguably the most spectacular Glacier in the world.
So why bother going to see this one especially as you cannot go on it or get close to it.
On top of that you will be seeing other Glaciers along the way as part of the sceenery.
Sorry to be a kill joy, i just tell you how i see it.
Also to do this tour & the whale watching trip will cost you over $100 each (£76).
Ok if you havn't ever done a Whale watching trip is ok.
Oh one last thing a lady died on this exact trip last year which they conveniently neglected to mention.
She was hit when a whale rose out of the sea & its flipper hit her on the head & killed her outright on the spot also the outside deck is very slippery & the sea can get rough & choppy.
Tip: stay inside its far more comfortable.
You are guaranteed to see them, which is amusing if that does it for you?
But all in all not worth the money in my estimated oppinion.
But hey its your money. Your call.

The National Park Service is hitting way above its weight on this one. Beautifully maintained trails and easy access to all of the perfect photo opportunities. I went in early April when there was still snow on the ground, but hiking to the waterfall and glacier viewpoint was easy.

It was early April so it was a little cold and had moments of sleety rain, but I was at a glacier! I wanted that! So Amazing. If you find your self lucky enough to be in Juneau, you have to see the Mendenhall Glacier.

This was beautiful and extraordinary. Everyone should see it now, as it is rapidly disappearing. We also saw the salmon running. The views are spectacular.

Excellent guide, Schyler (on my trip), leads your group on a raft - you pick to paddle or not - down the river from the foot of the glacier through rolling rapids (small in September) and points out interesting features and animals along the way. Spectacular view of the glacier, fun and a great tour! (This was in Sept 2018).

We did Mendenhall Glacier and Nugget Falls on our own. The cab from the cruise port was $44 one way. We arrived after 5pm, so the Visitor Center was closed, but that meant no crowds on the beautiful, peaceful and lush trail to Nugget Falls. It takes about 20 minutes to reach it and it's so worth the 1.5 mile round-trip walk.

Great view! This was my first time seeing a glacier. It was beautiful and the mountains were simply beautiful. There’s no other word I can use to describe it other than beautiful.

We didn’t see any animals and I really wish they had guided tours to explain the trees and plants that’s why I’m eating a 4 not a 5.

The ladies that works there were kind and knowledgeable about Juneau in general. They were very welcoming!

This glacier is absolutely amazing. The area around it is beautiful. We saw plenty of bald eagles flying around. It's absolutely something you have to do while in Juneau!

This was a fabulous trip if you enjoy hiking. The sights were gorgeous. The tour guide did an outstanding job.

Wonderful clean park!
Beautiful places to walk!
Great park officials...
The hiking paths go from short to long
Don't forget to go in to the center

This is a great place to visit especially if you have never been to see glaciers before. The visitor center is very nice and informative.

When we got off the ship there was some booths sent up outside one of them was a bus trip to the Mendenhall Glacier for $20 a person. It also had a few other smaller stops with it. It was about a 30min light walk along the edge of the rainforest. was a beautiful walk. We then arrived at the Glacier & waterfall with was incredible to get that close to it. It was raining pretty good the day we were there but that did not take away from it. I highly recommend taking a tour out to the Glacier.

There was a visitor centre that had all sort of tourist things to purchase and info about the area.

Booked a short tour (bus to here plus whale watching) after we arrived on our cruise ship. We had about an hour 15 here--would have preferred to have more time to be able to hike to Nugget Falls, but we walk slowly--so save that for next time. Beautiful lake in front of the glacier.

Must do on your bucket list
We flew via helicopter to glacier
Great ride with plenty of photo opportunities and hike on the glacier

We only walked the 10 minutes from the car parking area to the glacier viewing point because of the limited time we had for several shore excursions in one day.
Well worth the walk and the glacier, lake and valley are very photogenic.
It would be good to visit again with more time and get up onto the glacier

Allow 1 - 2 hrs if you include the visitor centre

We were very lucky when we visited on a Sunday morning. There were no cruise ships in the Juneau port, so there were only a handful of people at the glacier. We hiked the photo point trail, Nugget Falls trail, and the Trail of Time (very interesting). We thought about hiking the East Glacier trail, but the forest service ranger said it was overgrown and there were no views. After spending a few minutes in the visitor center, it turned cold and a little rainy, so we left. We spent about 3 hours or so.

The walk to the photo point was very easy, there were places to sit and admire the view - and take lots of photos. The visitors centre was full of interest, again with a great view of the Glacier.

Don't miss out on the hike to the waterfall! The museum is always fun and you will love the views. Remember to bring bug repellent.

This is close to Juneau and is absolute must if you're there. Perfect place to see Northern Lights. It's quite dark at night and great views of the glacier and surrounding mountains.

Spectacular, since for us they are very different views and scenarios from what is normally seen elsewhere. The coordination of the Tour and the service of the Shipping Company is highly recommended, there is no risk of not arriving in time to set sail again on the Cruise, they are tours fully coordinated and sold by the Shipping Company, totally recommended.

This is one of the most easily accessible glaciers in the country, and continent-wise, maybe just second to Athabasca Glacier in Alberta.

The glacier is easily accessible by shuttle buses, by taxi (with a national park surcharge), or by Uber and local transit which drop you off a mile away since they don't have National Forest Service permits.

The ideal trails when short on time are the Photo Point and the Nugget Falls trails. The Nugget Falls do not come from Mendenhall glacier, but comes from the same icefield as Mendenhall's, so it is drinkable!

The glacier itself is marvelous, so if this is your first glacier, you will definitely be impressed!

The layout of the visitor's center and the viewpoints were easy to navigate and get to. The view was extraordinary! The visitor's center can be accessed by wheelchair (they have an elevator), and has impressive displays. They also play a film for visitors that explains a great deal about the glacier, how it was discovered, and more. They have a small gift shop with lovely little items for all ages, and there are also trails leading right to a magnificent waterfall near the glacier. We also spotted several bald eagles! It's a must-see for folks who haven't been there before!

Wow!!! Why isn't this gorgeous place a National Park! We visited Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau on a 3+hr excursion from our cruise ship in June. The bus ride from the port to Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center was very informative. The bus driver was very humorous and very upbeat about Alaska. The weather was great and provided clear views everywhere.

One could easily spend several hours here hiking all the trails. We walked to the base of Nugget Falls (1 mile one-way easy walk). The huge waterfall is awe inspiring. The water spray is cold though, so be prepared. On the return walk, we took the short trail to the Photo Point which provides a much better view of Mendenhall Glacier. Finally, we walked through the excellent visitor center and watched the movie. The walk down from the visitor center to the parking lot is quite interesting by itself as a nature trail. If you have time, walk the easy Steep Creek boardwalk trail.

Mendenhall Glacier is indeed a gem not to be missed when visiting Juneau. Make sure enough time is available at least to hike to Nugget Falls and Photo Point. I saw some international travelers who turned back half-way on their hike to the falls because they had to get on their tour bus; they certainly missed out on a great experience.

This was a very pretty and interesting place but flooding limited our accessibility down some of the trails including the trail to Nugget Falls. The park rangers informed us this only happens about once a year. There was a lovely stream full of spawning salmon that is a must see!

This is a great sight to see and luckily is a short distance from the town centre. The visitor centre is well organised with a film that is worth seeing and rangers on hand to answer questions. There are both short and longer walks to get closer to the glacier and there is a short walk where, if you are very lucky, you may see bears or if you are less lucky the signs they have been around. Rangers say that within 20 years the glacier will be out of sight from the visitor centre at the present rate of retreat so if you want to go, the sooner the better really. Well worth visit. Trips from the ships are well organised and reasonably priced but you can also get taxis and buses.

Hiked the W Glacier Trail on Sept 23 starting at about 10. Cloudy with light to moderate rain. It has been a dry summer, but rain started past couple weeks. Dangerous hike due to slippery rocks. About 2/3 way in will come to ropes hanging from rock face. W Glacier Trail continues forward. I believe the ropes leading up to the left are for a different trail. There have been recent landslides & the trail from this point has been re-routed so follow the orange, red, yellow & blue ribbons. Trail from here is rocky & very slippery due to rain. Further up the trail there is a swollen stream with a couple 2x4s as a bridge. The fast moving stream was about a foot below the 2x4s & growing. I stopped at the hill overlooking the glacier (awesome view!) 2 hrs from trail head. It would have been perhaps another 30+ minutes downhill to the glacier. A hiking pole comes in real handy. Best not to hike alone especially in wet conditions. It took another 2 hrs to get back to the trail head.

Even with the crowds getting around the Park was very easy. My wife was able to get to most spots with her wheelchair. The Glacier itself was amazing to see and behold. There were several Eagles fluing over head while we were there. If you get a chance to go see the Mendenhall Glacier, please do.

One could easily spend a few hours here. I suggest taking the longer hike to the base of the water fall. Enjoy the trails which are all easy level hikes. Even the trails around the parking area have some great sights and animals including bears in the area. You can just see the Glacier or spend a couple hours and take in all this location has to offer. I suggest you walk the trails and through the visitor center at the least. This and the shops downtown are the best thing to do here.

See it any way you can while in Juneau. Most accessible glacier for short trips. Well worth the time and effort.

Beautiful! A must see. I wish we had more time to do some of the trails around but even the walk from the visitor's centre to Nugget Falls was great - well marked and accessible (except for the end which I doubt a wheelchair would easily be able to go through)

Nugget Falls was just amazing! I don't think I have seen any other falls this up close

Mendenhall Glacier is totally breathtaking. It is amazing to experience the Glacier. It is a must see in Juneau

Located about 10 miles from downtown Juneau is Mendenhall Glacier. It is beautiful and a lesson in the power of nature. Excellent activity for adults and children. We chose to rent bikes and ride there on our own, but there are shuttles available from town for those who prefer to save their energy.

So much to see and marvel in, from far or rent a canoe and get close to glacier and breaktaking waterfall.
No entrance fees
Can take $2 city bus a fraction of what the locals or cruises charge but there is over a mile walk to get to park
Definitely worth visiting if 1st time to Juneau Alaska

It is awe inspiring to see my first glacier ever. I only wish I could have gotten closer to it but time constraints allowed 120 minute visit. Been there done that

We enjoyed returning to Mendenhall Glacier. This is an amazing glacier to see On a previous trip we stayed nearby We loved walking to there every morning and also walking by the creek where we saw salmon We also saw a number of bears.

Definitely go there with Ryan and Casey who work for Liquid Alaska Tours. You WON'T be disappointed.

We got off the cruise ship, and chose one of the many local buses that take a bunch of people to drive out to see the visitor center and glacier. You really don't need to buy an excursion and I recommend you don't. We took our time at the visitor center - enjoyed the beautiful views. My grandmother waited at the visitor center while I walked the short path up to the glacier's waterfall, which I highly recommend doing as the views are even better there than at the visitor center.

This was our first stop off of our Alaska Cruise. It was a combo of the glacier visit and a whale watching tour. A short walk into the park and you quickly see the glacier. Such a wonderful sight. We had a somewhat short time due to the tour so we skipped the visitors center and hiked closer to the glacier. Worth the trip!

This was a trip highlight because we were able to walk down a trail right to the base of the Nugget Falls and see the glacier a short distance away. The amount of melting from previous years was a disturbing reminder of the reality of climate change and global warming. But a great fresh air experience, with a small tour group.

Mendenhall Glacier and Nugget Falls go hand in hand. It’s a pretty easy hike with kids. Our kiddos range from age 12-4 plus we had my folks, grandma and great uncle with us. The hike is pretty as you walk through a coniferous forest, over trickling creeks and along the bay. If you’re lucky you may find some floating glacier ice along the shore! Trip Tip: Mendenhall Glacier appears more blue when it is cloudy

Mendenhall Glacier is a short drive from Juneau and easy to find. The visitor center is very informative and their are several nice hikes from the visitor center that take you to the base of the falls and other areas. The hikes are very moderate and appropriate for all ages. Pretty views of the glacier even though it's still a pretty good distance away.

My wife and I recently visited Juneau with friends while on a cruise tour in Alaska. While there, we took an excursion to the Mendenhall Glacier. There were amazing views of the glacier from the vantage point that was a short walk from the parking area. This is a very picturesque attraction that has an excellent visitor center on the premises. There is also a walking trail that takes you over a part of the river where you can see salmon. There is also a trail that is a longer walk to Nugget Falls. This is a very worthwhile attraction that we would definitely recommend.

I am sure we reviewed this under "The Mendenhall Glacier visitor center" but it is basically the same review. Great photos, good walking tour, bring waterproof clothes and be ready to walk. We got on this trip through a kiosk at the Port of Juneau which was way cheaper than the price on the trip. Plus, you got to see man other things on the way The photos I have enclosed are taken by a cheaper cell phone camera and still came out great.

We took the Blue Bus from the cruise ships. Mendenhall is nice for walking. We did a few trails and they were easy. Did not see any animals but got up close to a waterfall. I kept hoping that the tourists taking 100+ selfies by the waterfall would fall in and let the rest of us have some access.

I enjoyed hiking the park to the waterfall that pours off the glacier. I took the waterway path to the waterfall and it was peaceful. I saw several animal tracks. The main trail was very crowded on the way back. no food allowed in the park. water only. Eat before you go and take the blue bus to save money. Pay for park entrance at the kiosk in the parking lot.

We took a very strenuous hike through the rainforest and ended up at the visitor center where we saw the best view of the glacier. No hike needed!

walking the Menedenhall glacier road and ran into a nice size Black bear probbly more like 350 or even400 pounds. theyre so quiet and quick they dissapear and appear magically..Iwatched him for about 3 4 minute spots he was rooting up some chow. lol

During our Alaskan Cruise, we had the privilege of seeing many glaciers, but when you walk to this center/trails and get so close to this glacier it is stunning. I know there are tours/experiences that will take you even closer - Helicopter landing on the glacier and more. I know that would be amazing too - but you really don't have to do all of the "special trips" to benefit from the amazing experience!

Took the nature trail thru the park and eventually arrived and the Mendenhall Glacier. It is interesting to compare the current state of the glacier with historic edges that are marked on the nature trail.

It seems like this is the go to glacier for all cruise ships docked in Juneau. So be prepared to see crowds. With that said it’s still incredible to see the glacier, and feel glacier feed water. Highly recommend.

We, my daughters (18 & 23) decided to see Mendenhall with my nephew and his family when our Dog Sledding excursion was canceled. We decided to give public transport a go. It was $2.00/adult and $1.00/child so for us it was $11.00 each way (and the driver really didn't even care). It takes a good amount of time, due to the stops, to get out to the Glacier area and the locals kept it interesting, including one fight that occurred between one female and two male locals, lol, think a tourist deescalated the situation. Once out there you have a few mile hike to the Glacier from the bus stop. Weather was decent and we could enjoy the sites from the road and up close. We went down to the shoreline to get a great view and there is another hike to the waterfall if you wish, but we had to hike the miles back to the bus stop to town so we didn't hike that. The short amount of time we were there wasn't anything compared to the bus and hiking time, but it didn't cost much :) and it was a great time with family!

This is a large glacier. We didn't see it at it's best as it was raining and very overcast. Like all glaciers it is melting at an alarming rate. See it now because it may not be around in ten years time.

Beautiful glacier and waterfall. Can not walk up onto glacier. Can get about 100 to 200 yards away. Can get real close to nugget falls. Easy hike to falls but can be icy in spots

We enjoyed walking on Mendenhall Glacier and this spectacular location really highlighted the beauty of nature at its finest

Just- wow. Wow! I was short on time due to early setting sun, so didn’t do a long trail. I walked to photo point first followed by nugget falls. Was literally the only person there for both but it was a weekday and raining. The trails were icy (Dec 7/22) so being cleats/spikes. Would have been impassable without.

Can only imagine the beauty in the summer!!

While you cannot get very close to it, and while listening to others we understood that the glacier has retreated quite a bit from decades earlier, it is still a wonderful sight! Excellent pictures can be taken even from the visitor center or as you are making your way on one of the nearby trails.

Mendenhall Glacier is accessible via public bus but it’s a 1.5 walk from the closest stop on line #3 or #4. Juneau Tours operates the Glacier Shuttle ($45 for 13+, $40 for ages 3-12) departs from in front of the Mt. Roberts Tramway (right where your ship docks) at least twice/hour and drops you off at the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center, the admission ($5) to which is included in your ticket. The only path to the edge of the glacier itself is via the moderately challenging West Glacier Trail which is reached only by taxi or rental car. If your aspiration is to walk on the glacier, you’re looking at a strenuous, professional guide-led, full day trip ($200-$400/pp + tax

We had rented a car after we got off the cruise ship and drove around. Mendenhall Glacier was one of our stops. It is a short walk to great views. The trails are short, easy and flat. There is one steep trail to what looked like a fantastic view but we didn’t have time to hike it.
The visitor center is a fun place to stop and look through. Not much there but you can watch a film, see a few displays and spend money on Alaskan stuff.
This site is worth the visit.

Great hiking paths, and able to get very close to the falls. Visitors Center is very nice, and good for kids, with a ranger there to talk with.

It is easy to get to the the glacier and worth it. You can stop at the visitors center, take a 1 hour round trip to the base of nugget falls, kayak at the base of the glacier, but we chose to to just walk the 5 minutes to the closer viewing point along the nice paved path. It's breathtaking and you can see the falls. Different viewpoints for all levels of mobility, but all will open your eyes.

Figure out a way to do this hike. It's a crowd-made trail, with signs marking the front of the glacier at 5 and 10 year intervals. Powerful illustration of how much the glacier has melted. Basic navigation confidence and skills required and good hike boots or trail runners.

This attraction provides exceptional views of a beautiful glacier as well as the opportunity to take a short hike to the base of a fantastic waterfall. There are 2 main hiking trails, one of which is .3 miles to a perfect place to take great pictures of the glacier, and one which is 1.2 miles that leads to the waterfall. There is also a visitors center on site with a video about the glaciers history and several exhibits about the area.

This was our 3rd port on our cruise. We brought shuttle bus tickets on the pier. $45 usd each. The blue bus ran every 30 mins. We were able to explore the glacier park, visitor centre and water fall. The salmon was running so some areas we closed off due to bear activities. There are bathrooms at the visitor centre. No food or drinks available but you don’t want the bears attracted to scraps. Going by shuttle you can take your time not having to worry about the tour bus schedule.p, which we notice tourist rushing to back to their tour.

The hikes around this area are good and well maintained. Nice glacier, although you don't get very close. The waterfall is nice. Wish you could get closer to the glacier.

Do not miss this if you are in Juneau. There are great scenic views. The walk to Nugget Falls is easy and scenic. The visitor center is very nice. Go see this if you are in Juneau!!

What a privilege to see this Glacier. I'm so happy to see it now before it recedes any more. Quite a hike to get to the best vantage point and to see the waterfall but we'll worth the effort.
Well run tour with a great driver Robert who had lots of local knowledge to pass on. This is a stunning experience capped off with a visit to the information centre and museum

We didn't take the tour to the glacier, but if you have the good fortune of being out on the water near Juneau, this glacier is dominating on the landscape. It is one of several glaciers visible around Gastineau Channel, and without a doubt it is the most imposing. If you haven't taken the opportunity to get up close to one of these ancient ice rivers, say down on Tracy Arm, consider getting up close here. Better still, visit a glacier at Tracy Arm and then view this one from further away on an excellent whale-watching tour. Just try not to miss seeing one of these disappearing wonders up close.

What a wonderful adventure our hike to the glacier on the west trail was...took about 8 hours and was a bit rainy but it was beautiful and scenic...hiking on the ice with crampons was also a first for me. Glacier water is also amazing...once in a lifetime experience for a flatlander like me. Got to go if you haven't.

We had seen glaciers prior to this visit. We had not intended to go, but we’re talked into going. Glad we went. We enjoyed the trails, the exhibits in the visitor center and loved watching the many swallows feed their young in the nests on the visitor center beams.

Spent a few hours here while in Juneau 4th of July weekend. HIked. Enjoyed overlooks and visitors center. Definitely worth a stop. Hint - you can arrive early and hike before the crowds and visitors center opens.

We drove to the glacier visitor center and arrived around 7:30am and there was literally no-one there. We got some beautiful photos and walked the easy path out to the waterfall for more stunning shots. It wasn't until we were halfway back that we encountered other people.

The visitor center was really interesting and they have a 15 minute film that's worth the time.

Simply a breath taking site. Pictures don't really do it justice. The colors, the surroundings, the wildlife and vegetation... all combine to make for an unforgettable experience.

We visited here and the glacier is beautiful. There is a waterfall that you can hike to get there. There is also a park visitor center. As beautiful as it is I hope people realize how much of these glaciers we are losing every year and more needs to be done to preserve our environment. It is sad to realize that people will lose their way of life. I hope we don't continue to ignore this. Also do not bring any food. The bears will be attracted to you.

Amazing views of this glacier and it's lake. Immense size. It's been retreating since at least 1700. Hope it's around so I can see it again, soon.

We had a great day here. We hiked to Nugget Falls and saw bear and Salmon at the creek. We did Juneau Tours Whale Watch and Mendenhall Glacier tour. We booked at the pier.

We took a private bus tour up to the glacier and waterfall. It is very impressive! I really like waterfalls and this was a good one. Sadly I was not able to get up close as I had a broken foot and my Daughter said that the final path was not walking boot friendly. If able be sure to get out early as the crowds get heavy after 10. We saw lots of Eagles but was not able to get a good picture of one. The town of Juneau was nice. Did some normal touristy stuff there.

This is about as close as you can get to an active glacier near a city. The National Park Service has a nice visitors center here with interesting exhibits and Park Ranger Guides. There are trails from here to hike closer to glacier and waterfalls. Like all other glaciers it is shrinking fast so hurry up and go before it evaporates.

A mandatory visit to this port, you can take a taxi from the center of the town, it takes 125us after arriving there, it takes about 25m, let yourself stay for an hour and see the spectacular glacier and the giant waterfall

You can take the bus to the Park right from the cruise ship dock, stay as long as you like and take a bus back later in the day. there are 3 short trails around the visitor center but the one we really wanted to do was closed because there was a new Bear family that was catching salmon and the Park Rangers thought it was a dangerous situation. You can take one of the trails right up to the Glacier. The Visitor's Center had some nice exhibits.

There are a number of tours from Juneau to Mendenhall Lake and Mendenhall Glacier; we took a half day tour from the Queen Elizabeth that gave us 2 to 2-1/2 and hours at the venue.

The view of the glacier is ever present, don't worry about getting a good photo with no-one else in sight as there are dozens of great photo opportunities. Walk to Nugget Falls first for a truly amazing view of the falls from the beach - yes the beach.

On the walk back to the visitor centre you will probably take a thousand pictures of the glacier.. that is magnificent. Scary to think it was a mile longer a hundred years ago. The lake is beautiful; all in all a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Even with poor weather our visit to the glacier was spectacular. We were simply amazed by the sheer size of it when our bus pulled up to the park. Park rangers weee friendly and the park was well managed.
The hike to the falls was well worth it as your are in awe of the sheer power of water coming down off the falls.
We found several options for transportation coming off our cruise ship. M&M Tours was the one we took and they were respectable. Nice tour operators, very knowledgeable, giving us information of the surroundings and history of the area. They had buses running each way every 30 minutes which gave us plenty of time to do what we wanted on our schedule.

This is a beautiful glacier which you may see from so closely. Close to this glacier there was Nugget falls which we have to cover by running as our tour was combined with whale watching and we have only 1 hour to cover this Glacier and fall. reach to fall itself takes approx 20-25 minutes so you can't waste even a single minute to go to restroom or to take pictures. But it was a beautiful place and must watch. Bus was comfortable and bus driver EJ was nice.

Totally worth the visit. Get a rental car and go check this out. Fun easy hike to the Nugget Fall and the Photo Point. Clean restrooms both at bottom of visitor center and inside it. Amazing to be able to see the glacier so close. The Nugget Fall is also an amazing force of nature.

A must see if cruising Alaska. The colors and shape are fascinating. Unfortunately, could not get too close.

This is an awesome experience, especially on a clear day. It's about a 15-20 minute bus ride from the port area, I took the cruise excursion where we had 2 hours. You do need more time, but I did get to walk several trails and visit the Visitor Center. Do the trail with the streams, there was a bunch of salmon swimming up, and some rangers explaining the wildlife. The only sad thing is the glacier is receding each year and you can't really get super close.

We booked a 5-6 mile hike from the West Glacier Trailhead through our Princess cruise.
This hike was rated strenuous and it was. Because the weather was good, we took a short cut that required scrambling up rocks. 5 sections had handrails to keep you from essentially falling off the cliff.
Luckily our group of 12 was all in good shape. We saw spectacular views of the glacier. You don’t get really close to it or close to the falls but you get a view from above.
Highly recommend this longer hike (not from the visitor center) if hiking is your thing. Wear good shoes. Hiking sticks and granola bars provided by our tour.
We also had plenty of time to eat crab afterwards! (Not part of the excursion).

Visited the research centre of the glacier and took a walk to photo spot. No time to venture to waterfall which looked like a great thing to do. The film very interesting and a talk by a lady banger most informative and enciteful. She was very enthusiastic about her role in the glacier park. Who’re a visit

Highly recommended - Suitable for small to medium size groups. Offers a completely unique view of the glacier and wonderful photo opportunities. Accompanying guide will help with gear, setup and basic training. Suitable for 10+ year old.

Amazing Glacier, which is just a short drive from the heart of Juneau. A great place a glacier water body and water fall is visible in one place a short scenic place.

It is a bit far from the port, but worth doing. The glacier descents to a lake both as an ice and as a small river of melting water.

Up close to a beautiful glacier! Sun was out, no rain so we walked up to the water's edge & viewed the glacier and surrounding area. Quite different from observing on the cruise ship!

This is a must do. To be able to get that close to the glacier as well as Nugget falls was amazing! The water is and all the surroundings are beautiful. Plenty of hiking if you would like to do so.

This is easy to get to by local tour operators or city transit. We stayed on the far side of the lake but you can get closer if you want and book a tour. Very large and impressive, and warmer if you are not quite so close! Lots of burger bits floating in the water.

We visited through a ship excursion on a cloudy day, but enjoyed our hike out to Nugget Falls, very easy walk. Also saw salmon on the short Creek Hike by the parking lot. The 15min movie in the Visitor Center is very well done.

Through Holland Cruise, we got up close and personal to the Mendenhall Glacier. What a beautiful place!

What a beautiful day enjoying this glacier. Wish we had more time to hike around the park. We seen a porcupine. Awesome day.

Spactacular scenery. Take the short walk to the waterfall first. well worth the hike. (you may not have time for other things). Place is always packed with tourists. Each day 3 cruise ships drop off a total of 6,000 tourists here. Pleasant ride on the bus. Bus driver gave a neat tour of area..."Welcome to Juneau, where the men are men and the women are, too!"

I recently took a bus tour to Mendenhall Glazier. The bus driver dropped us off for 1 1/2 hours to explore on our own before he came back to pick us up. I hiked the 2 miles trail to Nugget Falls. Nice paved trail. I loved the waterfall but the area was very crowded so hard to get a picture of the falls without strangers in your photo. Mendenhall Glacier is a distance away. The part you can see from the trail or visitor center is small but still worth visiting. I saw kayakers on the lake by the glacier but I am not sure where they rented the kayaks? I did not see a rental place.

Spectacular trip to glacier via helicopter
From Juneau airport the glacier and Icefields are enormous and offer a variety of conditions to see

The beauty is indescribable. It's a short easy hike to a point for better view and pics. Went to the salmon creek and saw salmon up close and in the natural setting.

Visited the Glacier and took a walk to Glacier viewing area. Easy stroll and a good view. Unfortunately the edge of the Glacier is moving back up the mountain.
Also walked to Nugget Falls had been raining and a spectacular sight. Worth the walk to get there.

Not so old photos show how much smaller this glacier is compared with even 10 years ago. Still impressive and quite atmospheric but clearly a warning of the effects of climate change despite what some world leaders might think!

Awesome place! many trails to walk from the easiest to the most difficult and long. Gorgeous Nugget Falls! magnificent place pity the glaciers that are disappearing. it's worth it!

Great view. I went as part of a larger cruise shore excursion (Mendenhall Glacier and Gardens), so I only had 1 hour here and it wasn't enough to comfortably take the hike to the waterfall, so I'd suggest making sure you have more than 1 hour if that interests you. It's only about 10 min to get out and back to the photo spot and there are various hikes you can do at your level.
I didn't feel like this excursion was time balanced well (too little time here, too much at the gardens), but that's more a criticism for the larger tour company or cruise line maybe (Celebrity) than for this site.

Unimpressive. This is a tiny glacier wedged between two slopes and nothing much to see. It is at the end of its life. The waterfall trek is more interesting but overall the main attraction of the glacier is not remarkable and has no wow factor whatsoever.

Mendenhall Glacier is simply amazing!!! If you have never seen a glacier before, this is definitely worth your time. Most people walk down to the shoreline by the lake to see this awesome spectacle. It's a few minutes' walk from the parking lot, and it's well worth it. The view is truly amazing, and you definitely want to take pictures and bring some binoculars. You won't be disappointed.

You need at least two hours here to enjoy a nice walk and to spend time in the Visitors Center. There is a 15 minute film available on request. I did the shorter walk that ends in a great spot for photographing the glacier. Younger friends did the long walk and enjoyed it as well.

Since we have lifetime National Park passes, this was free and required no hiking to see the glacier. We learned a lot about glaciers too.

Parking was better than expected. I am handicapped and there were plenty of handicap spaces available near the entrance. There was a long flight of stairs up to the gift shop and visitors center but I found an elevator around back and was able to get up and down without difficulty. The views were even better up there and I was told bears are often spotted from up there although we didn't see any while we were there. It was quite educating and fun. It was a good use of our time.

We were on a cruise, than took a tour bus up of the Mendenhall Glacier. Just stunning. Glacier walls are several hundred feet high, and just spectacular. Makes one feel quite insignificant.

Note visitors center does not serve coffee or anything…bummer

We have been here before, but this time we hiked to Nugget Falls. We also visited the visitor center, which we hadn't had the opportunity to do before.
If you are on a cruise tour, you are limited with your time as to how much you can do. However if you come here on you own (bus, taxi, rental) and you have unlimited time, this is a great area to hike the trails.
Lovely area to visit, no matter how much you have to visit.

Great place and we even got to see salmon spawning and two baby bear cubs in the tree. The glacier was so pretty. Make sure you go up to see the visitor center to see the glacier from way up high. If you have time walk to the water fall.

The weather is uncontrollable but on a nice day, I'm certain that the view is far more stunning. Did not have enough time to explore the park itself (would have loved to visit more trails) so can't comment much beyond the photo point for the glacier.

Beautiful trail walks take you to the glacier. These are an easy walk, but be careful as bears are know to use the trails as well. We did not encounter any bears on our walk. The scenery is beautiful and I have some fantastic photos from my trip.

Mendenhall is receding pretty quickly, so if you want to see it, you may want to get moving.

We were there about an hour and a half. That was enough time to quickly see the Visitor Center before they closed early (yay, politics..), hike the trail to the waterfall and back, and spend about 10 minutes taking pictures from the Visitor Center area. We did not have time for the photo point. 2 hours would be fine to get lots of pictures and hike out to the waterfall.

I'm very glad we went.

Having never been near a glacier in real life, we didn't really know quite what to expect but as we came round a bend in the road in our tour bus and it was pointed out on the left, it was an incredible site. The blue hues of the ice against the sun were stunning and we were lucky to have been there on a day when it was not raining. There is a visitor centre and walks to view points so some great photo opportunities. We went as part of an excursion from our cruise ship so had a limited amount of time. So beautiful!!

You can spend a little or a lot of time looking at the Glacier and exploring the different areas. The grounds are well maintained and the signs offer good information.

Wonderful scenery , rainy day but still worth the trip. Walk to the falls was very easy and pleasant.

You can pretty much just park and see this thing (you actually see it from the road before you get there) so there's no excuse not to visit.

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.

The Mendenhall Glacier is about a half hour's drive from Juneau and is well worth seeing. Go to the National Park Visitor Center to see a short movie and the exhibits. Photos from the same spot over the years show how the glacier is receding. There are nice views from the visitor center, but you should follow the short trail to the aptly named Photo Point.

The bus will charge a lot and just drop you off at the parking lot and pick you up in an hour. Skip the joint bus/anything tours. Take a cab. They all charge $35 out, $32 back. This includes their $12 park commercial access fee and your park entrance. If you have a park pass (eg, senior pass), then you should get a discount.
Go to the falls first, then plan the rest of your stay. We spent 3 hours, but did not do any of the long trails.

We were there on a rainy day, but it didn't deter our appreciation of this wonderful place. We enjoyed the view of the glacier as well as the visitor center. This is truly a magnificent spot! The hike was easy and wheel chair accessible. The beauty of the glacier and the waterfall defy description. Well worth the visit. Wish we could have stayed a little longer, but we were on a shore excursion and had another destination to get to. Recommend it to young and old alike. A rare treat to see up close.

I just wanted to be sure folks take a life moment to experience this. It's stunning, we were in awe at it's beauty, it's size and the sense that this mass of aged ice was truly alive. Be sure to have mitts, hat and an extra layer of warmth as it is very cool in both definitions. Please be sure to experience this glacier, calm cove regardless of which cruise company you choose.

We booked with Juneau Shore Tours. The pick up point was right under the tram way and the ride was 15 minutes each way. The husband & wife duo guides were so helpful. We hiked to Nugget Falls. We casually walked the trail and it took 20-30 minutes. The views were postcard perfect and the weather was blue skies. We did not have to deal with rain. We only had about 30 minutes at the visitor's center, so we took in the movie. If we would have walked a little faster, we would have had more time. The bus was prompt in picking us up to get back. We were gone exactly 3 hours with no worry to get back on the ship.

Beautiful bluish glacier with a large meltwater lake in front of it. Not directly accessible, unless going on a boat or on the frozen lake. There are viewpoints along the shores where you can see it from closeup but it is visible even from the visitor centre or the parking lot. Great place to spend some time wandering around. In winter the park is free of charge.

The Mendenhall glacier was one of my least favourite glaciers. It’s unbelievable how fast they melt! Before my Alaska trip I’ve seen photos of other people standing next to the waterfall and seeing the glacier, this is no longer possible, the glacier now is hidden from that place and you have you go further away to see it.
Getting there - you can pay $45 for the bus which will take you right next to the visitor center or you can pay $2 for the regular local bus BUT it takes 50 minutes from downtown Juneau (it has many stops on the way) and it’s 2.4 km from the visitor center. So is time or money more worth? On a short trip time is worth more (we took the $2 bus and wasted too much time as we didn’t know in advance that it takes 50 minutes one way! And there was no Uber available for the way back. But, the people who paid $45 for the bus which comes to the visitor center, in the afternoon also had to wait long as there was huuuuge amount of people waiting to return, there was 2 or 3 full buses queue of people, and we were there on the beginning of June so before the crazy July / August crowds.

Great tour guides who were both passionate about the area and the animals. Joshua and Joan made it fun, interesting and educational. We saw lots of Orcas and Humpbacks on the boat part of our trip. The hike to Mendenhall Glacier was perfect. The guides were friendly, knowledgeable and courteous. Our group was small with about 20 of us, which made the tour even better!

I'm so glad I get to see this before it disappears. While we were there, we saw a piece of ice break apart in the water, and it reminded me how fragile this beautiful planet is.

I would recommend that all travelers who have never seen a glacier before should come visit the Mendenhall Glacier. Their visitor center is informative. Also, you can walk to Nugget Falls to get as close as possible to the glacier. TIP: Uber drivers are not supposed to go onto the state park property, which begins quite a walk from the glacier visitor center. You can get an uber their easily (they will ask you to pretend that they are not an uber while they drop you off). Make friends with them and get their number so you can contact them directly for them to pick you up after you spend time here. It was about $40 from the cruise line to the Glacier FYI.

Very accessible glacier to visit. Plenty of shuttle buses from the harbour. However, this also means it gets very crowded. The glacier is worth seeing but there are more spectacular, IMO, especially now this one has receded so much. Nevertheless, there is a decent visitor centre, good viewing platforms and some nice hiking trails around the glacier area, including one to a waterfall.

A must see while in Juneau. It is a beautiful glacier with lots of different color in it. we did not see a bear on this hike but others did.

Beautiful scenery & great hiking trails! If you’re staying locally in Juneau try to get there before 10 am and beat the cruise ship buses. You can buy your day pass or season pass at a kiosk or at the visitor center. We headed right up to Nugget Falls (a 1 mile walk on a paved path) and there were only a few people there. We were able to get great pics. If you’re more adventurous the East Glacier Trail was amazing! It’s 3.5 miles and an ~800ft climb. The trail is well maintained but some places are rocky. The signs say 2.5 hrs but we did it in just under 2 hours. The visitor center has a great view and free telescopes you can use to see the glacier in more detail. There is also a cute little gift shop.

My husband and I wanted to hike out to the glacier on our own without a tour, so we talked to some of the local residents. We were told to follow the West Glacier Trail to the glacier. That is the “official” trail to the glacier. This is a very long and tough hike. It took us over 3 hours to hike, we had to use a rope to get over some rocks and we were confused on how to get down to the glacier. After we finally figured out how to get down off the steep rocks (we followed tree markers) we talked to others at the glacier. Turns out, the “locals” actually follow the ice date markers to get back and forth from the beginning of the west glacier trail and the glacier. Although there are some steep climbs, this route is MUCH easier and cut off about an hour travel time. We estimated it is about 8-10 miles from start to finish. We ended up going again the next day with our teenagers. Although they are in good shape, they were pretty tired after. I would NOT recommend this with small children.

This an amazing place if you allow yourself to enjoy it. Slow down, embrace nature, and just soak it all in. There are plenty of bald eagles to see. You may even be able to see salmon trying to swim upstream. The hike to the falls is also beautiful and worth the time.

I had a great time going out to the glacier and going up into the visitor center wonderful you didn’t hide very far but still enjoyed myself immensely it’s amazing to see the glaciers!

You can take one of the shuttles to the Glacier. They run every 20-30 minutes during the peak season. Stop by the Visitor Center and then enjoy the walks. It is a short walk to an excellent viewpoint to see the glacier. You can also take a 40-minute walk to and from Nugget Falls.

This is beautiful but it is getting very crowded from our last trip here two years ago. The transportation has also doubled to $90 per person round trip.
It’s about s 1/2 hour walk to the falls which is a must, but you can see the glacier better from the gift shop. This is a must see in Juneau.

On a cruise stop we did the Glacier walk from the visitor center to the glacier, a bit crowded. The best part was the porcupine we watched on the walk back to the bus.

Flew up to Dog Camp, mind blowing experience, We were warned it would put all other Tourist experience in the shade ! Rode on the Dog Sled, saw the Pups ! Wonderful !

I was underwhelmed by the visit to the Glacier. It isn't really easy to see and the view you get from a distance doesn't introduce you to the glacier easily either. I was so excited for this visit on my tour and it didn't even meet my expectations by half.

Breathe in the coolness of air while visiting this glorious view. It is a site to behold. The viewing of this glacier is very easy, but does not take away from it’s beauty. Know that it is about 10 degrees cooler than other areas, so be prepared!

The Mendenhall Glacier is so magnificent and awesome. It is sad to know that it is receding so fast!

Well worth the trip to see a big ol' glacier as close as you can get!
Lots of info at the visitors center. A Kodak moment to say the least!!

Our cruise ship allowed us to book a bus ride out from town to the glacier. Tressa F was our bus driver (bus #8265). During our time on board our driver gave interesting facts along the way about the area and the glacier, including special places around the glacier we might want to make use of. The view of the glacier and Mendenhall Lake were fantastic, as was the hike to the base of Nugget Falls. At that location one could access the waters of the lake if so inclined, plus get a closer view of the glacier. The trail from visitor's center to the bottom of the falls was a fairly smooth surface with gentle slopes, and reportedly 1 mile in each direction. Watch for wildlife along the way!

We saw the Mendenhall Glacier the last time we were in Alaska, but this time was so much better because we hiked right up to it (easy hike). the last time we did a nature trail excursion, which was cool, and we saw it but didn't get right up on it. This time we were on the beach, as close as one can get, and it was pretty amazing. The waterfall (This thing is constantly melting.) and the volume of water constantly coming off of it was incredible. We did the "Mendenhall Glacier Express Tour" excursion (NCL) (separate review) which is just a bus (coach) that takes you to the visitor center, drops you off, and then comes and picks you up a couple of hours later. This time the visitor center (run by the National Forest Service) was closed by the time we got there. That's too bad because the last time we were there it was open and there's some pretty neat displays of the history of the glacier and how it's evolved, pictures from the past (sad how much smaller is has become) and just other information about the area (Tongass National Forest).
Once the bus drops you off, there are two paths. (And there are restrooms available regardless of whether the visitor center is open or not.) One takes you to an overlook of the glacier and the other goes down to the beach and gets you much closer to the glacier. We did both but, if you can only handle one, I'd recommend the latter.
I really recommend doing this while in AK. This was one of the best experiences for me because it was so raw and uncommercialized. This is part of what makes AK so unique, and it really is thought provoking about how this glacier came to be, how it's evolved over the centuries and the effect it had and continues to have on the biome.

It saddens me to see the amount the glacier has retreated from the visitor center area in the last 10 years or so. Everyone needs to experience the remarkable power and educational opportunity found here. I admit to being something of an introvert and rarely encourage people to throng to beautiful and fragile areas for fear of damage by ignorance and stupidity. A glacier must be seen and felt in person to appreciate its vital importance to the ecology and to understanding history and prehistory.

Enjoy a short hike to go close to the glacier there are loads of possibilities to take photos of the surrounding and the glacier. Take one of the bus tours if you do not have a car.

Climate change is shrinking this Glacier. We came here on our visit to Juneau and is a must to see. There is a short hike you can do here as well and a short film to watch about the glacier. Well worth a visit. A long lens camera will give you the best pictures if you have one.

Wow! And Nugget Falls, too. Just do it! Ride your bike there or rent one locally. Go early to avoid crowds. Then visit the ice cream shop in Auke Bay marina.

The hike to the Glacier can get confusing. We definitely went the lesser traveled route. Once we made it to the Glacier it was incredible there was a really neat ice cave on the side farthest from the water. Such a unique blue color! Enjoy

This is one of the most peaceful and serene places I have ever been. The visitor center is great, but the views in this location are even better. I have seen eagles and bears when visiting here. This was my 4th visit.

This site and view was amazing to see from up close and surprisingly not far from downtown. It was quiet and empty, we saw few people, which was good, but had to watch for bears since it was so quiet.

We took the photo point trail to have one of the best views of the Mendenhall Glacier.
Trail is only 15 mins and is easily accessible for everyone, provides great views of the mendenhall glacier.
Overall the mendenhall glacier looks beautiful and is synonymous with Juneau - a must see spot when in the city of Juneau.

Visitor center was great, weather was stellar, but the East Glacier Loop trail was the highlight. Hiked with son and his dog on this 3 mile/750' elevation trail with great views along the way. Definitely more manageable to go clockwise (return side of the loop is shorter/steeper, though with staircases in some places, so my 64 year old knees were fine). Very few others on this trail--mostly local runners. You could easily do it mile out and mile back before you get to the steeper climb.

Mendenhall Glacier was our first stop in Juneau during our cruise. We took a tour bus that featured commentary of the city and a brief drive through downtown before heading out to the park. There is a cheaper public transportation option but we liked knowing we had a guaranteed seat and a predictable schedule. The park was crowded as expected but it didn’t hinder our first of many glacier experiences. We hiked out to Nugget Falls and spent some time in the Visitor Center. It was a little rushed but it also gave us time for other activities while in Juneau.

We did the Photo Point walk and Nugget Falls. It was an easy walk, but the glacier is very very far away. We thought about booking the "walk on the glacier" tour (you wouldn't actually walk on it, the tour would just bring you very close), but not sure if it's something that would harm the environment?

With hindsight, I'd pick the "walk on glacier" tour, but I didn't regret keeping a respectful distance. Overall, the hike from the visitor center is short and relatively easy, but quite boring for me.

This is a short trip from the airport to the glacier. Helicopter picked a spot to land and we got out and walked around. We drank some glacial melt. We had a pretty good trip and worth the money to get here. The boots that fit over your boots had metal grippers in the bottom to keep you from sliding around. Really great experience.

The Mendenhall Glacier and Gardens portion of the excursion were great. The salmon hatchery portion could have been skipped. There wasn’t much to see or do at the hatchery and seemed like it was a stop to fill up time to the excursion.

The glacier has paths for hiking, if you’re fit and like that kind of activity. The gardens were part walking tour and part trolley for viewing.

In hindsight I wish we had done the glacier and whale watching excursion rather than this one. We have beautiful botanical gardens in St. Louis that we can visit whenever we choose and never disappoint.

Hot BIte is a relatively small place that has great fish and chips (and lots of other selections) and about a hundred different milk shake possibilities - all of them fantastic. Definitely informal and a little out of the way, but the experience is a must.

Great opportunity to learn About glaciers. The Park service runs a great site here with a short film, displays, the history of the glacier and the chance to get out fairly close to it.

It's not the biggest one, and it's shrunk considerably from when we were here 20 years ago, but it's the easiest one to get to on your own. Well worth coming out and seeing it

Going to this glacier should be on anybody’s list who is going to Juneau. The trail to the glacier can be a little strenuous for people with mobility issues or breathing issues, even though it is flat just because of the length. It’s only amount a mile each way.

This was my first time to see a glacier and I was truly impressed. We hiked about a mile to the glacier. The trail was icy in places but doable and worth it. Some of our party played on the beach just below the glacier. While hiking back, we stopped at the visitor center which is very informative. The Mendenhall glacier is part of a much larger group of glaciers. The view from the visitor center is worth the visit.

We took the "Blue Bus" to get to Mendenhall Glacier there and back, and this way you have plenty of time/flexible time at the Glacier. You don't want to miss the Nugget Falls hike, which is on a flat graveled trail and easy for virtually everyone. You get to walk right up to the base of the falls and it's just beautiful!

Absolutely beautiful! We took a tour with JUNEAU WHALE WATCHING & TOURS and had the best time for a reasonable price! Mendenhall Glacier was unimaginable and while there we also walked to the water fall there that takes your breathe away! Lovely town and great experience!

The Mendenhall Glacier and Nugget falls are a great way to start your visit to Juneau.

The trail is a VERY easy walk that takes you right up to the falls.

We liked it so much we went there twice during our two days in Juneau.

This is just beautiful. Take the shuttle, $45 each round trip. (Glacier Shuttles) plan around 2-3 hours from port and back. Take the trail, more like a walking road. Go to the falls about 2 miles round trip. You may even see bears. There is also a nature center/gift shop with restrooms. Trail can be used by someone with disabilities or wheel chair.

We really enjoyed our time at Mendenhall Glacier State Park. It was interesting to see how the glacier has melted over the years (short movie in the main headquarters). There are several places to get great photos. You can take a short walk to the glacier outlook, a short walk down stairs to the “beach” or a longer paved walk to the waterfall. The vegetation was beautiful this time of year.

Wonderful area to explore and see the glacier. Just that it seems that the glacier is retreating and has moved back away from the visitors center quite a bit since 1938.. The rangers there are very knowledgeable and give a very interesting overview of the bears in the area.

What a privilege it is to see the glacier. I was so fortunate to be able to walk on the glacier via a helicopter and then later in the day to go on land and see the glacier via Mendenhall visitor centre trail.

To walk on it was amazing and we even drank the glacier water that tasted amazing.

Some argue that you do get close enough from the visitor centre lookout posts but I disagree. Yes you are not that close but you get close enough and makes a great backdrop for photos.

In the lake you can see icebergs that have broken a way from the glacier.

We were fortunate to visit on a sunny warm day.

A wonderful way to spend the day. We enjoyed walking around, watching the wildlife, and enjoying views of the glacier.

Not to be missed while in Juneau. Breath taking is the best description I really have for this natural wonder.

We went here twice. One day were walked to the falls and the salmon trails which were lovely but the trails at some point were closed. The next day we went to the visitor center and walked the trail of time which was beautiful and very interesting. Only bad thing about the glacier is the days we went were raining and cloudy so you had to just catch it at the right moment to actually see the glacier in all it's beauty.

We went there during our visit to Juneau. It was a very nice hike, great waterfall and beautiful pictures that you can take.

Mendenhall was originally a stop for RCI but was cancelled. Our Whale watching tour( which was cancelled by RCI) made a surprise stop for us and did not disappoint. Even for 5 minutes it made our trip!!!! I can honestly say , THANKS BRANDON with complete sincerity one time!!!

Something that everyone should see. This massive glacier is 400 feet tall by 6 miles long. It is hard to capture in photos!

Looking at it with your own eye makes a big difference....seeing on TV or in pictures just does not do justice to the beauty of this place. I would highly recommend visiting. The water was crystal clear, cold, and felt nice on a hot June day when we visited.

Absolutely gorgeous!! We hiked to Nugget Falls while at Juneau during a cruise. This was absolutely worth the Lyft ride--we spent a few hours exploring and loved it.

This is a beautiful glacier that is very accessible to downtown Juneau, so it is well worth seeing. We happened to go on a very rainy day, so it was not optimal weather for us, but the glacier and Nugget Fall was still worth seeing. The visitor center is helpfully organized, and they show a wonderful and informative movie.

This is a very pretty place to visit in the summer as well as the winter. Highly recommend when you are in Juneau.

It's a bus ride to the park where the trail to the glacier starts. You will get only so close as a waterfall blocks the way. I saw canoes go up close to glacier. It is a beautiful sight.

Nice drive out to the visitor center with great views of the Glacier and waterfall! Glad I saw the Glacier

Beautiful nature, lots of walking and hiking. You can learn lots about glaciers and the consequences of climate change.

This is my third visit to Mendenhall Glacier and I love it! The views are fantastic. However, it would be a good thing if there were restrooms available on the trail. The gift shop was very also very nice.

Went with the family and had an enjoyable time walking around. It seems like you cannot normally get on the glacier without the use of a boat or special tour, but it was nonetheless really fun.

We did a canoe and glacier walk with Liquid Alaska. Highlight of our trip for sure! Quite amazing to walk on a glacier and look down into a crevasse of 500 yr old ice! We went on a cloudy day and the blues of the ice were amazing. Liquid Alaska guides were wonderful and gave us an awesome experience. Recommend.

Truly beautiful!! Make sure to take the time to walk to the waterfall (about 45 min round trip walk)

Tons of things to do, make sure you have time to see everything. There is a Waterfall, Glacier, and Salmon run, and ton of hiking trails.

Mendenhall glacier is beautiful. The park is very walkable and the scenery is just amazing. Don't miss it.

Incredible place! It is a must-see if you visit Juneau, nothing like seeing it a few meters from your feet and seeing how majestic it is. You can also go up by helicopter and walk a little on the

When in Juneau this is a must do. For us it was a excursion off of the Princess Cruise. Glad we did it. To be so close to the Mendenhall Glazier and with only a half hour walk to get there was amazing. The weather was great so we did the hike. It was the best time spent. The visitor center and all the facilities were nice. There are many paths to hike , so pick well or ASK.

We took the public bus over to the glaciers. It saved us quite a bit of money, but honestly, given how little time we had in Juneau, I think it would have better just to have taken the cruise excursion and saved all the hassle. Good exercise though.

Regardless, had a great time here! It was fascinating to see how much the glaciers have receded.

Traveled to the glacier as an excursion from our wonderful Holland America Alaska cruise. Like the rest of the cruise, it was a great experience to see this glacier as up close as you can get.

As every place in Alaska, the natural beauty of the area is breathtaking, From the port in Juneau, Mendenhall Glacier is a 30 minute ride. The Nugget Falls in the vicinity are a must. The falls are located not far away from the Visitor's Center, maybe a mile on an easy trail.

Don't miss this breathtaking glacier when you visit Alaska! We hiked from the trailhead and enjoyed beautiful wildflowers along the way

This is a brilliant glacier to visit, easily accessible from Juneau. There is a large Visitor Centre with a small charge to enter, however, we skipped this in order to spend our time outdoors: 1) walking to view the glacier from all angles, 2) walking to Photo Point, 3) doing the loop walk to Nugget Falls and 4) walking the Steep Creek Trail boardwalk. Sadly, as with many of the glaciers worldwide, Mendenhall Glacier is also receding at an alarming rate. Well worth a visit while it is still so clearly visible. Apparently by 2050, it might no longer be visible from the Visitor Centre!

Very interesting, especially Nugget Falls and the Trail of Time. The visitor center is an easy hike (1.25 miles, flat) from the nearest city bus stop.

Best glacier in Juneau, joined the coach tour to see this spectacular glacier.
A nice easy walk to get closer to take photos.
So beautiful .
A surprise bonus was a wild bear came on the road near the visitor Centre.

We did the out-and-back hike to overlook the glacier; about 5 miles. Some of the uphills are challenging with metal cables as bannisters for assistance. About three hours round-trip for seniors.

We arrived early and hiked out to Nugget falls. Easy stroll and well worth the trip. Absolutely stunning views and we hiked the shoreline for much of the way back to take in the scenery and avoid the crowds. The visitors center is gorgeous. We arrived right when it opened. The views from the panoramic windows are simply incredible and the movies and information were wonderful to take in after exploring the trails. We only wish we had more time to hike out to the glacier. Next time!

Amazing to see ! Natures beautiful
Creation ! Sad it’s getting smaller each year definatly go and visit before it disappears ! Visit centre worth a view

We were booked for the Mendenhall Glacier Tour that took us to the site on a school bus. Our driver gave us an overview of important buildings, life up in Juneau & where to see wildlife (bald eagles on a street light!)
Our time was roughly an hour from drop off to pick up. We were told that to walk to Nugget Falls, which are closer to the glacier, was roughly a 45 minute walk. You also had to allow time for picture taking. We were on our own touring & looking around.
There is a good view from the shore where you can get a straight head-on photo & still have time to go to the Visitor's Center & see the video of how much it has receded. Wear waterproof shoes or boots as you may cross a stream.
If you have trouble walking, there is a paved path to a viewing area for the glacier, with railing if needed for stability. There is also a path from the bottom to the visitor center & an elevator for wheelchair or limited walking access.
On our way back, our driver took us across the Gastineau Channel to Douglas Island where we could see Juneau & watch sea planes take off & land. We also stopped at a breaching whale fountain near downtown. Make sure you see it when the water sprays.
I would have liked to have more time to view it all, but it was worth the trip.

It is really something to see and experience. The beauty and majesty of nature are right there to view. Great photo opportunities and a fun easy trail to walk. I would recommend.

Booked an excursion with NCL for our family of 4 (parents w/ teens)... which was Mendenhall Glacier w/ Tram Ride. This excursion ended up being two completely different things... with the tram being an xtra ride that was not worth our time (other than great views, spent most of time waiting in the long line to get up (45min) and down (45min) - had to get back to ship already - no time to enjoy trail at top). I would recommend just getting a ride to visit the Mendenhall Glacier (30min ride from town)... excursions with add'l canoe/boat at the glacier not needed. Mendenhall Glacier is a sight to see... that beautiful blue hue. Sadly, it's receding & we saw an iceberg in the lake that broke off 2wks earlier. After taking pictures, you'll notice a waterfall to the right of the glacier (with people there - from afar, look like little ants). We discover that there's a walkable trail to the falls... and we have enough time to do it.
Trail signs are posted - about 2miles, 30min brisk walk per way. The trek was so worth it & brought us to the magnificent falls full of energy & beauty. You'll be taking lots of photos here. Highly recommended!!!

Wow!!! This place is gorgeous!!! The glacier was beautiful and Nugget Falls was breathtaking! The hike to the falls was easy. It was low ride so we were able to walk across the rocks to get up close to the falls. They are slippery. I saw a few people fall. I caught and elderly woman and soaked my foot. So be careful.

The Mendenhall Glacier is a must see. We went there as part of a three stop excursion and loved it. You can walk down to the falls directly from the visitors center. The glacier and the falls are a truly magnificent site. We saw several eagles while enjoying the glacier too. Bring a camera so you will have lasting memories but get there soon.

If you can get up to the glacier by helicopter, it's worth every penny! But even if you just hike up to it, Mendenhall really is as spectacular as they say. Just absolutely unreal.

As noted by other reviewers, this is a beautiful setting and an easy access to see the Glacier up close. The trail to the glacier is easier and shorter than the one to Nugget Falls, but both are worth seeing. The visitor center has programs and a nice gift shop. To access it, you can take steps or use an elevator. This site is a must-see if you are visiting Juneau.

Greater understanding of nature and protecting our heritage. Understanding how to measure the forest regeneration, and seeing the receeding ice markers over the past century was inspiring

My first and won’t be my last cruise- Norwegian is the best and omg the most beautiful views I’ve ever seen!!! I see why people come from all over country to go on an Alaskan cruise- Seattle people stop putting it off and go!!!! It’s the best!!!

The best bargain is the $2 (cash) per person each direction city bus tour to the bus stop 1 mile and 1/2 from the entrance to the Visitor Center. The bus runs every 30 minutes and the ride gave us an opportunity to see local Juneau residents and a basic tour of the area on our way to the glacier. We took family pictures with the glacier as our backdrop, and we had a drink of the glacial water. Our adult daughters are experienced hikers and brought their water sterilizing filters for this purpose!

There’s so many spots to view the Glacier. The closer you get the better the view. Make sure to visit the Visitors Center & documentary in their Theater. Gives lots of information on the Mendenhall Glacier. Great area to visit. We had a rental car & were able to spend as much as as we wanted & took some trails as well.

It was a beautiful day at the Mende hall glacier. Kids (4 & 7) loves the Junior ranger program! They got to do lots of fun activities which kept the kids busy!

The video was nice as well.

Lots of trails - would have loved to hike to the waterfall but didn’t have time.

Keli our concierge in Juneau was terrific. She set us up with an excellent guide for an all day tour to Mendenhall & more. A+

Mendenhall Glacier is such a beautiful sight, so lucky to have been able to see it.
A must see if ever you visit Juneau, Alaska.
The photos do not do justice to the real thing.
A wonderful experience.

2016: September-1st visit and was in awe. Absolutely beautiful. 2019: June-Took a guided tour starting with a short hike to the glacier. Learned a lot along the way, wildlife (who knew there were porcupine in Alaska!) Arrived at the Glacier, still beautiful but, could see the change. The receding glacier. Enjoy it now and fight to do what you can to keep them.

The glacier was impressive. I saw kayakers, floating ice, sun-bathers, and hikers. It was a beautiful day and I really appreciated the visitor center.

This is a beautiful park. The glacier is very close, and there is a large waterfall. We also walked the boardwalk and watched the salmon that had come to spawn. Wished we could have had more time here, but our tour only gave us an hour.

The glacier and surrounding area are just breathtaking. There are easy, walkable paved trails from the parking area and visitors center. It is an easy walk with incredible views and the Glacier is amazing and you can get pretty close to it. At the end of the trail there is a small area of water you can wade across to get a great view of nugget falls and the Glacier. Wear waterproof shoes shoes to get up close! There is plenty of parking but know there are also lots of buses from the cruise ship terminal so plan accordingly.

We hiked the Glacier from the west side of Mendenhall Glacier. A true once-in-a-lifetime experience. It's a difficult hike and there's no way to get there without a guide since the last 2 miles is through thick undergrowth with not much trail. Totally worth it though!!

The glacier is not that impressive. Can’t get very close. Is nice to see ice floes calves floating in the river. In an impressive park. We saw a black bear crossing the road

Beautiful Glacier and easy hiking to a viewing spot. The trails are well maintained and marked. Our group consisted of 70, 40, and 16 year olds, who all enjoyed the short trek and views.

Had never been on a helicopter before so that in itself was exciting. Red helicopters held 4 adults plus the pilot. Could get some great pics out the windows on the way up. We wore our hiking shoes, but there was no need as you are given overboots with spikes to walk on the glacier. I'd recommend hat and gloves as well as warm coat as it's pretty breezy there. But it was exhilarating. We drank the glacier water and Emily, the naturalist was energetic and informative. Mother nature trumps everything. Spent about 25 minutes on the glacier. Staff is accommodating to take pictures of you which is nice. Also had great views of the surrounding area on the way back to the airport area. Staff was nice and safety was clearly a concern. Also saw brown bears on the ride to the airport as a bonus! It was a great experience.

We took a tour bus to the Mendenhall Glacier from our cruise ship, which was docked in Juneau. It was about a 30 minute ride. The tour guide did a nice of job of keeping us informed and provided anecdotes (who knows if there were true?) to make things interesting.

Fortunately we had a beautiful and warm day to view the glacier. I suppose that also comes with a downside, since some of the trails near the glacier were closed because of flooding. So we were not able to do anything there other than view the glacier from a distance.

We got a good view and we were able to take photos. There were helicopters flying close to the glacier. Maybe next time for us.

We took an elevator to the observation building for a better view. It was a nice trip but we saw all that we wanted to in about 20 minutes.

So we recommend possibly other excursions where there is more to see and do. Whale watching comes to mind.

This excursion is worth the $$$$. We had a great helicopter pilot, smooth ride and very knowledgeable. Super cool to be walking on a glacier. The views are amazing and breathtaking.

Great experience we took helicopter to glacier the ride was spectacular going through mountains surrounding the glacier
Spent about 40 mins on the glacier
Highly recommend this tour

A lovely walk along the trail to the beach, waterfall and glacier at the other end. It was a brilliant experience and very impressive, one of the best things to do!

The glacier is a must see when visiting Juneau. It is right outside from the cruise ports. I went late in the season, so there was no whale watching. But I recommend getting a tour that visits both

Stopped at the West side of the glacier with our rental car. Very chill and pleasant stop, hardly anyone else was there. We were sad to see how much it had receded in 8 years since we were last there. Sigh

May 2022; we saw the glacier via the Holland America cruise and the captain did an excellent job of getting us close to see and actually hear the calving. I discovered that if you hear a noise or in one case a boom, then three to five minutes later the glacier sheers. This is or was a major highlight of our trip.

We enjoyed the view from the visitor center, and really like the Time Path through the woods showing where the glacier receded over the years.

We couldn't believe just how massive this glacier was. We were told if every person on the EARTH were to jump on the glacier that there would still be room to dance. That's CRAZY! It looks so small and is receding every year by over 400 feet and it's still so MASSIVE! Definitely a must see!