THE ADVENTURE COLLECTIVE® · Independent discovery and booking for outdoor travel
Paddle across Mendenhall Lake and hike the rocky shoreline for close-up views of the glacier’s toe and ice features. This half-day shore excursion combines open-water paddling, wildlife sightings, and interpretive guides for a front-row look at a retreating Alaskan glacier.
Paddle across Mendenhall Lake and hike the rocky shoreline for close-up views of the glacier’s toe and ice features. This half-day shore excursion combines open-water paddling, wildlife sightings, and interpretive guides for a front-row look at a retreating Alaskan glacier.
A low mist hangs over Mendenhall Lake as paddles bite the cold water and the glacier looms on the horizon like an ancient machine still at work. Guides fit guests with rubber boots and life vests, brief the group, and launch from a rocky shoreline; the lake pushes against the canoe, urging steady strokes as you pass nesting Arctic terns and the distant curtain of Nugget Falls.
Verified experiences and guided adventures in the surrounding area.
Operated by Above and Beyond Alaska · Juneau, Alaska
A low mist hangs over Mendenhall Lake as paddles bite the cold water and the glacier looms on the horizon like an ancient machine still at work. Guides fit guests with rubber boots and life vests, brief the group, and launch from a rocky shoreline; the lake pushes against the canoe, urging steady strokes as you pass nesting Arctic terns and the distant curtain of Nugget Falls.
The Mendenhall Glacier is an outlet of the larger Juneau Icefield, carved by repeated freeze-thaw cycles and fed for millennia by high-elevation snowfall. Over the last century the glacier has retreated noticeably — visitors get front-row views of its current terminus, crevasses, and blue ice faces without stepping onto the ice itself. The surrounding Tongass National Forest frames the scene with spruce and hemlock, while local Tlingit history and modern Juneau culture converge at the visitor sites and interpretive stops.
Practically, expect 5–6 miles of paddling across open, cold glacial waters and roughly 2 miles of rocky shoreline hiking to vantage points. Guides manage canoe rigging and route-finding; conditions change daily, so timing and safety dictate how close you approach the toe. Wear layered waterproof clothing, sturdy ankle-support boots for the shoreline scramble, and bring sun protection — glare off ice is intense even on overcast days.
Plan for a half-day on the water: hydrate before launch, keep a small daypack with warm layers, and follow your guide’s instructions around unstable ice and wet talus. The payoff is immediate — an intimate, tactile encounter with living ice and the landscape that shapes it.
challenging.
5–6 hours.
Requires a high level of aerobic fitness and upper-body endurance for sustained paddling plus agility for rocky shoreline hiking.
No — this tour explores the lake and the glacier’s edge from bedrock viewpoints; guides will not lead guests onto the glacier due to safety and changing conditions.
Expect roughly 5–6 miles of paddling roundtrip and about 2 miles total of hiking on rocky shoreline terrain.
Participants must be at least 12 years old and under the maximum weight limit of 250 lbs; all guests must be able to swim and meet the physical requirements.
Trips may be cancelled or modified for safety in high winds, heavy rain, or unsafe ice conditions; the operator advises contacting them 72 hours prior and allows refunds if cancelled 24+ hours before departure.
Mendenhall is an outlet of the Juneau Icefield; its terminus has retreated markedly since the Little Ice Age, offering a visible record of regional climate shifts.
The glacier’s recession highlights climate impacts; stay on designated routes, pack out waste, and minimize disturbance to wildlife and nesting birds.
Above and Beyond Alaska operates guided outdoor trips and adventures with an emphasis on safety, stewardship, and memorable experiences.
A low mist hangs over Mendenhall Lake as paddles bite the cold water and the glacier looms on the horizon like an ancient machine still at work. Guides fit guests with rubber boots and life vests, brief the group, and launch from a rocky shoreline; the lake pushes against the canoe, urging steady strokes as you pass nesting Arctic terns and the distant curtain of Nugget Falls.
A low mist hangs over Mendenhall Lake as paddles bite the cold water and the glacier looms on the horizon like an ancient machine still at work. Guides fit guests with rubber boots and life vests, brief the group, and launch from a rocky shoreline; the lake pushes against the canoe, urging steady strokes as you pass nesting Arctic terns and the distant curtain of Nugget Falls.
The Mendenhall Glacier is an outlet of the larger Juneau Icefield, carved by repeated freeze-thaw cycles and fed for millennia by high-elevation snowfall. Over the last century the glacier has retreated noticeably — visitors get front-row views of its current terminus, crevasses, and blue ice faces without stepping onto the ice itself. The surrounding Tongass National Forest frames the scene with spruce and hemlock, while local Tlingit history and modern Juneau culture converge at the visitor sites and interpretive stops.
Practically, expect 5–6 miles of paddling across open, cold glacial waters and roughly 2 miles of rocky shoreline hiking to vantage points. Guides manage canoe rigging and route-finding; conditions change daily, so timing and safety dictate how close you approach the toe. Wear layered waterproof clothing, sturdy ankle-support boots for the shoreline scramble, and bring sun protection — glare off ice is intense even on overcast days.
Plan for a half-day on the water: hydrate before launch, keep a small daypack with warm layers, and follow your guide’s instructions around unstable ice and wet talus. The payoff is immediate — an intimate, tactile encounter with living ice and the landscape that shapes it.