Mendenhall Glacier Info

[NYGirl1002]

I am interested in your opinions on this tour. I originally had booked it in the Best of Juneau excursion but after reading about the dog mushers I changed everything around and cancelled the salmon bake. but ended up having to cancel Mendenhall too.

 

HAL customer service helped me out and said we could always just taxi out to the visitor's center some time during that day. She mentioned that you are not walking on the glacier or anything, just looking at it.

 

Has anyone ever gone to the vistor's center? Is it worth it? What does it involve?

 

Again, thank you in advance for your replies.

[jtl513]

A taxi would work, but you can also the "Blue Bus" that runs every 1/2 hour for $14 pp round trip. If you've never seen a glacier before it's worth going once, but if you've seen any others then Mendenhall will be a disappointment, IMO. Too far away, unless you take a long hike. You could take a helicopter ride that lands on the glacier, however.

[Boytjie]

I am interested in your opinions on this tour. I originally had booked it in the Best of Juneau excursion but after reading about the dog mushers I changed everything around and cancelled the salmon bake. but ended up having to cancel Mendenhall too.

 

HAL customer service helped me out and said we could always just taxi out to the visitor's center some time during that day. She mentioned that you are not walking on the glacier or anything, just looking at it.

 

Has anyone ever gone to the vistor's center? Is it worth it? What does it involve?

 

Again, thank you in advance for your replies.

 

There are buses that go to Mendenhall too. They run quite frequently and may be cheaper than a taxi (I don't remember how much it was). We did a helicopter excursion around noon, went back to the ship to drop some gear and had lunch. We then took the bus out to Mendenhall. Even after walking on a glacier I think Mendenhall was still interesting, especially the information in the visitor's center. Ther scenery is very nice, We missed seeing a bear there by just a few minutes. You never know what you may see!

[geologygeek]

Mendenhall isn't really that good and when we were here was FULL and I mean FULL of obnoxious and loud tourists (I'd did snap some nice shots of icebergs with my SLR). We did hike up the eastern side of the glacier, which was okay. We much preferred Exit Glacier (near Seward) - different style of glacier, but the outwash plain and surrounding mountains were beautiful, it was a beautiful day and not too busy. There's a fabulous hike up to a look out over the Harding Icefield that goes through bear country (salmon berries galour). You can do an excellent little tour of the Alaskan Parliament in Juneau which was fun and free!

[waiting2retire]

I just returned from a Statendam B2B and took the Mendenhall and Whale Watching tour. I loved it! I agree with others that the "blue bus" will be a less expensive option than a taxi unless there are more than two of you going, in which case a taxi may end up about the same amount.

 

There is a short trail from the bus parking lot to the Visitor Centre area which follows along a creek which was teeming with salmon last week -- very interesting. There were several large icebergs in the water and I was surprised actually at how close the viewing point was to the glacier. The visitor centre itself has high-powered binocular stations for glacier viewing, several exhibits providing information about the glacier, and a short film (12 mins. I think) which I did not see due to time constraints.

 

Overall, I thought the area was well worth taking the time to visit, and it isn't terribly far from town.

 

Bonnie

[beatriz22]

does this involve alot of walking and how far from town by taxi? better then an arranged cruise ?NYGirl1002, what is "dog mushers? is it better to do parts of Juneau independantly then the listed sort of pricey ship excurisons?Im getting alittle confused on how to do juneau? we are not hiker paddling canoe hi energy types.my sister has a messed up knee so no hiking for us,.any info appreciated on how to best see Juneu..thnx

[Sailorgirlseattle]

I was pretty impressed with the visitors center, as far as those things go. We also hiked along the lake area and just absorbed the atmosphere of being there. We taxiied, because we had other things we wanted to do that day too and didn't want to spend so much time waiting for buses.

[user8]

We usually stick with the HAL excursions but when we went to Mendenhall we made and exception and went by bus. As I recall, the bus picked us up near where the ship docked and took us to the visitors center. It didn't cost nearly as much as the excursion that HAL offered. Not only that, but we were able to stay as long ( or as short ) as we wished and did not have to fight the crowds from the regular excursions. If I were going back, I would go by bus again.

[Boytjie]

does this involve alot of walking and how far from town by taxi? better then an arranged cruise ?NYGirl1002, what is "dog mushers? is it better to do parts of Juneau independantly then the listed sort of pricey ship excurisons?Im getting alittle confused on how to do juneau? we are not hiker paddling canoe hi energy types.my sister has a messed up knee so no hiking for us,.any info appreciated on how to best see Juneu..thnx

 

 

Info at http://www.fs.fed.us/r10/tongass/districts/mendenhall/visitorinfo.html

[NYGirl1002]

does this involve alot of walking and how far from town by taxi? better then an arranged cruise ?NYGirl1002, what is "dog mushers? is it better to do parts of Juneau independantly then the listed sort of pricey ship excurisons?Im getting alittle confused on how to do juneau? we are not hiker paddling canoe hi energy types.my sister has a messed up knee so no hiking for us,.any info appreciated on how to best see Juneu..thnx

 

Hi Beatriz. I originally booked the Best of Juneau which included the boat to see the whales and wildlife, the salmon bake and the tour of the Mendenhall Glacier via the visitor's center.

 

Then I read a thread here about the Musher's. I have a special needs adult daughter who is with us who loves animals and all three of us love dogs and puppies. When I read about that I changed my excursion because the best of Juneau would be back to late to do the Mushers.

 

I think I will either take a bus or taxi to Mendenhall some time in between so we can see the visitor's center.

 

Here is a link to the thread about the Mushers:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=828747

 

Here is HAL's description of the dog mushers tour

 

What better way to enjoy Alaska than to experience a team of powerful huskies in the great backcountry wilderness! This is your chance to glimpse a truly northern pastime. Learn about the life of sled dogs and their musher, and see these dogs in action when they pull you on a fast and thrilling summertime ride across dry ground. As you head out of Juneau to the dog camp, your guide will acquaint you with both the town's history and present day community. At the kennels, you'll meet the dogs and climb onto a wheeled sled, custom made for running during the snowless summer months. The husky team will whisk you along a wooded trail through some of Southeast Alaska's beautiful temperate rain forest. Spruce and hemlock trees and 12-inchthick spagma moss surround you on this unique one-mile ride. When it's over, sit down and enjoy a presentation by an Iditarod veteran, have refreshments and cuddle with some adorable husky puppies. Before heading back to town, you'll wander through the musher's camp with your guide and learn about the equipment, hard work, and great husky strength that goes into the life of dog sledding in the wild, rugged North.

 

.

[beatriz22]

thank you, right the bus thing sounds ok...

[Hoyaheel]

Last September, we took the bus to the Mendenhall (I had been there before, twice, it was hubby's first visit) and we had a fun tour guide who was chatty the entire trip (in a good way--informative!) We were there early in the morning, before too many large tour buses arrived, and it was lovely. We did a couple of the shorter hikes around the area, toured the visitors center, took loads of pictures, and saw bears. Right underneath the walkways--eating the salmon in the stream. Very cool! Definitely our closest bear encounter of the trip. (and wouldn't you know my camera battery died JUST as this happened and my extra battery was back on the ship)

 

I am a do-it-yourselfer--seeing the Mendenhall this way was absolutely perfect for me. We spent about 3 hours at the glacier, then returned to the dock, had lunch and a couple beers at the Twisted Fish, then got back on the ship....

[AKBeagleMom]

Greetings from Juneau!

 

We were at the glacier last night, and the bears are out in full force! Some of the trails in the area have been restricted due to bear activity.

 

The sockeye are running in Steep Creek, and two smaller cubs were fishing last night. They both walked right underneath the raised viewing platforms several times last night.

 

If I didn't live here, but was just visiting, I wouldn't miss the Mendenhall glacier. Skip the HAL tour, get off the ship, and find the blue MGT buses. They'll take you to the glacier for $7 each way. Once you're out there, you can walk around on your own. There's not a lot of walking involved, as everything is right there.

 

Also, for what it's worth, I'd skip the salmon bake. I'm not sure what the cost is for tour groups, but they charge locals $25 something plus tax, which is not worth it. Personally, as a local, I prefer the Thane Ore House, which also serves all you can eat halibut.

 

Have fun on your trip, and enjoy our city by getting out of the downtown area!

[NYGirl1002]

Thank you for all the information!! I do not want to miss the glacier and will make it my business to get to it somehow.

 

Does anyone know what time it closes?

[jtl513]

Thank you for all the information!! I do not want to miss the glacier and will make it my business to get to it somehow.

 

Does anyone know what time it closes?

The Blue Bus runs from 9:00a to 6:30p. What time does your ship sail?

[AKBeagleMom]

Thank you for all the information!! I do not want to miss the glacier and will make it my business to get to it somehow.

 

Does anyone know what time it closes?

 

No problem, NYGirl!

 

The Mendenhall Glacier "park area" technically closes at midnight. But there's no reason to be at the glacier at midnight this time of the year, since it's dark! So you should be fine with any timing. Not sure how long you're in port, or how long the mushing tour is, but you should still have time to bus out to the glacier.

 

I forgot to mention in my previous post DO NOT take a cab. That is way too much money. I bet for two people, it's easily $30-40 now. Last week the city assembly authorized cabs to raise their rates due to the fuel prices. The blue bus is definitely the way to go.

 

Have fun and don't forget to let us know how it goes!

[kenish]

NYGirl1002- If it's within your budget, I highly recommend a helicopter tour to the glacier. We used Coastal in early July and either it or whalewatching with Harv & Marv were the highlight of our 2-week trip. We also went to Mendenhall Visitor Center, but compared to walking on the glacier it's like seeing your hometown on TV instead of visiting in person. For me, walking on the glacier was like setting foot on another planet!

 

The glacier landing does not involve tricky or strenuous walking. If your sister can negotiate a Wal-Mart parking lot, she will be OK. The only possible issue might be stepping in and out of the helicopter, but the pilot and ground crew are ready to assist.

 

The last MGT shuttle bus leaves Mendenhall around 6 or 630pm.

[thecook]

Dh and I toured Mendenhall in combination with a whale watching tour. It was the first glacier that we saw..and I did enjoy it. We hiked on the paths around the park..and yes there were bears very close to us (about 5 feet). If you walk along the beach area, you can get pretty close to the glacier itself. It was very crowded...We didn't even venture into the visitor's center because of all the people.. If you have the time...I would go..the more you can see and do it this unique part of our wonderful country..the better your vacation will be.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We have done the Blue Bus a couple of times -- really like it -- and we never had to wait long for a return bus back to the pier.

 

We like the idea that we can spend as much time there as we want -- a tour limits you.

 

We enjoyed the Visitor's Center -- I think we paid only $3 per person.

 

Keep in mind that there isn't any place to get food there.

 

You can walk as many trails as you like.

[beatriz22]

this is so helpful! well we ususally do things on our own, why spend 300$ when you can get on a bus for 14$??so the slamon food thing not worth it? well Imalittle too chicken to gte on nay helicopter, am wondering for the perosn who lives there how do you go about getting the catamaran or whatver that is to see the ocean wild life that HAl does a tour for? and is it a small boat thing or decent size ferry?worth doing? thnx so very much! Beatrice

[beatriz22]

please excuse typos so sorry

[NYGirl1002]

Beatriz when are you going to AK? We're leaving Seattle Sept. 13 on the Oosterdam.

 

Our musher tour is at 5:00 pm but I don't think it's more than 2 hours so I was hope we can still get to the Glacier while it's light out. Our ship leaves at 10:30 pm.

 

We're doing the whales at 11:00 am and I believe that's a 4 to 4-1/2 hour. I don't know if I can do it in between tours.

[beatriz22]

not soon enough! not till spring, just trying to read up to see whats what with Alaska, we usuallly go to Mexico, but Alaska looks so beautiful! I'm going to try to figure out how we can do some things on our own without any rip off tour excursion if you know what I mean, I dont have any idea what to do in each port so reading up here so later my sister and I can take a vote on what to do! b

[stevexy]

Just got back this am from Alaska. Went to Mendenhall--took the CITY BUS. Cost is 1.50 each way. Involves a mile walk from bus stop to glacier. If you are in good shape (I walk a couple miles a day...) this was no problem. But, to avoid walking, just spend the 14 dollars on the private direct bus as prev posters noted.

 

I did the 3.5 mile hike from the visitors center to the overlook--just beautiful forest--well worth the hike, but you need to be in reasonable shape.

[beatriz22]

private bus is out where the ship docks? where does the bus arrive?how far to this glacier from the ship and once there is there an area to just see the glacier? sorry for the questions, thnx