Mendenhall Glacier

Originally published June 22, 2024.  Updated June 13, 2026

What is a glacier?

Do you actually know what a glacier is? I have to admit, I did not until I saw Mendenhall Glacier. I thought it was a huge conglomeration of steep mountains of ice. Mendenhall Glacier was top on our list for our weekend in Juneau, Alaska. There are several choices for getting to Mendenhall Glacier from downtown Juneau, including bus and taxi, and different excursions to choose from as well. We chose the “Bikes, Glacier Views, and Microbrews” tour from Cycle Alaska. It was the best choice for our group.

A glacier is a large, slow-moving river of ice formed from compacted snow over many years. What separates a glacier from a snow field is that a glacier moves — it flows downhill due to its own weight. What I saw when I stood at the shore of Mendenhall Lake looking at the glacier was a huge wall of blue-tinted ice filling a valley between two mountains. A glacier is blue because the dense ice absorbs red wavelengths of light and reflects blue. It was breathtaking.

Cycle Alaska Bike Tour

Check out the Cycle Alaska van with the yellow mountains and spruce trees logo on the side.

Cycle Alaska brings bikes to fit you. We thought the bikes and the helmets were sturdy and comfortable.

Cycle Alaska was updating their website when I was making the plans in early spring, but I was able to reach someone by phone. Their customer service is great, and they said that if we booked a tour with six people they would close off that slot and consider us a private group. They also communicated efficiently by email. They confirmed by text the pick up at our hotel that morning (we chose the 9 am to 1 pm tour). We first stopped off at the Cycle Alaska location to pick up the bike trailer, and then our guide Tori drove through Mendenhall Valley. Along the way she shared a variety of interesting details about the culture and lifestyle in Juneau. Driving up Glacier Spur Road, she parked the van and bike trailer in a designated parking lot as close as she was allowed to get to the Visitor Center.

We clipped on our helmets, got on our bikes, and rode the rest of the way to the Visitor Center. That first part of the ride was mostly uphill. Not too steep, but just enough to get your legs working. The second half of the ride — the ride back — was more downhill so it was easier and faster. Total biking was about 5 miles. Along the way you get to see the beautiful Mendenhall Lake and the glacier. The view is stunning. My only wish was that I could have stopped more often for photos, but there was a lot of car traffic in the bike lane.

Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center

When you get to the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center, make sure to take time to watch the 15-minute movie Landscape of Change. At the very least, walk down the short trail to photo point to see a closer view of the glacier. If we had more time, we would have spent more time in the Visitor Center and also gone on one of the longer trail hikes. I want to take the Nugget Falls trail next time so I can visit the base of those waterfalls.

Brew with a View

This tour concludes with a visit to the Forbidden Peak Brewery and Red Spruce Eatery. We loved the four-sample tasting and having some snacks. We enjoyed the sunny weather on the outside deck and the view of the Auke Bay Marina. I would have actually liked to order some lunch there but we were pressed for time. We ended up returning at the end of our Alaska trip. This place is close to the airport in case you have a flight delay like we did…

When I go back to Juneau, I would like to return to Mendenhall Glacier and spend some more time there. I would consider renting bikes from Cycle Alaska and doing a self-guided 13-mile ride using the app. As it turned out, at the end of our time in Alaska, we ended up back at Forbidden Peak Brewery before we left Juneau and were delighted to see our guide Tori there, finishing up with her small group. It made us feel like “It’s A Small World After All”… DEFINITELY consider Cycle Alaska!

If you’re planning a trip to Alaska, check out my Alaska Adventure Travel post, my What to Do in Juneau, Alaska post, and the Juneau Virtual Visitor Guide. You can send for a hard copy too!

Do you know that glaciers are “retreating” (decreasing in size)? Why do you think that is? What can YOU do about it?

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