No — you cannot walk onto Mendenhall Glacier from the Visitor Center, from Photo Point, from the Nugget Falls trail, or from anywhere else you can reach on foot. The glacier has retreated far enough that no maintained trail connects to walkable ice. The only reliable way to stand on it is to fly.
This is the single most common misconception we hear in port, and it is usually driven by photographs. Search "Mendenhall Glacier" and you will find glowing blue ice caves and people standing on a wall of ice. Those images are real — they are just old. The glacier that produced them has changed substantially.
Here is where things genuinely stand, and what your actual options are.
Why You Cannot Walk Onto It
Mendenhall is a retreating glacier, and it has been retreating measurably for decades — on the order of 30 to 45 metres a year in recent times. Inside the Visitor Center there is a timeline of historical photographs showing where the terminus stood in different eras, and the effect is sobering. Sixty years ago you could have walked onto the ice from roughly where the building sits now.
What sits between the trails and the ice today is not walkable in any casual sense. It is a mix of unstable moraine, meltwater channels, and crevassed ice near the terminus. Independent travel onto the glacier without technical equipment and glacier travel training is genuinely dangerous, and it is not permitted.
What Actually Gets You Onto the Ice
Helicopter glacier trek — the only reliable option
Helicopter operators land high on the Juneau Icefield, well above the retreating terminus, where the ice is stable and thick enough to walk on safely. Operators provide the required over-boots and safety equipment; you bring warm layers. This is the answer if standing on glacier ice is the specific thing you want.
Options range from a short landing and walk to multi-hour guided treks with crampons, ice axes and harnesses, depending on operator. Prices start in the mid-$400s and climb from there. It is the most expensive way to see the glacier and, for a lot of people, the most memorable thing they do in Alaska.
Guided canoe and kayak — closest you get without flying
Several operators run human-powered trips that cross Mendenhall Lake and land at the glacier moraine. You are not walking on the glacier itself, but you get close to the terminal edge, and you get there under your own power, which a lot of people find more satisfying than a photo from across the water. Trips typically run four to five hours including a guided hour on the moraine.
This is meaningfully cheaper than a helicopter and physically more demanding. It is the middle path between a viewpoint and a landing.
What You Can Do On Foot
None of this means the walking is not worth it. The maintained trails are genuinely excellent — they simply end at views rather than at ice.
- Nugget Falls Trail — a two-mile round trip along the lakeshore to the base of a 377-foot waterfall, with the glacier across the water. The closest a maintained trail gets. Flat, but loose gravel.
- Photo Point Loop — a third of a mile, fully paved and accessible, with the classic head-on view of the glacier face across the lake.
- Steep Creek — elevated boardwalk, best black bear viewing in the area from July through September.
- Visitor Center — elevated valley perspective, exhibits, and the historical photo timeline that makes the retreat concrete.
Comparing Your Options
| Option | Do You Stand On Ice? | Typical Cost | Physical Demand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Helicopter trek | ✔ Yes — stable icefield | From ~$433 | Low to moderate |
| Canoe / kayak to moraine | Close to the edge, not on it | $250–$400 | Moderate to high |
| Nugget Falls trail | ✘ No | Transport + $5 fee | Low — 2 miles flat |
| Photo Point loop | ✘ No | Transport + $5 fee | Very low — paved |
Want to Stand on the Ice?
Helicopter glacier landings are the only reliable way onto walkable ice. Compare the three main Juneau operators and what each one includes.
Compare Helicopter Tours →Frequently Asked Questions
Can you walk on Mendenhall Glacier?
Not from the Visitor Center or any hiking trail. The glacier has retreated beyond the reach of any maintained route. A helicopter glacier trek is the only reliable way to stand on walkable ice.
Are the Mendenhall ice caves still accessible?
No. The blue caves formed in a thin section of ice that has broken apart as the glacier retreated. Photos still circulating online are generally from 2018 or earlier. Do not build a trip around them.
How close can I get on foot?
The Nugget Falls trail is the closest maintained walking route — roughly two miles round trip along the lakeshore, ending near the falls with the glacier visible across the water. Guided canoe and kayak trips get closer by crossing the lake to the moraine.
Why can't I hike out to the ice myself?
The ground between the trails and the ice is unstable moraine cut by meltwater channels, and the terminus itself is crevassed. Independent travel onto the glacier without technical equipment and training is dangerous and not permitted.
What is the cheapest way to actually touch glacier ice?
Guided paddle trips that cross the lake and land at the moraine are substantially cheaper than flying, though they put you at the glacier's edge rather than on walkable ice. For standing on the glacier itself, a helicopter trek remains the only reliable option.
Written by the team at Mendenhall Glacier Transport, based in Juneau, Alaska. We are locally owned and are not affiliated with any cruise line, tour operator, or government agency. Glacier conditions change continuously — confirm current access and closures with the U.S. Forest Service or your operator before you travel.