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Paddle across Mendenhall Lake in a guided canoe and approach the glacier’s blue toe while eagles and mountain goats watch from the cliffs. This 3.5–4 hour tour from Juneau includes waterproof gear, guided instruction, and roundtrip transport from the cruise docks.
Paddle across Mendenhall Lake in a guided canoe and approach the glacier’s blue toe while eagles and mountain goats watch from the cliffs. This 3.5–4 hour tour from Juneau includes waterproof gear, guided instruction, and roundtrip transport from the cruise docks.
You push off from a quiet west-side launch and the lake answers in soft wakes. The canoe moves steady across steel-blue water, cliffs rise with the quick staccato of nesting Arctic terns, and the glacier ahead exhales a cold breath that shifts the air. For about two hours you’ll paddle through the Tongass National Forest’s edged calm until the Mendenhall Glacier fills the horizon with fractured blue ice and serrated seracs.
Verified experiences and guided adventures in the surrounding area.
Operated by Liquid Alaska Tours · Juneau, Alaska
You push off from a quiet west-side launch and the lake answers in soft wakes. The canoe moves steady across steel-blue water, cliffs rise with the quick staccato of nesting Arctic terns, and the glacier ahead exhales a cold breath that shifts the air. For about two hours you’ll paddle through the Tongass National Forest’s edged calm until the Mendenhall Glacier fills the horizon with fractured blue ice and serrated seracs.
The glacier is a recent product of the last ice age, carving valleys and leaving moraine-studded shores that tell a geological timeline in striated rock. Juneau’s Indigenous Tlingit people long knew these channels as hunting and travel corridors; modern visitors arrive by guided canoe to see the toe of the glacier from water rather than trail. Wildlife—mountain goats on cliff ledges, porcupines among old-growth—often watch from above while seals and eagles patrol the lake.
Practical notes: the trip is a guided, small-group canoe tour that includes waterproof outerwear, boots, PFDs, snacks and a hot beverage; you’ll be expected to paddle and assist for up to two hours. Wind can close the lake; operators monitor katabatic gusts and may cancel for safety. Dress in warm base and insulating mid-layers, bring sunglasses and a camera with a dry bag. Expect cool temperatures even on sunny days and plan for limited personal gear—only small bags allowed. If you want close-up glacier views without the trail crowds, this canoe trip offers an intimate, physically engaging way to meet Alaska’s ice and the forest that frames it.
challenging.
3.5–4 hours.
Good cardiovascular fitness and upper-body strength are required to paddle for up to two hours; participants should be able to enter/exit a canoe and perform basic recovery moves.
You should have good upper-body strength and cardiovascular fitness; the tour requires active paddling for up to two hours and full use of limbs.
Yes—non-insulated rain jacket, pants and boots are supplied, but bring warm layers underneath and proper socks.
Guides aim to take canoes to the best vantage points, but exact proximity depends on ice conditions and safety—views of specific features cannot be guaranteed.
High winds, heavy seas on the lake, or insufficient minimum passengers can force cancellations; operators monitor katabatic winds and will notify you if the tour is unsafe.
Mendenhall Glacier formed during the Little Ice Age and has been an important landmark for the Tlingit people; the glacier and lake have been changing rapidly with 20th–21st century warming.
The Tongass National Forest and Glacier Recreation Area are managed to protect old-growth forest and aquatic habitat; minimize disturbance by following guide instructions and packing out any waste.
Liquid Alaska Tours operates guided outdoor trips and adventures with an emphasis on safety, stewardship, and memorable experiences.
You push off from a quiet west-side launch and the lake answers in soft wakes. The canoe moves steady across steel-blue water, cliffs rise with the quick staccato of nesting Arctic terns, and the glacier ahead exhales a cold breath that shifts the air. For about two hours you’ll paddle through the Tongass National Forest’s edged calm until the Mendenhall Glacier fills the horizon with fractured blue ice and serrated seracs.
You push off from a quiet west-side launch and the lake answers in soft wakes. The canoe moves steady across steel-blue water, cliffs rise with the quick staccato of nesting Arctic terns, and the glacier ahead exhales a cold breath that shifts the air. For about two hours you’ll paddle through the Tongass National Forest’s edged calm until the Mendenhall Glacier fills the horizon with fractured blue ice and serrated seracs.
The glacier is a recent product of the last ice age, carving valleys and leaving moraine-studded shores that tell a geological timeline in striated rock. Juneau’s Indigenous Tlingit people long knew these channels as hunting and travel corridors; modern visitors arrive by guided canoe to see the toe of the glacier from water rather than trail. Wildlife—mountain goats on cliff ledges, porcupines among old-growth—often watch from above while seals and eagles patrol the lake.
Practical notes: the trip is a guided, small-group canoe tour that includes waterproof outerwear, boots, PFDs, snacks and a hot beverage; you’ll be expected to paddle and assist for up to two hours. Wind can close the lake; operators monitor katabatic gusts and may cancel for safety. Dress in warm base and insulating mid-layers, bring sunglasses and a camera with a dry bag. Expect cool temperatures even on sunny days and plan for limited personal gear—only small bags allowed. If you want close-up glacier views without the trail crowds, this canoe trip offers an intimate, physically engaging way to meet Alaska’s ice and the forest that frames it.