Juneau Shore Excursion: Mendenhall Glacier Trek in Juneau booking from $214.31

Juneau Shore Excursion: Mendenhall Glacier Trek

Overview

Spend your time in Juneau on an Alaskan wilderness hiking adventure as you get up close to the Mendenhall Glacier! This exhilarating tour will show you a stunning piece of Alaskan nature as you hike through the Tongass Rainforest towards the glacier. Then explore the edge of the glacier on foot where you could see dramatic crevasses and fascinating glacial formations.

The Mendenhall Glacier is receding at a fast pace and due to this we are seeing drastic changes to the surface of the glacier. For this reason, it is not safe to walk on the glacier. This trip will spend time exploring the glacier up close and hiking around the edges of it safely from the bedrock. The edge of the glacier has some of the most stunning features you will find; this is where ice formations, tunnels, and tubes tend to form creating those beautiful blue colors. These features are never guaranteed but do form throughout the summer.

City: Juneau

Sun 23 Feb

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Starting at $214.31

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Sun 23 Feb

Starting at $214.31

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Bottled water

Professional guide

Hearty snack

Forest Service Permits

Glacier gear, backpack, rain jacket and pants -- please advise supplier of sizing

Additional Info

Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Travelers should have a high level of physical fitness
You must include the following in the comments section when booking: raingear & shoe sizes for each passenger, (for adult men and women, S-XXL and youth, S-L) and any pertinent medical information. Smallest shoe size that can be accommodated is Youth 2 and largest is Adult 14.
This small group adventure has a minimum of 2 and maximum of 12 participants
Minimum age is 10 years
WAIVER FORM: Every participant on the trip must sign a waiver form at the start of the trip. Alterations and/or deletions to the waiver is not permitted
Clients must be in good enough shape and conditioned to hike for up to 6-6.5 hours, covering about 8 miles roundtrip. The hike is challenging and clients need to bring sturdy hiking boots that provide good ankle support while hiking on rocky terrain. All clients will need to hike with a backpack the entire way on this trip. The backpack (provided) weighs approximately 10-15 pounds and holds mountaineering gear, snacks/water, etc.
The Mendenhall Glacier is receding at a fast pace and due to this we are seeing drastic changes to the surface of the glacier. For this reason, it is not safe to walk on the glacier. This trip will spend time exploring the glacier up close and hiking around the edges of it safely from the bedrock. The edge of the glacier has some of the most stunning features you will find; this is where ice formations, tunnels, and tubes tend to form creating those beautiful blue colors. These features are never guaranteed but do form throughout the summer.
Hiking boots with with good stability and traction
Comfortable hiking pants
Warm sweater or fleece pullover, hat. and gloves reccommended
Sunglasses and sunscreen
Safety harnesses fit up to 42 inch waist size and 28" inch leg size. Not able to accommodate larger waist/leg sizes.
Hand sanitiser available to travellers and staff
Regularly sanitised high-traffic areas
Gear/equipment sanitised between use
Transportation vehicles regularly sanitised
Guides required to regularly wash hands
Regular temperature checks for staff
Contactless payments for gratuities and add-ons

What To Expect

Goldbelt Mount Roberts Tramway

Pick up at "C" Sign at the base of the Mount Roberts Tramway and van transport to main office for gear orientation and outfitting. Once outfitting is complete, guests will be transported to the West Glacier Trailhead.

West Glacier Trailhead

Hiking to the glacier begins with 4 miles through towering Sitka Spruce and Hemlock in the largest temperate rainforest in the world.

Mendenhall Glacier

Your guide will take you on a tour of the glacier's accessible features along the edge, which may include exploring the other worldliness of an ice cave, hiking by glacier blue conduits and ice tubes, or peering into the deep well of a moulin. The glacier is in constant change and its ice features disappear and reappear over the course of the season, but we will explore the best features available that day.

West Glacier Trailhead

Return 4 mile hike back through the Tongass National Forest.

Goldbelt Mount Roberts Tramway

Drop off back downtown. Thanks for joining!

Show 2 more stops

Cancellation Policy

All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (62)

W5716BOcindyw

Sep 2022

OMG. The team that went with us were wonderful and diverse personalities. We paddled with Abbey and Grant. The glaciers have softened ( over a yr ago) and tour grp from the cruise ship did not provide the updated information that the glaciers are no longer safe to walk upon. But we were close. The air so fresh and clean. The picture posted no longer accurate a chunk of ice left just the night before. We were even blessed with sighting of a harbor seal. Highly recommend

Response from Host

Nov 2022

Thank you for your review and making us a part of your Alaskan adventure!

Steve_H

Sep 2022

We met our guide HaIlie at the cruise port and she shuttled us to the warehouse where we were outfitted with backpacks, rain gear, hiking poles and snacks. We were joined by another couple so the group was 4 hikers plus Hailie. The trail started out easy but became increasingly difficult. We bushwhacked through the rainforest crossing several streams. We scaled rock ledges. Hailie is very patient, helpful and knowledgeable about the landscape and plant life. We stopped for lunch with a panoramic view of the glacier. The final .7 mile hike to the tip of the glacier was an easy track. We were shocked about the rate that the glacier was melting. The glacier started at the trailhead in 1910, so 4 miles melted over the past 112 years but the rate has increased drastically. The total distance (out and back is 7.5 miles). The track is challenging. This hike was a great experience - an opportunity to see an ancient glacier up close. Be prepared for a vigorous workout.

PatJ213

Jun 2022

My wife and I signed up for this tour through trip advisor, were picked up at 10am and taken to the facility to get outfitted for the trek. We learned at that time that we would not be allowed to participate because by wife had a medical condition that temporarily limits her exertion level. Level of exertion for the trek was NOT mentioned in the trip advisor info about the trek. HAVING THIS INFORMATION CLEARLY STATED BY TRIP ADVISOR IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE OUTFITTER! Since we were inconvenienced, we were told they would be happy to drop us off anywhere, including at the Mendenhall Visitor Center so we could trek on our own. But once we got into their van the story changed and we were told all they could do is take us back to our hotel as their vehicle was commercial and not allowed to be driven to the Mendenhall Visitor Center. So, we went back to our hotel and were unable to find a way to the Visitor Center until 1:30 pm. So we did not make it to the Visitor Center to start hiking until after 2pm. This very much limited our time there. Signing up for this trek was a big waste of our time.

Response from Host

Jun 2022

Thank you for your review and we are sorry that you were unable to join us on the hike. We require all guests to inform us of any pertinent medical conditions prior to participating on our tour, as this trip is advertised as challenging and guest safety is our number one priority. Unfortunately, you did not inform us about the medical condition until the morning of the trip. We provided you a full refund on the tour, and offered you less strenuous tour options to book in Juneau. Our Tripadvisor listing clearly states that guests need to be in good physical condition to do this hike and under the "Additional Information" section on our Tripadvisor listing, it also outlines the medical and physical requirements for participating in this excursion. This is located near the bottom of the listing and must have been overlooked. Again, we apologize that you were unable to participate on this hike. We appreciate and value any feedback that we receive, as this gives us opportunities to improve our operations. We hope you were able to enjoy the rest of your time in Juneau.

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Juneau Shore Excursion: Mendenhall Glacier Trek

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