Paddle across Mendenhall Lake and hike the rocky shore for close-up views of Mendenhall Glacier and Nugget Falls. This half-day adventure combines guided canoeing, wildlife spotting, and glacier-edge geology without stepping onto the ice.
Paddle across Mendenhall Lake and hike the rocky shore for close-up views of Mendenhall Glacier and Nugget Falls. This half-day adventure combines guided canoeing, wildlife spotting, and glacier-edge geology without stepping onto the ice.
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Operated by Above and Beyond Alaska · Juneau, Alaska
You push off from Mendenhall Lake as gull calls cut across a gray-blue sky. The canoe rocks under your shoulders, guides call cadence, and the spruce-and-hemlock rim of the lake narrows toward the shimmering face of the Mendenhall Glacier. Nugget Falls thunders nearby, Arctic terns dart overhead, and small icebergs bob as the glacier looms like a moving wall of compressed seasons.
challenging.
5–6 hours.
Good cardiovascular fitness and upper-body endurance for sustained paddling; ability to hike on uneven, rocky terrain.
Guides take you to exposed bedrock and shorelines that provide intimate views of the ice face and calving activity, but the tour does not go onto the glacier itself for safety.
No—guides provide instruction and safety briefings, but participants must be physically able to paddle 5–6 miles and be competent swimmers.
Provide full names, raingear and shoe sizes, ages, heights, weights, and any medical conditions or restrictions at least 72 hours before departure.
Participants must be age 12 or older; all guests must meet the maximum weight limit and be capable of the physical demands of paddling and hiking.
Mendenhall Glacier and its lake lie within Tongass National Forest on lands historically used by Tlingit people; the glacier’s recent retreat is well documented in 20th–21st century records.
Visitors should follow Leave No Trace principles; the glacier’s recession is a visible sign of climate change, and minimizing waste and staying on designated routes reduces local impact.
Above and Beyond Alaska operates guided outdoor trips and adventures with an emphasis on safety, stewardship, and memorable experiences.




Book with Above and Beyond Alaska
Book directly with Above and Beyond Alaska for the best rates and real-time scheduling.
Reserve Now