Be amazed by the 13-mile (21-kilometer) Mendenhall Glacier, and take to the water on a whale-watching cruise. Several trails of varying distance and challenge bring you close to cascading waterfalls or salmon streams. A small group size sets the stage for a personable and interactive tour. Forest: Tongass National Forest. The Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area (MGRA) Conceptual Development Plan will guide the development of recreation infrastructure in the MGRA accommodating the anticipated visitation needs over the next 20 years with a goal of addressing all anticipated demand, while providing a vision for the next 50 years. The only glacier in Southeast Alaska accessible by road, Mendenhall’s grand edifice plunges from the immense Juneau Icefield, dropping 4,500 feet over 13 miles. Free personal GPS–driven travel guide to Alaska. Highlights plus less visited destinations. https://juneaucapitaltransit.org/, How and where to find Alaska’s glac­i­ers — some of the state’s most beau­ti­ful nat­ur­al attractions. Stops include Seward (Kenai Fjords), Girdwood, Whittier & Spencer Glacier, Stops include Wasilla, Talkeetna, Denali National Park & Fairbanks. Please check your email to verify your subscription. The USDA Forest Service Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center is located in the Mendenhall Valley, 12 miles from downtown Juneau. Book entire boat for your family or group, or opt to bunk with other guests. $139.75 per adult. An ancient forest has thawed from under a melting glacier in Alaska and is now exposed to the world for the first time in more than 1,000 years. One of 38 glaciers that emerges from the 1500 square mile Juneau Ice Field, runs 13 miles long into the Mendenhall Valley eventually ending in the Mendenhall Lake where it is primarily viewed today. Take the spur road another 1.5 miles to the visitor center. Take Egan Drive out of town past the turnoff to the Juneau International Airport and turn right on Mendenhall Loop Road. You will need to walk 1.5 miles from the bus stop down the sidewalk along the Glacier Spur Road to the end. Mendenhall Glacier is one of the many large glaciers that flow from the 1500 square mile expanse of rock, snow and ice known as the Juneau Icefield. Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center Tongass National Forest, Juneau Ranger District 6000 Glacier Spur Rd, Juneau, AK 99801 Phone: (907)789-0097, Email: tongass_webmaster@fs.fed.us On this Mendenhall Glacier shore excursion, put on your hiking boots, fill your lungs with fresh air, and experience a day of world-class hiking. Follow the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center on Facebook  or Twitter for all the latest news and happenings. The Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center features exhibits, interactive videos and a panoramic view of the glacier. Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center. The geographic scope of this effort will include all three Units of the MGRA (Visitor Center, Dredge Lakes and West Glacier) a total area of nearly 6,000 acres. Find how many days you need based on what you want to see and do in Alaska. State-of-the-art exhibits, a 15-minute film featuring the dynamic interplay between the Tongass National Forest and its many glaciers, and the Discovery Southeast bookstore will enrich your Visitor Center experience. Forest natu­ ralists of the center are your hosts during your visit. No visit to Juneau is complete without a close-up look at the Mendenhall Glacier. Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area Map & Information, Forest Service Home | USDA.gov | recreation.gov | Recreation Customer Service Standards | USA.gov | Whitehouse.gov, Plug-Ins | FOIA | Accessibility Statement | Privacy Policy | Important Notices | Information Quality, https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/tongass/about-forest/offices/?cid=stelprdb5400800, Getting from downtown Juneau to the Visitor Center & Recreation Area, Recreation Area Permitted Tour Companies & Wedding Venue Company. The Mendenhall Glacier is located just north of Juneau, in the Tongass National Forest, and is part of the Juneau Icefield. Mendenhall Glacier (also Sitaantaagu) is a glacier about 13.6 miles (21.9 km) long located in Mendenhall Valley, about 12 miles (19 km) from downtown Juneau in the southeast area of the U.S. state of Alaska. Car, train, or group tour. An ancient forest has thawed from under a melting glacier in Alaska and is now exposed to the world for the first time in more than 1,000 years. Five other trails feature short hikes near the visitor center, including the one-mile trail to Nugget Falls along the shore. The Mendenhall area is as good as it gets. The project is expected to take two years to guide future facility developments within the MRGA. U.S. Forest Service Rangers staff the center and are available to answer questions and interpret the landscape around you. The 3.5-mile East Glacier Trail loop has 500 feet of elevation gain, offering a elevated views of the ice and surrounding terrain. Enjoy one of our scenic Mendenhall Glacier Tours. The U.S. Forest Service staff offers a wealth of information on glaciers during your 75-minute visit to the glacier. About the Mendenhall Glacier. Its active face regularly calves big icebergs and brash into its lake. In 1892, this glacier was renamed to honor Mendenhall. Preserved stumps and trunks, many still rooted and even bearing bark, sit in a gravelly mix of stone churned up by the glacier. This natural setting—both summer and winter—is one of the most spectacular and interesting in the Alaska, and the visitor center is considered world class with museum quality exhibits that draw about 500,000 visitors a year. The plan will include innovative planning solutions throughout the MGRA, to accommodate all that want to visit and experience the Mendenhall Glacier and its surrounding landscapes; while balancing the needs of the visitors with the directive for resource protection. Experience the splendor of Mendenhall Glacier at the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center. Cruises and land tours are great ways to see Alaska. Daily, hundreds of visitors see a glacier up close, just up the road in Alaska’s capital city. Overlooking the Mendenhall Valley, the visitor center was built in 1962 and was the first in the National Forest System. The glacier is named after Thomas Corwin Mendenhall, a noted scientist, who served on the Alaska Boundary Commission that was responsible for surveying the international boundary between Canada and Alaska. It is part of the Juneau Icefield, located within the Tongass National Forest. Mendenhall Glacier is a massive and mighty river of ice that extends 13 miles. 2-5 day small ship explorations. Discover the optimal month due to daylight, temperature, and rain. We visited the Tongass National Forest Recreation Area on our way to the Mendenhall Glacier. Use our calculator to find out, Stay casual, dress in layers, and get proper footwear, Guides to the best locations around the state to view wildlife. Featuring vivid blue ice and awe-inspiring views of the magnificent Coast Mountains, the Mendenhall Glacier is a natural wonder. Situated just 12 miles from downtown Juneau, Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center is a very accessible point to view the massive glacier. Be prepared to meet wildlife, including black bears, porcupines, beavers, bald eagles, and seasonally returning arctic terns, waterfowl, and sockeye and Coho salmon. We will continue to serve you via email, phone calls, and appointments as needed. Stumps and logs have been popping out from under southern Alaska’s Mendenhall Glacier — a 36.8-square-mile (95.3 square kilometers) river of ice flowing into a lake near Juneau — for nearly the past 50 years. Please try again. TTY: 907-228-6222 The glacier itself is over 3,000 years old and easily one of Juneau’s most popular tourist stops. Don’t forget your camera, as it boasts the perfect vantage point for … Start at the visitor center, with an indoor viewing area and a 15-minute film about the glacier’s dynamics. The Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center is accessible from the parking lots by stairs, elevators, and an easy ramp. Explore the ever-evolving landscape of the Mendenhall Glacier and experience the changes brought about by decades of glacial activity and the annual turning of the seasons. FILE - In this July 31, 2013, file photo, tourists visiting the Mendenhall Glacier in the Tongass National Forest are reflected in a pool of water as they make their way to … Stumps have been thawing from beneath the Mendenhall Glacier for about 50 years, but recently, considerably more have been found in upright positions with roots still intact. After about 2 miles, the Loop road makes a sharp left turn while Glacier Spur Road continues straight toward the mountains. The only glacier in Southeast Alaska accessible by road, Mendenhall’s grand edifice plunges from the immense Juneau Icefield, dropping 4,500 feet over 13 miles. This Ancient Forest In Alaska Is Melting Out Of The Ice The Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau is one of the most beautiful and accessible glaciers in Alaska. Drop in at the Forest Service managed Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center when you start your exploration if this area for information on trails, trail conditions and interpretative activities. Wildlife can often be seen along the river’s shore, look for bald eagles, black bears, otters. Focus on Denali & Kenai Fjords. Continuing our service to you while doing our part to address the COVID-19 pandemic is very important to us. Take in views of the spectacular Mendenhall Glacier as you board your raft lakeside and begin your journey down river. Is the glacier retreating? The Forest Service has ambitious plans for the Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area, the area around Mendenhall Lake, the glacier and Dredge … The most intimate multi-day cruise option. Ketchikan, AK 99901-6591, Phone: 907-225-3101 A relic of the Little Ice Age that lasted until the mid-18th century, the Mendenhall Glacier is an example of a receding glacier (about 100 to 150 feet [30 to 45 metres] a year), displaying raw glacier moraine with exposed remnants of a long-buried forest. McGinnis. Trips available from Whittier, Homer, Seward, Juneau, and Sitka. One of the most accessible glaciers in North America, the Mendenhall Glacier is located just 12 miles from downtown Juneau. We'll match you with a local itinerary expert to help you plan your trip. See Alaska's highlights by railroad or motorcoach in a group of up to 50, Travel in small groups, stay at exclusive wilderness lodges, and spend more time outdoors, All-inclusive multi-day vacation packages at a remote wilderness lodge, Travel with a professional photographer to the best photo locations around the state, Trips range from backpacking, rafting, to upscale remote lodge retreats, Cruises depart Juneau or Sitka. 7-10 days is the most common. From its origin to its terminus at Mendenhall Lake, the glacier stretches some 13.6 miles. Glacial movements have, and still are influencing where, when, and what plants may occur. A paved, flat .6 mile trail leads to Photo Point with a head-on view of the face across the lake against a coastal mountain panorama. Alaska’s Mendenhall Glacier is shrinking, and its retreating ice has bared the remains of an ancient forest. Back at the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center in Juneau, the U.S. Forest Service is demonstrating how melting glaciers provide an opportunity to connect people to the seriousness of climate change. The forest (being USA’s largest national forest) was lush and green and although we didn’t come across much wildlife on our very brief visit in May, we saw some beautiful waterways and Experience majestic scenery and abundant wildlife on this exclusive Juneau shore excursion that combines a whale watching exploration with an easy hike on a secluded rainforest trail at the Mendenhall Glacier. Overwhelmed by choices? Alaska Railroad: Adventure Class or Goldstar Dome Car Service? Visiting Mendenhall Glacier Campgrounds, RV Parks & Public Use Cabins. The Alaska Railroad is your transportation method. The glacier has been retreating for 300 to 400 years, since the Little Ice Age, and has peeled back another 1.75 miles since 1929. Travel on a set itinerary with lodging and tours booked in advance. Mendenhall Visitor Center is only 13 miles from downtown Juneau. Rent a car and travel independently on a set itinerary, with lodging and tours booked in advance. The glacier and surrounding landscape is protected as part of the 5,815 acres (2,353 ha) Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area, a federally designated unit of the Tongass National Forest. As glacial ice continues to build, gravity pulls the ice down slope. They provide you with informative programs of the glacier, the new forest… NOTICE: Limited access, continued service at Tongass NF offices. The Mendenhall Glacier is one of many major glaciers that connect to the vast Juneau Ice Field, a 1,500 square mile remnant of the last ice age, cradled high in the coast mountain’s lofty peaks. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we all work together to minimize the impacts and spread of the COVID-19. 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