A spectacular sight at Mendenhall Glacier is this waterfall, a mini-Niagara (in season) caused by Nugget Creek diving off a hanging valley into Mendenhall Lake. The easy half-mile walk to the falls from the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center is popular, meaning you're more likely to spot packs of selfie-taking tourists than salmon-hunting bears.
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Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
1.02 MILES
Going to Juneau and not seeing the Mendenhall is like visiting Rome and skipping the Colosseum. The most famous of Juneau’s ice floes, and the city’s most…
20.76 MILES
Welcome to the largest national forest in the US, a tract of land almost the size of Ireland and significantly larger than adjacent Wrangell-St Elias…
Treadwell Mine Historical Trail
12.02 MILES
It's hard to envisage today, but the Treadwell mine on Douglas Island was once the largest gold mine in the world, set up like a minitown with its own…
10.31 MILES
As far as cable cars go, this tramway is rather expensive for a five-minute ride. But from a marketing point of view its location couldn’t be better. It…
9.59 MILES
Get ready for some spiritual enlightenment. The Shrine of St Thérèse is a natural stone chapel on a beautifully wooded island connected to the shore by a…
Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center
0.73 MILES
This mini-museum holds ranger talks, shows an 11-minute film and displays exhibits relating to the glacier and its formation. There are huge panoramic…
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10.07 MILES
Amble out to the end of Basin Rd, a beautiful 1-mile walk from the north end of Gastineau Ave, to the former Alaska-Juneau Gold Mining Company complex. It…
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9.82 MILES
Demolished and rebuilt in a snazzy new $140-million complex in 2016, the result is impressive. Sometimes called SLAM (State Library, Archives and Museum),…
Nearby Juneau attractions
1. Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center
0.73 MILES
This mini-museum holds ranger talks, shows an 11-minute film and displays exhibits relating to the glacier and its formation. There are huge panoramic…
1.02 MILES
Going to Juneau and not seeing the Mendenhall is like visiting Rome and skipping the Colosseum. The most famous of Juneau’s ice floes, and the city’s most…
1.06 MILES
This lake at the foot of Mendenhall Glacier is an excellent destination for a paddle. Alaska Boat & Kayak offers both self-guided and guided packages. The…
7.47 MILES
The visitor center here has huge seawater aquariums and underwater viewing windows so you can watch thousands of salmon fighting their way upstream to…
9.59 MILES
Get ready for some spiritual enlightenment. The Shrine of St Thérèse is a natural stone chapel on a beautifully wooded island connected to the shore by a…
9.67 MILES
This pillared Governor’s Mansion is Juneau's most attractive building. Built and furnished in 1912 at a cost of $44,000, the mansion is not open to the…
7. Wickersham State Historical Site
9.69 MILES
Overlooking downtown Juneau, this site preserves the 1898 home of pioneer judge and statesman James Wickersham. It's a steep climb, but the house has some…
8. St Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church
9.75 MILES
Of 1893 vintage and etched against the backdrop of Mt Juneau, this diminutive onion-domed church is the oldest Russian Orthodox church in Alaska. Through…