Juneau: Mendenhall Glacier Hike & Tongass Rainforest Walk

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Free cancellationExcellent quality

1/7

Duration6h

GroupUp to 12

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Hike Juneau’s deep forest trails to glacier views you’ll remember

You’ll trek deep into Juneau’s Tongass rainforest with a local guide, crossing rocky trails and mossy woods before reaching a ridge overlooking Mendenhall Glacier’s wild blue ice. Expect muddy boots, hearty snacks at the viewpoint, and moments of quiet awe you’ll carry home long after your boots dry out.

Step-by-step itinerary

Mendenhall Glacier Guided Hike

Pick up at Mount Roberts Tramway base
Van transport to main office for gear
Transport to West Glacier Trailhead
Hike 3.5 miles through temperate rainforest
Enjoy glacier viewpoint, photos, and snacks
Hike 3.5 miles back through forest
Drop off back downtown

The Experience

“You hear that?” our guide, Sarah, said as we stepped off the van near the Mt. Roberts Tramway—she meant the hush under all those Sitka spruces. It’s not silence exactly; it’s more like the sound of wet leaves and distant water somewhere you can’t see yet. We got our rain jackets and packs sorted at their little office (they had all sizes, which helped since I always forget mine), then loaded back up for the short drive out to the West Glacier trailhead. I was already damp from the mist but honestly, it felt right for Alaska.

The first mile or so through Tongass National Forest was just green everywhere—ferns brushing my legs, moss soft underfoot, and these huge trees that made me feel about ten years old again. Our group kept stopping to check out beaver ponds (one actually slapped its tail at us—Sarah grinned and said that was a “get lost” in beaver). There were bits where the trail got rocky and I slipped once—not dramatic, just enough to remind me this wasn’t some city park loop. The air smelled sharp and earthy, kind of sweet from wet wood.

After what felt like forever but was probably less than two hours (I lost track), we scrambled up this last ridge—my legs burning—and suddenly there it was: Mendenhall Glacier looking impossibly blue against all that gray rock. It didn’t seem real at first. We sat on cold stone eating peanut butter bars and nobody talked much; just wind and someone’s jacket rustling. I still think about that view when things get noisy back home. We didn’t walk on the glacier itself (they told us ahead), but honestly? Just being there was enough.

The hike back felt different—lighter somehow, maybe because we’d seen what we came for or maybe because my boots were finally breaking in. The rain picked up a bit but nobody cared by then. When we finally got dropped off downtown again by the tramway sign, I realized my phone barely had any photos left in it… but my head did.

What’s included

Your day includes pickup downtown near Mt. Roberts Tramway, van transport to gear up with rain jackets, backpacks, bottled water, plus a professional guide leading your hike through Tongass National Forest to a panoramic glacier viewpoint—hearty snacks included before heading back into town together.

Good to know

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

Operated by Above and Beyond Alaska