Mendenhall Glacier — Attraction in Juneau

Mendenhall Glacier is an incredible natural wonder that left me in awe of its sheer size and beauty. Located near Juneau, Alaska, it offers visitors a chance to witness the raw power of nature up close.

Visiting the glacier is a unique experience as you get to witness the breathtaking blue ice and stunning ice caves. The glacier spans over 13 miles and is surrounded by stunning mountains, making it a picturesque sight. The ice formations constantly change, creating an ever-evolving landscape.

One of the highlights of my visit to Mendenhall Glacier was the opportunity to hike across the glacier. Walking on the ice and feeling the crunch beneath my boots was exhilarating. The guided tour provided interesting information about the glacier's formation, its gradual retreat, and the impact of climate change.

Another must-do activity is kayaking on Mendenhall Lake, which offers a completely different perspective of the glacier. Paddling through the calm waters, surrounded by towering ice walls, gave me a sense of tranquility and connectedness with nature.

The visitor center at Mendenhall Glacier provides a wealth of information about the glacier's history, ecology, and ongoing research. There are also educational exhibits and a theater showcasing documentaries about the area. The staff were knowledgeable and eager to answer any questions, further enhancing the overall experience.

The only drawback of visiting Mendenhall Glacier is the increasing crowds. Due to its popularity, the area can get crowded during peak tourist season. However, the beauty of the glacier and the surrounding landscape still shine through, regardless of the number of visitors.

Overall, visiting Mendenhall Glacier was a truly remarkable experience. It offers a chance to witness the power and beauty of nature in a way that's both humbling and inspiring. If you have the opportunity to visit Juneau, I highly recommend taking the time to explore this...

Our day in Juneau was changed due to weather and we had to find alternative activities (as our originally booked one from the cruise was cancelled) The tour bus that took us here was $75usd pp, taking us to Mendenhall Glacier visitor center for 2.5 hrs and then back to town. A quick and relatively easy "hike" will get you to the edge to the see Mendenhall Glacier and another brisk 30 minute walk will get you over to Nugget Falls. This will get you with close viewing distance to the Mendenhall Glacier. It is sad to see if receding year over year and the time motion video from the visitor center showed this dramatic changes over the last 100 years. It is an absolutely beautiful site to see, before it melt even more. We were able to spot some bald eagles perching in a tree as well. With 2-3+ people, I think catching a Taxi or an Uber may be cheaper than $75/pp. If you want to see a glacier up close, then this is a...

If in Juneau, you should take short ride out of town to see glacier before it melts. It's not a large glacier, it's doubtful there will be any big ice bergs drppping off the face, and you can't boat or kayak up to it, but visitor center is very informative, lots of walking trails to get closer to it, a neat waterfall to hike to, and overall a nice 1 to 3 hour diversion from tourist shops of Juneau. Note... this is a popular shore excursion for cruise lines... so if you see more than one cruise liner in the Juneau harbor, you might want to wait until afternoon when the boat tours have shifted to whale watching. It is worth the visit. The only reason not 5 stars is the glacier overall size... there are bigger ones to see.... but they are not as...