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Access to the Mendenhall Glacier recreation area and most trails is free year-round from 6:00 a.m. to midnight. You only pay a $5 day-use fee between May and September to enter the Visitor Center and its immediate viewing platforms.
The Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. between May and September. Winter hours drop to just Fridays and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., while April and October see intermittent openings. The surrounding trails and recreation area stay open from 6:00 a.m. to midnight year-round.
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| Day | Hours | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday–Thursday | 09:00–18:00 | Visitor center summer hours (May 1–Sept 30). Closed these days Nov–March. |
| Friday–Saturday | 09:00–18:00 | Visitor center summer hours. Winter hours (Nov–March) are 10:00–16:00. |
The visitor center shuts down completely on all federal holidays during the winter season. Operations are unpredictable during the shoulder months of April and October, when the building opens only intermittently. You can always access the surrounding outdoor recreation area, which ignores these closures and remains open from 6:00 a.m. until midnight every day.
Access to the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center and its immediate surroundings costs $5 per person from May through September. Anyone 15 or younger walks in free. You only need a pass for the center, Pavilion, Steep Creek, and Photo Point Trail. Parking and hiking the longer trails cost nothing.
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| Category | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Day Use (May-September) | $5 | Required for ages 16+ at the visitor center, Pavilion, Steep Creek, and Photo Point Trail. |
| Youth (15 and under) | Free | No pass required. |
| Season Pass | $15 | Covers the pass holder and one guest for the entire season. |
| America the Beautiful Annual/Senior Pass | $80 | Grants entry for the pass holder and three guests. Senior pass is lifetime. |
| America the Beautiful Military/Access Pass | Free | For active military or permanent disability. Covers the holder and three guests. |
| Outer Trails & Parking | Free | Nugget Falls, East Glacier, Moraine Ecology, and other outer trails require no fee. |
The Nugget Falls Trail, parking area, and several outer trails are always free, and federal America the Beautiful passes grant full admission to the fee areas for the holder and three guests.
Planning your visit to Mendenhall Glacier? Find tours with free cancellation and skip-the-line options.
View All ToursMay and June are the best months to visit Mendenhall Glacier. You get clear skies and early-season wildlife without the peak summer cruise ship crowds. If you want to see black bears fishing for salmon at Steep Creek, shift your trip to August or September, but expect massive midday bottlenecks when up to 25,000 passengers arrive in a single day.
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| Period | Crowd Level | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Early morning (06:00–09:00) | Low | The visitor center is closed, but you have the trails to yourself and the best chance to spot bears at Steep Creek in late summer. |
| Morning (09:00–11:00) | Moderate | Arrive right when the doors open to buy your pass at the Discovery Southeast bookstore before the major shuttle buses roll in. |
| Midday (11:00–15:00) | High | Cruise ship arrivals peak during these hours, so skip the crowded Photo Point and hike the 3.5-mile East Glacier Loop Trail instead. |
| Late afternoon (15:00–18:00) | Moderate | Crowds thin out as tours head back to the docks, making this a good window to catch the rotating film inside the theater before closing. |
| Evening (18:00–00:00) | Low | The buildings are locked, but the grounds remain open until midnight for quiet walks out to Nugget Falls under the long summer daylight. |
Most people spend 1.5 to 2 hours walking the paved trails around Steep Creek and checking out the visitor center. Your total time depends heavily on how far you hike and whether you book an excursion. Adding the two-mile walk to Nugget Falls pushes a self-guided visit to three hours, while kayak or flightseeing tours require another two to three hours.
The visitor center is severely understaffed, leading to long waits during cruise ship arrivals. Buy your $5 day-use pass at the automated vending machines in the parking lot or inside the Discovery Southeast bookstore. This lets you head straight to the Pavilion and Photo Point Trail.
Capital Transit buses drop riders 1.5 miles from the visitor center, forcing a 30-minute walk. Cruise passengers should book a private shuttle like M&M Tours for about $45 to $49 round trip. These run every 15 minutes and drop you directly at the site.
Black bears fish for sockeye and coho salmon along Steep Creek starting in August. Walk the elevated boardwalks in the morning or evening to spot mothers and cubs. Keep your distance and obey all posted wildlife guidance.
Juneau rains almost year-round, leaving the two-mile Nugget Falls Trail muddy and slippery. Bring a waterproof jacket and sturdy, waterproof shoes. You will need the traction on the unpaved gravel sections.
Glacial lake outburst floods from Suicide Basin occasionally force emergency closures of the entire recreation area. Check the Tongass National Forest alerts page before driving out. Also, ignore private guides promising ice cave access—local officials warn the unstable ice is extremely dangerous.
A day-use pass costs $5 per person from May through September. Visitors 15 and under enter for free. You only need this pass to access the visitor center, restrooms, Pavilion, Photo Point Trail, and Steep Creek; other trails and the parking lot are free year-round.
Summer hours run from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. every day between May 1 and September 30. During winter, the building only opens on Fridays and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The surrounding trails and recreation area stay open daily from 6:00 a.m. to midnight.
You buy your $5 pass right when you arrive. Automated vending machines sit in the parking lots, and you can also pay inside at the Discovery Southeast bookstore. America the Beautiful interagency passes work here too, covering the pass-holder and up to three guests.
Budget 1.5 to 2 hours for the visitor center and the paved viewpoints. Adding the two-mile round-trip walk to Nugget Falls pushes the visit to roughly three hours. Guided kayak or canoe tours on the lake add another two to three hours to your day.
Private shuttle buses run directly from the downtown docks to the visitor center for about $45 to $49 round trip. The ride takes 20 to 30 minutes. Skip the cheaper public bus unless you want to walk 1.5 miles from the nearest transit stop.
You cannot walk onto the ice from the visitor center area. Local officials strongly warn against crossing Mendenhall Lake ice or entering the unstable ice caves due to severe collapse risks. To get on the glacier, you must book a guided helicopter or dog-sledding tour.
Black bears show up at the Steep Creek boardwalks in August and September. They come to feed on sockeye and coho salmon, which run from mid-July into October. Go early in the morning or later in the evening when the bears are most active.
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