Mendenhall Glacier canoe paddle and hike: 5.5 hours

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Duration5h 30m

GroupUp to 12

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Paddle toward calving icebergs, then walk the glacier's edge on rocky ground.

A 5.5-hour canoe paddle and glacier hike in Juneau starts at Mendenhall Lake with paddle instruction, then crosses toward Mendenhall Glacier while you watch for freshly calved icebergs and Arctic tern nesting grounds. After paddling past Nugget Falls, you exit the canoes and hike the rocky terrain to explore the glacier's edge—crevasses, ice fall and deep blue features—before paddling back across the lake. A professional guide, all paddling equipment, rain gear, boots, snacks and National Park fees are included; you'll need to be in strong physical condition and able to swim.

5h 30m

Step-by-step itinerary

Canoe, hike, and glacier views

Transport to gear warehouse
Gear fitting and orientation
Canoe paddle on Mendenhall Lake
Hike rocky terrain near glacier
Return transport to main office
Transport back to meeting location

The Experience

The morning starts at a gear warehouse where you'll be fitted for rain gear and rubber boots, then transported to Mendenhall Lake. A guide walks you through paddle instruction before you board a spacious canoe—either an 8-person or 12-person depending on group size—and push off across the glacier-fed water. The paddle across the lake takes you past Arctic tern nesting grounds and Nugget Falls, with the glacier face growing larger as you round a rock peninsula. Blocks of ice stand tall in the water, waiting to calve.

You'll paddle roughly 5 to 6 miles total, then exit the canoes and hike about 2 miles roundtrip over rocky ground at the glacier's edge. This is where the day shifts from paddling to exploration. The Mendenhall Glacier recedes daily, so the features you'll see—crevasses, ice fall at the toe, the deep blue ice formations—change constantly. You won't trek onto the glacier itself, but you'll stand close enough to study its rapid recession and the ancient ice age wilderness it represents. The time spent at the glacier depends on your group's pace and weather conditions.

After exploring the glacier's edge, you paddle back across Mendenhall Lake to the warehouse, where you'll de-gear and return to your pickup location. The whole outing runs 5.5 hours from start to finish. Bottled water and snacks are provided throughout, and you'll need to bring nothing but your own physical fitness and swimming ability—the operator supplies everything else.

What’s included

Professional guide in English.
all paddling equipment.
rain gear and rubber boots fitted to your size.
bottled water and snacks.
National Park fees.
local taxes.
pickup and return transport from your meeting location.
gear warehouse orientation and paddle instruction.

Good to know

Demanding physical levelNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Above and Beyond Alaska

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you're in strong physical condition and comfortable paddling and hiking for a full morning—the 5.5-hour commitment and the 5-to-6-mile paddle plus 2-mile hike mean this is built for travelers who can sustain effort over several hours. Shared canoes with other guests keep the cost down and build the group energy that makes paddling across a glacier-fed lake feel like an expedition rather than a solo outing.