If you are cruising Alaska’s Inside Passage, you will most likely stop in Juneau. I recently sailed with Holland America Line, and several of the excursions included Mendenhall Glacier.
As the only glacier in Southeast Alaska that can be reached by road, Mendenhall stands as a testament to nature’s grandeur. It descends from the vast Juneau Icefield, cascading a staggering 4,500 feet over 13 miles.
The glacier’s active face regularly births large icebergs and brash into its lake. Retreating for the past 300 to 400 years, since the Little Ice Age, it has further receded by 1.75 miles since 1929.
Adorned with waterfalls and verdant forest, the glacier’s rugged and crevassed expanse forms a breathtaking mountain vista. This natural wonder, in both summer and winter, is one of the most awe-inspiring and captivating in Alaska.
When our motor couch arrived, we made our way to the Visitor Center, which boasts world-class exhibits that attract around 500,000 visitors annually and offer spotting scopes for a closer look at the glacier’s shimmering face.
The Visitor Center offers an indoor viewing area and a 15-minute film about the glacier’s dynamics.
There are several paths guests can follow, too—a paved one third mile trail leads to Photo Point with a head-on view of the face across the lake against a coastal mountain panorama. Five other trails feature short hikes near the visitor center, including the one-mile trail to Nugget Falls along the shore. The Trail of Time, a .5-mile paved interpretive walk, features signs marking the glacier’s recession. The 3.5-mile East Glacier Trail loop has 500 feet of elevation gain, offering elevated views of the ice and surrounding terrain.
Because of our time constraints on this excursion, we only had time for Photo Point and Steep Creek Trail.
Later in the day, I sailed on the St. Actinea, which gave me another view of the glacier.
For more information about Juneau shore excursions and Holland America Line, click here.
