Guide · Worth it?

Is Mendenhall Glacier worth seeing?

Is Mendenhall Glacier worth seeing when Juneau has so many other things to do? For most visitors, yes. Here is what makes it special, what can disappoint, and how to get the most from your time.

Check availabilityfrom $79 · no cancellation fee

Editorial team, mendenhallglaciertrolleytour.comUpdated October 16, 20267 min read18 sources

This guide's tour Mendenhall Glacier Trolley Tour from the cruise docks 4.5 (796 reviews) 3 hoursMeets at the Goldbelt TramAbout 2 hours at the glacier from$79per person Check availabilityFree cancellation until 24 hrs before start

Our take

01Verdict: Worth it for almost everyone, even on a short stop.
02Why: A big glacier you can reach on a 12-mile paved road.¹
03Bonus: The 377-foot Nugget Falls beside the ice.²
04Downside: Busy: some 700,000 visitors a year.³
05Go soon: The ice retreated about a mile from 1986 to 2024.⁴

What makes this glacier special

Most glaciers in Alaska are seen from a boat deck or a plane window. Mendenhall Glacier is different because you can stand in front of it after a short drive. It is a 12-mile drive on paved roads from downtown Juneau, which makes it one of the most accessible glaciers in the United States and a rare chance to see ice on this scale without special gear.¹ That alone sets it apart from most of Alaska's ice.

The scale is real. The glacier is about half a mile wide, with ice up to 1,800 feet deep, and it flows from the Juneau Icefield, which covers 1,500 square miles of the mountains behind it.⁵ ⁶ From the lookout you see only the lowest tongue of that ice, and the visitor center's exhibits help you picture the rest stretching far into the peaks. Watch the film first and the view makes more sense.

Then there is the setting: a lake dotted with icebergs, forested slopes, mountain goats on the cliffs if you are lucky, and Nugget Falls pouring down beside the ice. The waterfall drops 377 feet into the iceberg lake, which puts a glacier and a great waterfall into one frame.² Few places put so much scenery within such easy reach of a cruise dock. Bring a zoom lens if you have one.

A changing glacier

From a young lake to a retreating ice face

Early 1900s

A lake forms

Meltwater fills the valley in front of the ice.⁷
1962

Visitor center

The first in the National Forest System opens.⁸
1986 to 2024

About a mile back

The glacier retreats and thins by up to 2,000 feet.⁴
2005 to 2019

The icefield shrinks

It loses 63 of 1,050 glaciers.⁹
By 2050

Out of view

Expected to vanish from the visitor center's view.¹⁰

Why Mendenhall Glacier is famous

Part of the reason why Mendenhall Glacier is famous is its history as a place made for visitors. The Forest Service opened the visitor center here in 1962 as the first of its kind in the National Forest System.⁸ Generations of travelers have looked at the ice through its windows, and their photographs now form a record of how much the glacier has changed. Some of those old views hang in the building today.

The other reason is that change. From 1986 to 2024 the glacier retreated by about a mile and in places thinned by 2,000 feet, according to NASA's satellite record.⁴ Between 2005 and 2019 the Juneau Icefield that feeds it lost 63 of its 1,050 glaciers and 10% of its ice.⁹ Scientists, news crews and documentary makers come here to show what a warming climate does to ice.

For a visitor that gives the trip a second layer. You are not only admiring a view, you are looking at a landscape in motion, with bare rock where ice stood within living memory. Many people find that thought stays with them long after the photos, and it is one of the strongest arguments for going while the ice is still easy to see. Few sights explain climate change as plainly.

Ratings

How guests rate the trolley tour

ratings

Star breakdown of 796 ratings for the trolley tour as listed on Viator.

Pros and cons

The honest balance

Point	Good	Less good
Access	paved road from downtown	not walkable from the ship
Scenery	glacier, lake and Nugget Falls	ice seen across the water
Crowds	quiet early and late	busy on cruise days
Weather	blue ice on grey days	frequent rain
Cost	grounds are free	fee for the visitor center in summer

Based on Travel Juneau, the BLM and NOAA climate averages for Juneau.¹ ¹¹ ¹² ¹³

Three ways to experience it

Look, walk or paddle

Classic

Glacier trolley

Viewpoints and falls

Price: from $79
Duration: 3 hrs
Rating: 4.49

Compare

Closer

Canoe on the lake

Paddle towards the ice

Price: from $251
Duration: 4 hrs
Rating: 4.89

Compare

Closest

Ice adventure

Onto the glacier

Price: from $377
Duration: 5 hrs
Rating: 4.97

Compare

Decision helper

Is it worth it for you?

Tap the line that sounds like you

Yes, go

The easiest close look at a big glacier.¹

Keep it short

Spend the extra hours on whales or the town.

Go for a half day

The East Glacier Loop takes 2 to 3 hours.¹⁴

Go early or late

The grounds are open from 6:00 am to midnight.¹¹

Go in late summer

Salmon and black bears at Steep Creek from July through September.¹⁵

From 1986 to 2024, the Mendenhall Glacier retreated by about a mile and in some places thinned by 2,000 feet.

NASA Scientific Visualization StudioSource 4

The downsides to know about

It is busy. Some 700,000 people visit the glacier each year, and in summer the visitor center, Photo Point and the trail to Nugget Falls fill up whenever several cruise ships are in port.³ If you dislike crowds, come early or late, when the grounds are open but the tour buses are gone; they are open from 6:00 am to midnight all year.¹¹ Midday on a busy cruise day is the most crowded time.

It is often wet. Juneau is a rainforest town, and August alone brings 257 mm of rain on 16 wet days, by NOAA's averages, each wet day counting 2.5 mm or more.¹³ September is wetter still, with 274 mm on average.¹³ Low cloud can hide the upper glacier, although many visitors find the ice glows a deeper blue on a grey day. Pack a rain jacket whatever the forecast says, and keep your camera covered.

And the ice is farther away than in older photos. The retreat means the glacier face stands well back across the lake from the visitor center, and the BLM writes that by 2050 the glacier is expected to be completely out of view from it.¹⁰ You still see it clearly today, but do not expect to touch the ice from the main viewpoints. A zoom lens or binoculars bring the ice face much closer.

Checklist

For a visit worth remembering

Plan

Allow time for Nugget Falls
Go early or late to beat the crowds
Check the visitor center hours

Pack

Rain jacket and a warm layer
Binoculars for goats and bears
A dry bag for your camera

Cost calculator

What a visit costs your group

Work out what your whole party would spend on a tour.

Glacier trolley3 hoursfrom $79 Canoe on the lake4 hoursfrom $251 Ice adventure5 hoursfrom $377

People 2

Total from$158

per traveler from $79

Check availabilityfree cancellation

Amounts start from the cheapest per-person price that GetYourGuide or Viator lists, converted at the ECB reference rate; the seller's checkout has the exact figure.

Video

The Easy Way to Explore Mendenhall Glacier & Nugget Falls in Juneau

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Who should go, and who might skip it

Go if this is your first time in Alaska, if you are traveling with family or with people who cannot hike far, or if you want the classic glacier photograph without a boat or a helicopter. The short trails are easy, the visitor center explains what you see, and even a quick visit leaves a strong impression of how big and how fragile the ice is. It is also a good choice when the weather rules out a flight.

Consider skipping it, or keeping it short, if you have already booked a glacier landing by helicopter, a glacier cruise or a walk on the ice elsewhere on your trip. In that case your time in Juneau might be better spent on whales, the town or the mountains above it. The glacier will not be a surprise if you have already stood on one. Check what you have already booked before you decide.

Keen hikers and photographers should plan more than the minimum. The East Glacier Loop takes 2 to 3 hours, and the West Glacier Trail is for experienced hikers who want to get closer to the ice.¹⁴ ¹⁶ With a half day you will understand the place far better than from the lookout alone, and you will escape most of the crowds. Pack water and a snack, and start early on a long hike.

Making the most of your visit

Allow enough time. The visitor center and Photo Point take about 90 minutes, and the walk to Nugget Falls adds more.¹⁷ Rushing through a short stop is the main reason some people come away underwhelmed, so build your day around the glacier rather than squeezing it between other excursions. A relaxed pace makes a much better memory of the place, and leaves room for the lakeshore too.

Time your visit for the season you want. Travel Juneau calls May through October the best time to come.¹⁸ In late summer you can add salmon and, with luck, black bears at Steep Creek, from July through September.¹⁵ Early summer brings longer days, fuller waterfalls and fresh snow on the peaks around the lake. Each season has its own reasons to come, so pick the one that suits what you most want to see.

Choose transport that fits your hours. The trolley tour sold on this site starts from $79 and is rated 4.49 from 796 reviews; it gives you about 2 hours at the glacier area and brings you back to the docks. On a long day the city bus works too, and with a car you can stay as long as the light allows. Whichever you choose, keep a careful eye on your re-boarding time.

What other visitors say

Reviews of the trolley tour give a fair picture of how people feel about a standard visit. Of its 796 ratings, 591 are five stars and 99 are four stars, and the remaining 43, 32 and 31 ratings give three stars, two stars and a single star. That mix is typical for an excursion that depends on the weather and on how busy the glacier is on the day. Read a few recent reviews before you book any tour.

The common thread in visitor feedback is time and weather. A clear day with enough time for the falls tends to win people over, while a wet, crowded visit squeezed between other plans leaves some cold. That is something you can influence by choosing your day, starting early and allowing time for the walk. Even a short visit can be special when the sky clears for a moment and the ice turns blue.

So, is it worth seeing? For most travelers to Juneau the answer is a clear yes. It is the easiest close look at a big Alaskan glacier you will get, it combines ice, water, forest and wildlife in one place, and it tells a story about change that you will not forget soon after you sail on. Go with time to spare, and it will very likely be one of the best hours of your stay in Juneau.

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