Glacier Adventure: Paddle and Hike Experience

206 Ratings

Juneau

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Embark on a thrilling canoe paddle and hike to Mendenhall Glacier. Witness stunning views, calved icebergs, and explore ancient ice age wilderness.

Duration: 5 hours, 30 minutes

Cancellation: 24 hours

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Highlights

West Glacier Trail - The Glacier Canoe Paddle and Hike is our most popular adventure. The journey begins at Mendenhall Lake, where a canoe guide will provide paddle instructions. With gear in hand, board the spacious canoe and set sail for the Mendenhall Glacier. Pass by Arctic tern nesting areas and the beautiful Nugget Falls, enjoying…

What's Included

National Park fees
Professional guide
Bottled water
Snacks
All necessary paddling equipment
Paddling and safety instructions
Rain gear and rubber boots

What's Not Included

Gratuities

Additional Information

The Glacier Canoe Paddle and Hike is our most popular adventure. The journey starts at Mendenhall Lake, where a canoe guide will provide paddle instructions. With gear in hand, board a spacious canoe and head towards the Mendenhall Glacier. As you glide by, observe the Arctic tern nesting areas and the beautiful Nugget Falls, with breathtaking views of…

Disembark from the canoes and hike across the rocky landscape, getting close-up views of the glacier while learning about its rapid retreat. Discover this ancient ice age wilderness and admire its ice formations, including crevasses, ice falls at the glacier’s edge, and other deep blue wonders. The ever-changing glacier offers a unique experience every day. Although this tour does not go onto the glacier, it provides spectacular front-row views. After exploring the glacier, return to the canoes and paddle back across Mendenhall Lake.

Age minimum of 12 years and older only
Please note, this tour requires a minimum of 4 to operate. If minimum requirement is not met, reservation is subject to change or cancellation.
Maximum weight 250 pounds
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.
All clients will be outfitted in 8 person or 12 person canoes, with 1 to 2 guides depending on the group size.
All clients must be in physically fit condition and capable of paddling 5-6 miles and hiking about 2 miles roundtrip. All clients must know how to swim.
Due to the inherent risks involved, we do not permit pregnant guests to participant.
With group departures we try to maximize our trip capacity and subsequently may need to alter the time to accommodate additional customers. If your trip’s departure time changes we will notify you as soon as possible.
Glacier Access and feature exploration: The Mendenhall Glacier is receding daily. Because the glacier is in a state of constant change, not all features may be present or accessible. We will explore the edges of the glacier safely from the bedrock. This tour does not include trekking on the glacier.
A specific amount of time exploring the edge of the glacier cannot be guaranteed. The amount of time at the glacier is dependent on the group’s pace and weather conditions
Clients must disclose information regarding pertinent medical conditions/history, allergies and any type of restriction or limitation that might introduce a higher degree of challenge on this trip.
RELEASE OF LIABILITY/ASSUMPTION OF RISK FORM: Every participant on the trip must sign a Release of Liability/Assumption of Risk form at the start of the trip. Alterations and/or deletions to the waiver are not permitted.
Maximum weight is 250 lbs per person

Location

490 S Franklin St

South Franklin Street

The “C” Sign, located near the cruise ship docks directly between Mt. Roberts Tramway and the green Taku Smokeries building, is our centralized downtown meeting location for all clients in the downtown area, including the majority of cruise ship passengers.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings

4.9

(206 Ratings)

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J8129cbandym

Jul 5, 2026

Mendenhall Glacier paddle and Hike June 30, 2026 - We had an excellent outing, a canoe paddle and hike out to the Mendenhall Glacier. Our guides were Carla and Reina - they both did a fantastic job of getting us geared up and giving instruction on handling the canoe. They also gave expert commentary about the glacier that included history and changes in nature that affect the glacier, local waterways and the area community. Altogether a great experience.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

David

Jul 1, 2026

Amazing guides and tour - Absolutely five stars for Alaska Above & Beyond. Our guides were the best — enthusiastic, deeply knowledgeable, and genuinely passionate about the glacier. Their energy made the entire experience unforgettable. The tour was worth every penny. Beautiful sights, stunning glacier views, and a well‑organized flow from start to finish. It’s such an incredible way to see Alaska up close and personal, and I would highly recommend it to anyone visiting. If you’re considering this excursion, don’t hesitate. It truly goes above and beyond.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

3jjourney

Jun 26, 2026

Mendenhall - Skye and Grant were great guides. They made sure we had all the right gears and guided us on our paddle and trek. They were both extremely knowledgeable of the geology and culture of the area, which made this the most educational tour we had on this trip! 🤩 And it was BEAUTIFUL! 😍 It was definitely more paddle, barely any walking. I am not sure if I would call it strenuous. We actually had everyone paddling, maybe that’s why it felt very easy.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Gcrespo

Jun 22, 2026

One of the most spectacular wonders of the natural world that you can see - Seeing the immensity of a glacier before it disappears due to global warming is one of the most wonderful experiences you can have. Paddling for 9 km. (6 miles), is well worth it to reach the other side of the lake and do a brief hike to see the ice wall that, although it is receding more and more, remains totally impressive.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

V1665ltdaniellee

May 27, 2026

This tour company really does go above and beyond! - Jasper and Heather are amazing guides and I totally recommend this tour. They had excellent equipment and even gave us water and yummy snacks in case we got hungry. We got really close to the glacier, saw some goats in the mountains, and the guides shared interesting information and answered a bunch of our questions.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

O8185ggcharlotteb

Sep 21, 2025

Brilliant experience - An unforgettable experience getting so close to a glacier, albeit physical exertion required!! Hallie & Mike, along with the other guides brought the trip alive providing information & knowledge about what we were seeing & the local area. Despite it being a wet day, we still thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The wet weather gear provided was invaluable & the snacks & souvenir water bottle a lovely addition.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Tdb1214

Jul 3, 2025

Very worthwhile! Saw the glacier up close! - I recently did this canoe paddle and hike to Mendenhall Glacier and it was wonderful! I wish I could remember the 4 guides names' because they deserve a shout out! (Riza and Lisa were 2 of them) They worked so well together as a team. We started at their garage where they outfited each of us (and there were 19 on the trip!) with waterproof boots, pants and jackets. Topped it all off with PFD's that they came around and made sure were adjusted properly. They reviewed where we were going and then drove to the lake, had a safety briefing and some instruction. As a group, they expertly led us across the lake, to beautiful Nugget Falls before pulling out at a beach nearer the glacier. They shared their knowledge of geology, wildlife and the glaciers. They even packed us a delicious lunch in bento boxes! Arrived back at the starting point under an Eagle's watchful eye. I would highly recommend this adventure! Awesome experience!

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Z4152dkrebeccam

Jul 1, 2025

Teamwork Makes the Dreamwork - This excursion out to the Mendenhall Glacier and back is worth your time! Lisa and Keaton lead our team of rag tag paddlers through glacial water and winds beautifully!

Review provided by Tripadvisor

James_v

May 6, 2025

Mendenhall Glacier Paddle - Very fun adventure, rain gear, including boots are provided to keep you dry. Guides are very informative about the glacier and Juneau area.

Review provided by Viator

Kurty2024

Jul 17, 2026

A Worthwhile Workout - I had a fine time on my recent trip with Above and Beyond Alaska. The weather was fantastic and the company worked with me on rescheduling to ensure that bad weather did not cancel my trip. I very much enjoyed the paddling while talking with the two excellent guides, one each way. They were informative, interested in their clients, and enthusiastic. The only down side for me was that the glacier is so-clearly diminished from when I had seen it some 20 years back. I knew this was the case, but seeing it up close again really brought that reality home. It was a grim but important reminder of what we humans are doing to our world.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Check Availability

From $402

up to 12 guests

1 - Adult