How to Get to Mendenhall Glacier

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By Greg Peters, editor · Updated October 2026

Mendenhall Glacier is the reason many people choose Juneau: a river of ice you can reach by road, 12 miles from the cruise docks, ending in a lake with a waterfall beside it. There are three ways to get there, and the right one depends on how long you're in port.

Three ways to get there

Option	Time each way	Cost	Best for
Glacier shuttle	About 30 minutes	Varies by company. Shuttles sold on Viator usually allow about two hours at the glacier.	Most cruise visitors
City bus (Capital Transit)	Up to 1.5 hours, including a 1.5-mile walk	$2 adult, $1 youth, exact cash or the Token Transit app	Long port calls and tight budgets
Tour that includes the glacier	Built into the tour	See top-rated excursions	Seeing whales and the glacier in one day

Shuttles are sold at booths near the cruise terminals, on board and in advance. Give the company your all-aboard time so they book you a safe return.

By bus, take Route 8 (Valley Express, the fastest) or Routes 3 or 4 from the Downtown Transit Center to Dredge Lake Road. From there it's a flat, paved walk of about 1.5 miles, around 30 minutes, with no restrooms on the way. Capital Transit ran its 2026 summer service from May 4 to September 20.

Tours: several whale-watching trips stop at the glacier on the way to or from Auke Bay. Check how long they stop: some allow 45 minutes or more, others only a quick photo. Our whale-watching guide compares them.

Fees and hours

A $5 day-use fee applies to visitors 16 and older from May 1 to September 30. Children 15 and under are free, and federal Annual, Senior, Access, Military and Volunteer passes are accepted. The Forest Service says the Nugget Falls Trail itself needs no pass.
A rise in the fee was proposed in 2026. We found no decision, so check the Forest Service page before you go.
In 2026 the visitor center opened May 1, seven days a week, about 9 am to 6 pm. From November to March it opens only on Fridays and Saturdays, but the grounds and trails stay open all year.

What to see

Nugget Falls Trail: a flat walk along the lake to the foot of the falls, about 3,900 feet from the visitor center by map. Allow an hour there and back with photo stops.
Photo Point Trail for the classic view of the glacier across the lake.
Steep Creek, where salmon run in season and bears come to fish. Keep your distance and follow the rangers' directions.
The visitor center has ramps and elevators from the parking lots.

August floods

Most summers, a lake dammed by ice in Suicide Basin, beside the glacier, drains suddenly and floods the Mendenhall River and lake. The river crested at a record 16.65 feet in August 2025 and at 14.7 feet on August 13, 2026, and a second release around September 30, 2026 brought minor flooding near the campground. The floods affect the valley, not downtown. If your visit falls in August, check the Forest Service page for closures.