Glacier Adventure: Paddle and Hike Experience

198 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

(198 Ratings)

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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

Nh_travelers_130

Sep 8, 2024

Fantastic views & great team! - Just returned from a great trip with Halle, Kayley, and Dan. The team was well organized, fun, enthusiastic, and very knowledgeable. We drove to their shop, suited up with waterproof outfits, boots, and PFDs and drove a short distance to Mendenhall Lake. After a brief safety/paddling instruction we boarded the canoes and paddled out to a beautiful waterfall and Mendenhall glacier. Each member of the team told us about some geology, the trees, and the glacier. Then we paddled back, stored the canoes, and returned. It was a great time and we highly recommend the adventure!

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Martha_h

Sep 4, 2024

Mendenhall Glacier canoe paddle and hike - We had a fantastic time canoeing across Mendenhall Lake then hiking near the Glacier. Dan was a wonderful, knowledgeable, and thoughtful guide who really made our experience memorable.

Review provided by Viator

Simonne_c

Aug 21, 2024

Juneau's must do Glacier experience - The whole experience was worth every penny! A small hike to the lake to get on our canoes and paddle our way to the Mendenhall glacier area and what a site. We even got off and hiked some more to get a closer look to the glaciers and mountains. And a nice workout too with a view!!!

Review provided by Viator

Dream55564989212

Aug 20, 2024

Best Juneau Excursion! - Our day was amazing despite the rain. Our guides, Kaylie and Maggie, were so fun and informative. We learned so much about the glacier eco system. We were truly amazed by Kaylie’s navigational chops. She guided us perfectly through fog so thick we could hear, but not see the canoe next to us or the surrounding mountains. We saw the glacier up close … which was breathtaking. Overall an incredible experience!

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Sherpa35408269617

Jul 26, 2024

Amazing Experience! - We chose this excursion when we were in Juneau based on friends having done it and loving it. And we agree! It was an amazing experience! Hiking through the rainforest to get to the lake was super cool, the canoeing was definitely work but WELL worth it, seeing Nugget Falls from so close was way better than a peak from the visitor's center and having a private viewing and experience at Mendenhall Glacier was amazing. The pictures we got as a family were super special. My 16 yr old daughter and 12 year old son were able to canoe even though it was hard work. The guides were great and had such a love for the glacier and what they do. We learned so much and would do this excursion again in a heart beat! Also, the gear they give you is great!

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Bdeadder

Jul 21, 2024

Its a workout for sure .... but beautiful! - Even though it rained the entire time, we were appreciative of the rain gear and boots that were provided for us! This was a workout ... we paddled for about an hour to get near the Glacier and an hour back. We were beat but enjoyed our day!

Review provided by Viator

Check Availability

From $402

up to 12 guests

1 - Adult