Mendenhall Glacier

Mendenhall Glacier is a 13-mile-long glacier flowing out of the Juneau Icefield — one of the largest non-polar icefields in the world — and terminating in Mendenhall Lake just 12 miles from downtown Juneau. This proximity makes it one of the most accessible glaciers in Alaska, reachable by shuttle, rental car, or rideshare without a charter flight. The U.S. Forest Service visitor center sits directly on the lakeshore facing the glacier's 1.5-mile-wide face, and on clear days the blue ice and crevasse patterns are visible in sharp detail from the shoreline. Several trails radiate from the visitor center: the East Glacier Loop (3.4 miles) passes through old-growth forest and alongside the ice margin; the Nugget Falls Trail (1 mile round trip, largely flat) reaches a powerful waterfall on the glacier's lateral moraine and is the most popular route for casual visitors. Adventurous visitors can book guided glacier hikes to walk directly on the ice surface, or ice cave tours in winter months when meltwater tunnels form beneath the glacier. Mendenhall Glacier has retreated more than a mile since 1958, and trail-side markers document the historical terminus position decade by decade. The visitor center holds exhibits on the Juneau Icefield system and local Tlingit cultural connections to the glacier. The far shore of Mendenhall Lake, reached by a trail extension from the visitor center, offers unobstructed reflection views of the ice face in calm morning conditions. The glacier is a routine stop for Juneau cruise passengers from mid-May through September, making morning arrivals before 9am far quieter.