Adventure comes in many forms in Juneau, the spectacularly located capital of Alaska. Boats and seaplanes stop at the waterfront on the Gastineau Channel, whisking travelers off on salmon-fishing, zip-lining and whale-watching excursions. Only 12 miles up the road from downtown Juneau, a massive glacier calves into a glacial lake, with forested National Park Service trails offering mesmerizing views over the action.
One of America’s most unusual state capitals is also one of its most captivating. You can’t drive here from other parts of Alaska, but you can hike from downtown into mountainous wilderness in less than half an hour. The location is rugged and remote, but Juneau’s reputation for adventure lures more than 1.6 million cruise ship passengers each year.
Visitors come to explore some of the finest cultural and natural attractions in Alaska’s Southeast, from locally-sourced cuisine to epic national parks such as Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve and nature that spills into the city limits. Even driving in from the airport or the ferry terminal, you might see black bears cruising through the meadows.
Juneau offers abundant opportunities to experience activities that are uniquely Alaskan, and the chance of encounters with bears, bald eagles and humpback whales is enough temptation for travelers to brave the year-round chill. Plan your trip with this list of the top things to do in Juneau.
1. Have an Ice Age encounter at Mendenhall Glacier
One of Juneau’s biggest attractions is the Mendenhall Glacier, a humbling remnant from the last Ice Age and part of the 3900-sq-km (1500-sq-mile) Juneau Icefield. Tracing the path of a mountain valley, the glacier flows for 13 miles from its source, crumbling into icebergs at the Mendenhall Lake beside a gushing waterfall.
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Start your visit at the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center, which houses some interesting glaciology exhibits. Outside, you’ll find several popular hiking trails, from the short and easy Photo Point Trail (0.3 miles) and Steep Creek Trail (0.3 miles) to the more ambitious Nugget Falls Trail (1 mile), Trail of Time (1 mile), and East Glacier Trail (3.5 miles).
Keep your camera handy. From July through to September you might see sockeye and coho salmon spawning beneath the viewing decks and, with luck, brown and black bears feasting on them.
To get up close to the glacier, book a glacier trek, which typically involves a full day of moderate to strenuous hiking. For waterside views of the face of the ice sheet, several outfitters offer canoe trips across Mendenhall Lake, with an hour or two spent exploring the glacier’s edge, bookended by an hour of paddling each way.
Planning tip: The cheapest way to see Mendenhall Glacier is to hop on a Capital Transit bus from Juneau ($2), though the bus will drop you 1.5 miles short of the visitor center. Taxis will take you all the way for a hefty surcharge (around $17). Expensive but more convenient shuttle buses operated by Juneau Tours and M&M Tours pick up from the cruise ship docks downtown, charging from $45/65 per adult/child.
2. Experience Alaskan culture and cuisine in downtown Juneau
You could easily spend a full day exploring the sights in downtown Juneau, which are all within walking distance of the lively waterfront where the cruise ships arrive. Start with a visit to the Sealaska Heritage Institute, easily identified by the Alaska Native totem poles in front and the beautifully carved panels framing the entrance.
To discover more of Juneau’s culture and history, you can also pop into the nearby Alaska State Capitol, the Juneau-Douglas City Museum, the former home of pioneer and statesman James Wickersham, and St Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church – a reminder of Russian ownership of Alaska in the 19th century.
This is also a great place to get a taste of Alaskan seafood at Tracy’s King Crab Shack, which steams up heavenly king crab with butter, plus outstanding crab bisque and mini crab cakes. Or, check out SALT, a high-end spot offering standout halibut with scallops and decadent seafood pasta plates.
Planning tip: Juneau is a major hub for tours and the best way to book a trip is to head to the cruise ship terminal, near the Mount Roberts Tramway, where operators running whale-watching, salmon-fishing and bear-viewing excursions have a line of outdoor booths.
3. Get a bird’s eye view of the Juneau Icefield
Covering 1500 square miles of shimmering ice, the enormous Juneau Icefield is what feeds the Mendenhall Glacier. This is the fifth-largest icefield of its kind in the northern hemisphere and the ice sheet is made up of more than 30 glaciers. The best way to see it is from above, by helicopter.
Thrilling helicopter tours soar over and sometimes even land on the rivers of ice that form the icefield, and these trips can be combined with experiences such as ice climbing, icefield treks, or excursions to the Tracy Arm fjord.
Planning tip: The weather in Alaska can change without warning, so build some flexibility into your travel plans in case your trip to the icefield needs to be rescheduled in the event of poor weather on your original booking day.
4. Lose yourself in history at the Alaska State Museum
The Alaska State Museum has an impressive collection devoted to Alaska Native culture and the state’s fascinating history. Halls in the museum have displays on the Russian colonial period, the transfer of Alaska to America in 1867 and the gold rush days of the late 19th century.
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The museum also looks at the uncomfortable legacy of American missionary efforts in Alaska, the boarding schools set up to “assimilate” Alaska Native children, and subsequent efforts by Indigenous Alaskans to gain recognition for their civil rights.
There are also displays on Alaskan shipwrecks and Japan’s invasion of the Aleutian Islands during WWII, plus exhibits on important modern industries such as fishing and petroleum extraction. Be sure to look up and around and investigate drawers in display cases so you don’t miss any hidden treasures.
5. Immerse yourself in the vast natural beauty of Tongass National Forest
Tongass is the largest national forest in the United States and it encompasses most of the Alexander Archipelago’s 1110 islands, as well as sections of the mainland. Despite being home to the largest temperate rainforest in the world, packed with Sitka spruce, western hemlock and red cedar, the Tongass isn’t exclusively covered by trees. Some 40% of the park consists of wetlands, ice sheets and high mountain terrain.
Adventurers exploring the forest can take advantage of rustic, off-grid accommodation in 150 scattered US Forest Service (USFS) cabins, most of them only accessible by boat or floatplane. There are also 13 visitor campgrounds, four of which can be used free of charge.
Planning tip: Numerous operators in Juneau run trips into the national forest by boat, plane or on foot. Browse the USFS Tongass website for information on the park’s recreation areas, permits and passes, and advice on staying safe in bear country.
6. Witness the best show in town on a whale-watching trip
The Gulf of Alaska teems with wildlife, and people flock here in droves to look for humpback whales, orcas, seals and other marine life. If you’re visiting Juneau as part of an Inside Passage cruise, you’re almost guaranteed to see a humpback whale or orca from the deck of your ship, especially if you’re traveling between April and September, which is the best time to see whales.
If not, several companies along the Juneau waterfront offer whale-watching tours using single or double-decker boats, which allow visitors to get closer to the whales, and give you more time for taking pictures. Whale watching tours typically last three to four hours, and you’ll need warm, weatherproof clothing for time out on deck.
Planning tip: Choose a tour operator that follows the ethical wildlife-watching codes set out by Whale Sense Alaska, which promotes responsible whale watching.
7. Take in scenic views from the Mt Roberts Goldbelt Tram
A short stroll from the cruise ship docks, the bright red Goldbelt Tram whisks visitors from sea level up to the treeline on Mt Roberts, some 1800ft above the rooftops of downtown Juneau. From the summit, you can take in a sweeping panorama of the Gastineau Channel, Douglas Island, the Chilkat Mountains and the lofty peaks on Admiralty Island in the distance.
If you’re feeling energetic, you can set off on foot along various hiking trails, including the popular short hike to Father Brown’s Cross. More adventurous hikers can tackle the challenging climb up to Mt Gastineau and the summit of Mt Roberts. Afterwards, you can recharge over snacks and drinks at the Timberline Bar & Grill, which serves familiar dishes in front of exceptional harbor views.
Planning tip: The only downside to the tram experience is the cost, as the five-minute ride costs $60 return. However, you can save a few dollars by hiking up and taking the tram back down for free, providing you spend at least $20 in the shop or restaurant. If you’d like to hike up instead of taking the tram, the 1.2-mile Mount Roberts Trail to the tram terminus begins off Basin Rd.
8. Commune with nature on one of Juneau’s best hikes
Few cities in Alaska have such an abundance of hiking trails as Juneau. A handful of the best trails start near the city center, and the rest are “out the road” (north of Auke Bay). On any of these routes, you’ll need to dress for the weather conditions and be alert for bears while you hike.
If you only have time for one route, the 3-mile Perseverance Trail is your best option. The trail links sites tied to Juneau’s mining history and it also provides access to two other popular trekking routes – the Mount Juneau Trail and Granite Creek Trail.
Both offer phenomenal views and the chance to see mountain goats, porcupines, marmots, bald eagles, brown bears and black bears. Combine all three trails into a rugged 10-hour walk or an overnight camping excursion.
The moderate Herbert Glacier Trail is a 5-mile hike along the Herbert River; the first 3.5 miles are easy going with little climbing so this is a good route for mountain biking. Nearby, the Amalga Trail (also known as the Eagle Glacier Trail) is a fairly level route that winds for 7.5 miles to the lake formed by Eagle Glacier (allow seven to eight hours for the return trip).
Planning tip: If you’re planning a multi-day hiking trip around Juneau, the area’s 11 USFS cabins should be booked in advance, particularly during the peak summer months.
9. Watch the bears at Admiralty Island
On Admiralty Island, the extensive tidal flats at the Pack Creek Bear Viewing Area draw huge numbers of brown bears in July and August, thanks to the abundance of salmon in the water. It’s one of the best places to see bears in Alaska.
Most people arrive by floatplane from Juneau; visitors are met on arrival by a ranger who will explain the rules for wildlife watching, and then each group embarks on a one-mile hike to an observation tower overlooking the bear-stalked creek.
Planning tip: The operator Above & Beyond Alaska runs all-inclusive guided trips, but you can save money by organizing your own permit via recreation.gov, then chartering a floatplane from Ward Air.
10. Take in breathtaking glacier views on a “flightseeing” tour
The most popular things to do in Juneau are glacier-viewing, salmon bakes and “flightseeing” tours soaring above the landscape, and a trip to the historic, off-grid Taku Glacier Lodge offers a chance to combine all three.
Trips run by local floatplane company, Wings Airways, include a flight on a de Havilland Otter aircraft across a half-dozen glaciers to the lodge, where an incredible meal of wild salmon awaits. The excursion is a popular add-on to a cruise ship itinerary, so don’t expect to have this particular slice of wilderness all to yourself.
Planning tip: Be sure to check the weather conditions first as you’ll
miss out on the views that are the point of the trip on overcast days.
Sign up for trips at the Wings Airways office behind the Merchant’s Wharf on Juneau’s waterfront.
11. Explore Juneau’s gold-powered past in old mines and ghostly ruins
Juneau’s Treadwell Mine was once the largest gold mine in the world, set up like a mini town with its own baseball diamond, stores, dormitories and blacksmith. The mine was subsequently abandoned after part of the township slid into the sea in 1917.
Today, spooky reminders of Juneau’s affluent mining past poke through the forest on a well-signposted historical trail,
starting around 3 miles south of the Douglas Bridge adjacent to Savikko
Park (buses 1 or 11 from downtown will get you there).
Within walking distance of downtown, the Last Chance Mining Museum occupies the former premises of the Alaska-Juneau Gold Mining Company. Here, you can view the remains of the compressor house and examine the tools used by what was once the world’s largest hard-rock gold mine. There’s also a recreated mining tunnel and a 3D glass map of the mine shafts, showing just how large the operation once was.
Planning tip: The Mining Museum sits close to the Perseverance Trail, and combining a visit with a hike to more mining ruins in the hinterland around Juneau is a great way to spend an afternoon.
This article was adapted from Lonely Planet’s Alaska guidebook published in June 2024.
