Mendenhall Glacier is the glacier you can reach from a Juneau cruise ship by road, with no boat or helicopter involved. It spills off the Juneau Icefield into a lake about half an hour’s drive from the downtown docks, and most cruise visitors see it the same way: a shuttle out, a $5 Forest Service fee (2026, ages 16 and up), the short walk to Photo Point, the longer one to Nugget Falls, and back to the ship with time to spare. For the money and the hours it takes, nothing else in Juneau gives you as much.
This page is for cruise passengers with a day in Juneau who want to see the glacier on their own, or who want to pick the right tour for it. The caveat that matters most: from the visitor center side you look at the ice across the water. You won’t touch it unless you pay for a helicopter landing or commit to a long, rough hike, and nobody should try to walk onto it. Last updated October 21, 2026. Every price, fee and schedule below is dated, and the sources are listed at the end.
Mendenhall is one entry on a long list of things to do in Juneau, but on most port days it’s the one worth protecting. Book your ride first, then fit everything else around it.
Mendenhall Glacier at a Glance
| Question | Short answer (2026) |
|---|---|
| Where is it? | In the Mendenhall Valley north of downtown Juneau, inside the Tongass National Forest. The U.S. Forest Service runs it, not the National Park Service. |
| How far from the ship? | About 30 minutes each way by shuttle or taxi. |
| How do most people get there? | A glacier shuttle from the docks, about $79 to $114 round trip in 2026 guides. Taxis run about $40 to $55 each way. |
| What does it cost to get in? | $5 per person aged 16 and over, May 1 to September 30. A rise to $15 has been proposed. |
| Visitor center hours | 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily in summer 2026. |
| Best short walk | Nugget Falls Trail: roughly a mile each way, mostly flat, ending at a waterfall with the ice across the lake. |
| Time to allow | About 3.5 hours dock to dock for a standard two-hour visit, plus a 45 to 60 minute cushion before all aboard. |
| Wildlife | Black bears fishing at Steep Creek in late summer, when the salmon are in. |
| Watch out for | August outburst floods from Suicide Basin, sold-out shuttles on five-ship days, and the urge to walk into an ice cave. |
What Could Change for 2027
Mendenhall is an evergreen trip, but four things moved in 2026 that could shape a 2027 visit.
- The fee may triple. In May 2026 the Forest Service proposed raising the daily fee from $5 to $15 per person, with under-16s still free, and replacing the $15 per-group season pass with a $20 per-person pass. Public comment ran through July 20, 2026, and the Juneau Independent reported that a smaller rise to $10 was also on the table. No final decision had been announced by late September 2026. Budget $15 a head for 2027 and treat anything less as a refund.
- The visitor center is staffed again. Federal staffing cuts in February 2025 left it largely unstaffed that summer. In 2026 it was back to 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week. Check the Forest Service page the week you sail, because staffing is the thing most likely to change with little notice.
- The floods keep coming. Suicide Basin, beside the glacier, has released an outburst flood most Augusts, and the river crests in 2024 and 2025 set records by published accounts. There’s more on that below.
- Crowd limits are still voluntary. Juneau’s limit of five large ships a day and 16,000 lower berths (12,000 on Saturdays) comes from agreements between the city and the cruise industry, not a law. In late summer 2026 the Juneau Assembly voted 5-4 to postpone writing the ship limit into an ordinance, and the city plans a large tourism data study in summer 2027.
What Is Mendenhall Glacier?
It’s a river of ice that starts high on the Juneau Icefield, the great snowfield that stretches back from Juneau to the Canadian border, and flows down the valley to end in Mendenhall Lake. Britannica puts it at about 12 miles long, roughly 1.5 miles wide where it meets the lake and more than 100 feet high at the face, and calls it the only glacier in the region you can reach by highway all year. That last point is the whole reason it’s on your cruise schedule. Most Alaska glaciers need a boat, a plane or a very long walk.
Unlike the tidewater glaciers your ship visits, Mendenhall ends in fresh water, not the sea. It still calves, which is why the lake in front of Photo Point is so often dotted with small blue-white icebergs, but you won’t hear the thunder of a big tidewater face or see this one from the ship. Those moments belong to scenic cruising days at places like Glacier Bay National Park, Hubbard Glacier or Endicott Arm. Mendenhall is the glacier you walk up to, on your own schedule, in your own rain jacket.
The names behind Mendenhall
Long before it carried a surveyor’s name, the glacier was part of the Tlingit homeland around Juneau. Britannica records two Tlingit names for it: Sitaantaagu, “the glacier behind the town,” and Aak’wtaaksit, “the glacier behind the little lake.” John Muir called it the Auke Glacier, after the Auk Kwaan, the Tlingit people whose name survives in Auke Bay. In 1892 it was renamed for Thomas Corwin Mendenhall of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, who worked on the boundary between Alaska and Canada. For the Tlingit story of this country told by Tlingit people, the Sealaska Heritage Institute downtown is a short walk from the cruise docks.
How to Get to Mendenhall Glacier From the Cruise Ship
You can’t walk there. The glacier is a half-hour drive north of the cruise docks, out past the airport and up the Mendenhall Valley, so you need wheels. Here are the realistic choices, with the prices 2026 visitors paid.
| Option | Price (2026) | Time each way | Best for | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glacier shuttle from the docks | About $79 to $114 round trip in 2026 guides; some include the $5 fee | About 30 minutes | Most independent visitors | Fixed return times, and seats sell out |
| Taxi | About $40 to $55 each way in 2026 guides | About 30 minutes | Groups of three or four | Arrange the pickup before you leave the glacier |
| Rideshare | Varies with demand | About 30 minutes | The ride out | Weak cell coverage makes the ride back a gamble |
| Capital Transit city bus | About $2 a ride in 2026 guides | Well over an hour, including the walk | Budget travelers on a long port day | The nearest stop is about 1.5 miles from the visitor center |
| Whale watch with a glacier stop | From $159 (Harv and Marv’s) | About 4 hours in total | Two highlights in one booking | A viewing stop, not a morning on the trails |
| Your cruise line’s tour | Set by the line | About 30 minutes | Peace of mind about all-aboard time | Usually the priciest way to do the same thing |
Verdict: for most people, a dock shuttle is the right call. It costs more than the bus and less than a ship tour, it runs on a schedule you can plan around, and at least one operator folds the Forest Service fee into the ticket. Groups of three or four should price a taxi, which often works out cheaper per head.
Glacier shuttles from the docks
Several companies run glacier shuttles from the downtown waterfront, and they work the same basic way. Juneau Tours and Whale Watch, for example, picks up at the cruise ship terminal next to the Goldbelt Tram, drives you out on a 30-minute narrated ride, gives you two hours on your own at the glacier, and runs departures almost every hour, with the visitor center fee included. Independent 2026 guides put round-trip tickets across the various companies at roughly $79 to $114 a person, depending on what’s included and how long you get on site.
Two hours covers Photo Point, the visitor center and the walk to Nugget Falls without rushing, but not the longer trails. Book ahead: 2026 guides report that the Forest Service limits commercial permits at the glacier, which caps shuttle seats. Pick your return slot when you book, and don’t miss it, or you could spend an hour on the curb.
Taxis and rideshares
Taxis meet ships at the downtown docks, and 2026 guides put the fare at about $40 to $55 each way, which beats four shuttle tickets for a family of four. The trick is the return. Cell coverage at the glacier is weak, according to the same guides, so book a taxi for a set pickup time or agree one with your driver before you get out.
The city bus: cheap, slow and a long walk
Capital Transit buses run to the Mendenhall Valley for about $2 a ride, according to 2026 guides, but the nearest stop is about 1.5 miles from the visitor center. That adds roughly half an hour of roadside walking each way to a trip that’s already slower than a shuttle. Verdict: fine for fit walkers with eight or more hours in port, a false economy for everyone else.
Tours, or doing it yourself
If you’d rather hand the logistics to someone else, our guide to Juneau shore excursions compares the tour types. If you like planning your own day, this is the easiest of all Juneau excursions on your own, and the Juneau cruise port guide explains which dock you’ll use.
How Long Do You Need? The All-Aboard Math
The standard shuttle visit takes about three and a half hours from the gangway and back: a few minutes to the pickup, 30 minutes out, two hours on site, 30 minutes back, plus some waiting. Then add a cushion. Plan on 45 to 60 minutes before all-aboard time, because traffic on a five-ship day is slower than you’d think and shuttles do run late.
| Plan | What you do | Time at the glacier | Dock to dock |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quick look | Photo Point and the visitor center | About 1 hour | About 2.5 hours |
| Standard visit | Photo Point, Nugget Falls and a look at Steep Creek | About 2 hours | About 3.5 hours |
| Long visit | The standard visit plus the East Glacier Loop | 3.5 to 4 hours | About 5 hours |
| Whale watch with a glacier stop | A boat trip plus a viewing stop | A short stop | About 4 hours |
| West Glacier Trail | A rough hike on the far side of the lake | Half a day or more | Most of a port day |
A worked example
Say your ship is alongside from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., with all aboard at 7:30 p.m. You want to be back at the pier by 6:30 p.m., which leaves an hour’s cushion. Working backward, your return shuttle needs to leave the glacier by about 6 p.m., so the last outbound ride that still gives you two full hours on site leaves the dock around 3:30 p.m. Aim for 1 or 2 p.m. instead, and you’ll have room for a late lunch downtown or a ride up the tram as well.
On an early call, say 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. with all aboard at 3:30 p.m., the same math puts your latest return shuttle at about 2 p.m. and your latest outbound ride at about noon. A 9 or 10 a.m. departure is the relaxed choice, and in 2026 the visitor center opened at 9 a.m.
The Visitor Center and the Fee
The Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center sits on a rocky knob above the lake, with big windows facing the ice, exhibits on the glacier and the icefield, and restrooms, which matter more than you’d think after a bus ride. In summer 2026 it was open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week. That’s worth underlining, because in 2025 it was largely unstaffed after the federal staffing cuts. On staffed days, Forest Service interpreters answer questions and sometimes set up spotting scopes for a closer look at the face.
Entry to the visitor center area costs $5 per person aged 16 and over from May 1 to September 30 (2026), and children 15 and under are free. The Forest Service’s Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center page has the current fee and hours. At least one shuttle company includes the fee in its ticket, so check before you pay twice.
Even at the proposed $15 it’s cheap next to anything else on a Juneau tour menu. If your budget is the priority, our list of free things to do in Juneau starts downtown, a few steps from the ship.
Which Mendenhall Trail Fits Your Port Day?
The trails around the visitor center run from a few minutes on pavement to a proper mountain hike. Here’s how they fit into a cruise day. Distances are approximate, and the trailhead signs have the official figures.
| Trail | What it’s like | Time to allow | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Photo Point Trail | Short and paved, from the visitor center to the lakeshore view | 20 to 30 minutes with photos | Everyone, including anyone who finds walking hard |
| Nugget Falls Trail | Roughly a mile each way, mostly flat and partly paved, ending at a waterfall | 1 to 1.5 hours round trip | The best short walk, and closer to the ice than Photo Point |
| Steep Creek boardwalk | A short boardwalk beside the salmon stream near the entrance | 20 to 45 minutes | Bears and salmon in late summer |
| East Glacier Loop | A longer forest loop with climbs and viewpoints above the lake | Two hours or more | Fit walkers with a long port day |
| West Glacier Trail | A rough, rocky hike on the far side of the lake, reached by its own road | Half a day or more, plus transport | Experienced hikers only |
Photo Point Trail
This is the classic view, and the one in most people’s photos: the glacier framed across the lake with mountains on both sides and icebergs in the foreground. It’s short and paved, so it works for strollers, slow walkers and anyone who has just climbed off a bus. Go here first. If the weather closes in later, you’ll already have the shot.
Nugget Falls Trail
If you do one walk, make it this one. The trail runs roughly a mile each way along the lake, mostly flat and partly paved, and ends at Nugget Falls, which pours down onto the gravel and into the lake with the glacier just beyond. You end up noticeably closer to the ice than at Photo Point, and the beach by the falls is where most visitors take their best pictures. Allow an hour to an hour and a half round trip. It’s busiest in the middle of the day, and the beach can close around the August floods (see below), so read the signs at the trailhead.
Steep Creek boardwalk
Near the entrance road, a boardwalk follows Steep Creek, where salmon spawn in late summer and black bears come down to fish. The Forest Service calls it a premier bear-viewing area. It gets its own section below, because it deserves one.
East Glacier Loop and the longer trails
From the visitor center, the East Glacier Loop climbs through rainforest to viewpoints above the lake and loops back. It’s a good choice if you have a long port day, decent shoes and a taste for hills, and since most visitors never leave the lakeshore paths, it’s far quieter. Allow two hours or more. For the bigger hikes around town, including the ridge trails above downtown, see our guide to Juneau hikes.
West Glacier Trail
The West Glacier Trail starts on the other side of Mendenhall Lake, a separate drive from the visitor center, and climbs along the glacier’s western edge through forest and over rock slabs to views looking down onto the ice. It’s the best hike in the valley and the wrong choice for most cruise days: you need a taxi both ways, several hours on the trail and the sense to turn around when the rock gets slick.
Bears and Salmon at Steep Creek
Steep Creek is the surprise of a Mendenhall visit. It’s a small stream beside the entrance road, and in late summer it fills with spawning salmon. The black bears know the schedule better than the tour companies do. They come down from the forest to fish, sometimes with cubs in tow, and the Forest Service describes the creek as a premier bear-viewing area. On a good afternoon you can watch a bear work the stream from the boardwalk above it.
These are black bears, though not all of them look black. Black bears come in brown and cinnamon shades too, which is why some visitors come home convinced they saw a brown bear at the glacier. The big coastal brown bears of Admiralty Island and Katmai are a different species and a different trip.
A few rules keep both you and the bears safe:
- Stay on the boardwalk and viewing platforms, and follow closure signs and staff directions. Sections can close when bears are too close to the path.
- Never feed, approach or follow a bear for a photo. Use a zoom lens and give them room.
- Keep snacks packed away. A bear that learns to connect people with food ends up in trouble.
- If a bear is on or next to the path, back away calmly and wait. Don’t run.
Can You Walk on the Glacier or Visit the Ice Caves?
Not from the visitor center. The ice sits across the lake, and there’s no trail onto it. Social media made the Mendenhall ice caves famous for their glowing blue ceilings, but caves form where meltwater carves tunnels through a glacier, and the same melting makes them unstable. Ceilings thin, blocks drop without warning, rocks tumble from the dirty ice above the entrance, and a cave that looked solid one summer can be gone by the next. Reaching one means slick bedrock and loose moraine or a cold lake crossing, far from help, with a ship that won’t wait. Skip them on a cruise day.
If standing on glacier ice is the goal, pay for it. Temsco’s helicopter “Mendenhall Glacier and Guided Walk” costs $409 per person in 2026 and lasts about 2 hours 15 minutes with transfers, including about 30 minutes of flying and 20 to 25 minutes on the ice with guides. Passengers weighing 250 pounds or more pay $150 extra, and flights canceled for weather are refunded in full. It’s expensive, but it’s the safe way to walk on the glacier.
Two more rules at the lakeshore. Never climb onto an iceberg: they roll, and the water is cold enough to take your breath away in seconds. And if you’re out on the water, keep well back from the face. Glaciers calve without warning, and a falling slab can push a wave across the lake.
Suicide Basin and the August Floods
Suicide Basin is a side basin beside the glacier, up the valley from the lake, where meltwater pools behind a dam of ice. Most summers, usually in August, the water finds a way out under the glacier and drains in a rush into Mendenhall Lake and down the Mendenhall River. That’s a glacial lake outburst flood, and it has become the valley’s defining late-summer event.
By published accounts the floods have grown. The river crested at a record 15.99 feet in 2024 and 16.65 feet in August 2025. The August 2026 flood was smaller, about 14.7 feet by the Alaska Climate Research Center’s count, though some 5,000 valley residents were still advised to evacuate. These figures come from news and research summaries, so treat them as approximate.
The visitor center stands on high rock above the lake. What a flood can do is close lakeside trails and beaches, including the area around Nugget Falls, along with access on the West Glacier side, around the peak. If your Juneau call falls in August, check the Juneau flood information site the day before and ask your shuttle company what’s open.
How Fast Is Mendenhall Glacier Retreating?
Fast enough to see in one lifetime. Britannica puts the retreat at about 1.75 miles since 1929, when Mendenhall Lake formed in front of the shrinking ice, and more than 2.5 miles since about 1500. The lake itself is the evidence. It exists because the glacier left.
Look around as you walk and you’ll see the rest of the story. The bare, polished rock on the valley walls is ground the ice covered not long ago. The young alder and spruce between the parking lot and the lake grew on land that was under ice within living memory. And every iceberg in the lake is ice the glacier has lost.
The glacier is changing shape, too. The University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute has described Mendenhall as on course to pull its snout out of the lake and onto land. When that happens the icebergs will stop, and the view from Photo Point will be of a glacier ending on rock rather than in water. Nobody can give you a date, so don’t plan around one. But if you’ve been meaning to come, sooner beats later.
Mendenhall isn’t unusual. The broader question, are Alaska glaciers melting almost everywhere, gets its own page, and the short answer is that the great majority are shrinking, with a few exceptions, most famously Hubbard Glacier.
Mendenhall Glacier Tours Compared
Almost every Juneau tour menu includes the glacier somewhere. The question is how much of it you actually get. Here are typical 2026 options, from a quick look to standing on the ice.
| Tour | Price (2026) | Length | What you get at the glacier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glacier shuttle | About $79 to $114 in 2026 guides | About 3 to 3.5 hours | Two hours on your own at the visitor center, Photo Point and Nugget Falls |
| Whale watch with a glacier stop (Harv and Marv’s Outback Experience) | $159 | About 4 hours, about 3 of them on the water | A viewing stop; the whales are the main event |
| Helicopter landing and guided walk (Temsco) | $409 | About 2 hours 15 minutes | About 30 minutes of flying and 20 to 25 minutes on the ice |
| Helicopter and dog sledding (Temsco) | $699 | About 2 hours 45 minutes | About an hour at a dog camp on the glacier, with 20 to 25 minutes on the sled |
Verdict: for a first visit, the shuttle gives you the most glacier for the money. Pay for a helicopter only if touching the ice matters to you, and take the earliest flight of your Juneau day if you can, because flights need a workable cloud ceiling and an early slot leaves room for a weather delay.
If whales are the priority and the glacier is the add-on, our Juneau whale watching guide compares the combination tours. Helicopter trips get more depth on the Juneau helicopter tour page, and Juneau dog sledding on the ice gets a page of its own, because at $699 a head it deserves careful thought.
Guided paddling tours cross the lake toward the face in big canoes or kayaks, which gets you the closest look at the ice without a helicopter. Go with a guide who knows how far back to stay, and expect cold hands in any month.
When to Visit Mendenhall: Month by Month
The Juneau airport sits in the Mendenhall Valley a few miles from the glacier, so its NOAA 1991-2020 normals are the best guide to what you’ll feel at the lake. Expect cool, damp and changeable. The air coming off the ice is often colder than downtown, so bring a layer even in July.
| Month | Average high / low | Rain | At the glacier |
|---|---|---|---|
| May | 57.6°F / 40.3°F | 3.51 in | Snow still on the peaks and waterfalls running high; bears less predictable |
| June | 62.4°F / 46.8°F | 3.82 in | The longest days and one of the drier months; good evening light |
| July | 64.0°F / 50.1°F | 5.14 in | The warmest month and the busiest; Steep Creek gets interesting toward the end |
| August | 62.9°F / 49.1°F | 6.41 in | The best odds of bears at Steep Creek, and outburst flood season |
| September | 56.1°F / 44.1°F | 9.15 in | The wettest month and thinner crowds; the fee season ends September 30 |
Rain is the rule: the airport records measurable rain on about 16 to 22 days a month through the season, so bring a hooded jacket and don’t let a gray forecast talk you out of going. Verdict: late July through August is the best window, with bears, salmon and the warmest weather, as long as you check the flood status.
Beating the Crowds on a Five-Ship Day
Juneau expected about 1.69 million cruise passengers in 2026, and on a full day it feels like it. The city’s voluntary agreements with the cruise industry allow up to five large ships a day and 16,000 lower berths (12,000 on Saturdays), down from peak days of about 21,000 passengers before the caps. A good share of those people want to see the same glacier you do.
- Go early or late. The first shuttles of the morning and the late-afternoon slots miss the midday overlap of ship tours and independent visitors.
- Flip the order. If Photo Point is packed, walk straight out to Nugget Falls and catch Photo Point on the way back, when the crowd has usually shifted.
- Book the shuttle as soon as you know your port times. Seats are capped by permits, and five-ship days sell out first.
Mendenhall With Kids, Seniors and Limited Mobility
Mendenhall is one of the easiest Alaska sights for families and slower walkers. Children 15 and under get in free (2026), the shuttle drops you close to the visitor center, and the paved Photo Point Trail gives you the classic view without a real walk. Kids tend to love the icebergs and the bears, and the exhibits give them something to do if the rain sets in.
For anyone with limited mobility, the honest limits are these: Nugget Falls is mostly flat but partly unpaved and longer than it looks, the longer trails involve real climbs, and the bus route adds a 1.5-mile walk each way. A shuttle or taxi plus Photo Point and the visitor center is a complete, comfortable visit. Our guide to things to do in Juneau with kids has more family ideas for the rest of the day.
What to Pair With Mendenhall on the Same Day
A standard glacier visit uses about half a port day, which leaves room for one more thing. The best pairings, in rough order:
- Whales. Combination tours add a glacier stop to a boat trip, or you can book the two separately on a long call.
- The tram. The Mount Roberts Tramway, now run as the Goldbelt Tram, leaves from the waterfront by the docks and gives you the view from above that the glacier can’t. Save it for the clearest part of the day.
- A rainforest garden. Glacier Gardens in Juneau sits between the valley and downtown and is one of the few attractions that’s better in the rain.
- Food. A Juneau salmon bake makes an easy late lunch, or check our pick of the best restaurants in Juneau for something downtown.
- Something faster. If someone in your group wants speed rather than scenery, a Juneau zipline is the other popular half-day outing.
Don’t try to stack Juneau fishing charters on top of a glacier morning on anything shorter than a full-day call; each wants most of a port day on its own. For the rest of the port, including downtown walks and the full tour menu, our complete Juneau port day guide puts it all in order.
Mendenhall Glacier FAQ
Can you walk to Mendenhall Glacier from the cruise ship?
No. The glacier is about a 30-minute drive north of the downtown cruise docks, in the Mendenhall Valley. Most visitors take a glacier shuttle from the waterfront, a taxi or a tour. The city bus is the cheapest option, but its nearest stop leaves you about 1.5 miles short of the visitor center.
How much does it cost to visit Mendenhall Glacier?
In 2026 the Forest Service charged $5 per person aged 16 and over from May through September, and a rise to $15 has been proposed. Getting there costs more than getting in: shuttles ran about $79 to $114 round trip in 2026 guides, and taxis about $40 to $55 each way.
How long do you need at Mendenhall Glacier?
Two hours on site covers Photo Point, the visitor center and the walk to Nugget Falls. Add about an hour of travel and waiting, and a standard visit takes about 3.5 hours from the ship and back. Leave a 45 to 60 minute cushion before all-aboard time on top of that.
Can you touch Mendenhall Glacier?
Not from the visitor center side, where the ice is across the lake. The safe way to stand on it is a helicopter tour with a guided walk, which Temsco sold for $409 in 2026. Stay out of the ice caves and never climb on icebergs in the lake; both can collapse or roll without warning.
Is Mendenhall Glacier worth it on an Alaska cruise?
Yes, for most people. It’s the easiest glacier in the region to reach on your own, it costs little compared with other Juneau tours, and it fits into half a port day. Even if your itinerary includes a full day of scenic cruising at big tidewater glaciers, the trails and the bears make it worth the trip.
Will I see bears at Mendenhall Glacier?
Maybe. Black bears fish for salmon in Steep Creek, beside the entrance road, mostly in late summer when the fish are running, and the Forest Service calls it a premier bear-viewing area. Stay on the boardwalk, follow closures and staff directions, and never approach or feed a bear. Early-summer sightings are less predictable.
Is Mendenhall Glacier disappearing?
It’s shrinking. Britannica puts its retreat at about 1.75 miles since 1929, when the lake formed, and the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute has described it as on course to pull out of the lake onto land. It won’t vanish before your cruise, but the view is changing year by year.
Do you need to book a Mendenhall Glacier shuttle in advance?
It’s wise. 2026 guides report that the Forest Service limits commercial permits at the glacier, which caps shuttle seats, and busy days sell out. Book once you know your port times, choose a return slot that leaves 45 to 60 minutes before all aboard, and keep a screenshot of your ticket.
Related Alaska Cruise Guides
Sources and How We Checked
We checked the prices, rules, schedules and ship deployments in this guide against the sources below on September 26, 2026, and we log each one in our research database with the date it was checked. Cruise lines change ships, fares and fees every season, so confirm anything that affects your booking with the line or the agency concerned. Alaska Cruise Guide (AlaskaCruise.org) is an independent publication. It is not affiliated with any cruise line, port, tour operator or tourism office, and no one paid to be included.
- akclimate.org: Suicide Basin flooding
- alltrails.com: Mendenhall Glacier
- britannica.com: Mendenhall Glacier
- City and Borough of Juneau: Juneau passenger cap
- commons.wikimedia.org: Mendenhall Glacier
- eos.org: Suicide Basin flooding
- gi.alaska.edu: Mendenhall Glacier
- grandsailor.com: Mendenhall Glacier
- harvandmarvs-juneau-whale-watching.com: Harv & Marv's Outback Alaska
- Juneau Empire: Juneau cruise limits
- Juneau Independent: Mendenhall Glacier
- Juneau Independent: Mendenhall Glacier
- Juneau Independent: Mendenhall Glacier
- juneauflood.org: Suicide Basin flooding
- juneautours.com: Mendenhall Glacier
- KTOO Public Media: Juneau passenger cap, Juneau 2026 season
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information: Juneau weather
- Temsco Helicopters: Glacier dog sledding
- Temsco Helicopters: Temsco Helicopters
- The Maritime Executive: Juneau cruise limits
- thealaskaedit.com: Mendenhall Glacier
- U.S. Forest Service: Mendenhall Glacier
Photo Credits
- Mendenhall Glacier from Photo Point: photo by Photo by Joe Mabel, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center: photo by Photo by Joe Mabel, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- West Glacier Trail hikers above Mendenhall Glacier: photo by Forest Service Alaska Region, USDA, via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
- Black bear cubs at Steep Creek: photo by Forest Service Alaska Region, USDA, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
- Mendenhall Glacier ice cave, 2013: photo by Gillfoto, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Mendenhall Glacier and Suicide Basin: photo by Gillfoto, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Iceberg with moraine rock, Mendenhall Lake: photo by Gillfoto, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Kayaker at Mendenhall Glacier: photo by gillfoto, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)