Juneau Shore Excursion: Mendenhall Glacier Guided Hike

Embark on a thrilling 6-7 mile hike through Tongass National Forest to the breathtaking Mendenhall Glacier. Capture stunning views and unforgettable memories.

Duration: 6 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Goldbelt Tram - Meet at the “C” Sign at the base of the Mount Roberts Tramway for van transport to the main office for gear orientation and outfitting. After outfitting, guests will be taken to the West Glacier Trailhead.
  • West Glacier Trailhead - The hike to the glacier starts with a 3.5-mile trek through the towering Sitka spruce and hemlock…
What's Included
  • Professional guide
  • Forest Service Permits
  • Backpack, rain jacket and pants – please advise supplier of sizing
  • Hearty snack
  • Bottled water
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
Additional Information

Experience the Mendenhall Glacier Guide Hike, a thrilling 6-7 mile adventure! Your journey begins with a 3-mile trek through the Tongass National Forest, the world’s largest temperate rainforest. Your experienced guide will lead you through this wilderness, winding past beaver ponds and scrambling up exposed glacial terrain, where the trail fades into…

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
(71 Ratings)
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Rachel_m
Aug 24, 2025
I highly recommend this... - I highly recommend this excursion! We had 7 travelers in our group and besides the occasional group passing by on the way up, we had the entire trail and the Glacier viewing area to ourselves. Our guide Heather was super personable, knowledgeable and attentive to the group. The trail itself was pretty easy to navigate, with the exception of a few slick rock spots and the last part of the trail where you have to climb up/down some rocks to view the Glacier. But even then, going slow and being intentional with your hand/foot placements was just fine. Gorgeous view of the Glacier and Nugget Falls. Very appreciative of the generous snacks provided as well. This was our first excursion not booked through the cruise line and we had 0 worries about getting back on time as Hesther made it clear (and showed) they are pros with timing. 10/10!
Review provided by Viator
Rebeccasc803fx
Jun 28, 2025
Fantastic hike - This was definitely a challenging hike with scrambling up and down slippery rocks. The views were incredible. We had an amazing time with Julia but we got soaked. The gear and snacks provided were definitely useful. Highly recommend this tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Chaskamin
Jun 6, 2025
This was a HIKE. - This is a hike not for the faint of heart. We met our guide Forrest just off our ship and went by van to Above and Beyond. At their offices, we got outfitted- Backpacks, a Hiking Pole, Rain pants, and Jackets (if needed). We also got souvenir water bottles and a bag of trail snacks. We had brought our own set of poles and needed them! Once outfitted we headed to the "West Glacier Trailhead". I would not want to try and follow the trail without a guide. Alltrails lists the distance as 6.3 miles. You don't actually reach Mendenhall Glacier since it has receded. You do get a great view of it and of Mendenhall lake. I wonder if you can even see the glacier from the park's visitor center (not a stop). There are a couple of steep sections that Forrest got us carefully through. So happy with the hike and with our guide.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Davidp2012
Aug 30, 2024
Great way to spend a day around Juneau - This was a great hike, incredibly scenic and beautiful and we were blessed with excellent weather. Due to the small size of our group, we were able to push on beyond a normal turnaround spot and getting a bit closer to the glacier than might otherwise happen. Our guide Bella was fantastic and the support that I received from Jess at the office in advance was excellent. Highly recommended!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tour40612454519
Jul 21, 2024
fun, exciting - Taylor was awesome. We had a lot of fun. You hike up to see the glacier, but you dont get to go on the glacier. But it was a cool hike overall and I enjoyed it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
93lindseyn
Jun 23, 2024
Awesome, thrilling, fun, scenic and tough! - We had an awesome hike with Josh and Taylor. The pace is fast and there are some really challenging inclines and rock scrambles (I wore hiking pants, but I should have gone a step further and worn pants with more stretch). My family of 5 (hubby and I, two teens and a 12 year old) joined 8 other adults. We relished the gorgeous sights, learned a lot about the glacier and had fun chatting with each other and the guides. The glacier is receding rapidly, I'm glad we got to see it while we still could.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Stevenfs4401po
Jul 27, 2023
A view not to be missed - This was a great hike led by our guide Jeffrey. Jeff was very friendly and informative. The walk is quite strenuous, but Jeff made sure everyone was capable and wearing the right clothing. A waterproof and decent walking shoes/boots are a must.
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Donna
Jul 2, 2023
Best day of the Alaska cruise! - This is why I came to Alaska! I would add more stars if I could. Best day of the whole cruise! Leeann and Kiana were our guides and were terrific young ladies with hiking experience and knowledge of the local flora to share. 7 wonderful hours out in stunning nature. I would comment that if you are not physically fit, and ALSO have good balance and climbing ability- DO NOT BOOK this! It was a 968 ft elevation gain hike. Read the information on their website and do not blindly book this on trip advisor. You will climb up and down large rocks, walk thru streams or water and mud, scramble up some short rock faces with your hands and slide down on your bum. This impacts the whole group of up to 12 hikers (max tour size) as one guide has to always remain with the hikers regardless if they are capable of continuing. This is not a flat walk in the woods for someone just pulling new hiking boots out of the box that morning. That said, the other thing to note is that the glacier is receding and no two trips will be the same. You aren't walking on the glacier and the ice caves of 2022 and before are now gone. It was fascinating to see the changes made over time by the glacier. I would totally do this trip again given the chance.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sergio_f
May 15, 2023
Bear of a time. - Pretty intense hike at time. And im a backpacker... Still very fun. Got to see wildlife up and close. Including a bear that at times were as close as 25-30yards. Unfortunately, the glacier had receded to a point you cant get very close.
Review provided by Viator
W5716bocindyw
Sep 19, 2022
Go, an experience you’ll never forget - 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
Review provided by Tripadvisor