Mendenhall Lake Canoe Adventure
Overview
Available languages
4 hours
Mobile ticket
Paddle across Mendenhall Lake, navigating past icebergs, surrounded by Alaskan wildlife on an exceptionally stable, 28-foot, traditional Tlingit-style canoe, with all modern safety gear supplied. Venture within a safe distance of the awe-inspiring face of the Mendenhall Glacier and the beautiful Nugget Falls where you will hit the beach and refuel for the return paddle with an Alaskan-style snack. Due to the close approach to the glacier face, the Forest Service tightly controls the number of participants. Be one of the lucky few to experience this one-of-a-kind adventure!
Additional Info
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Children 12 and under must be accompanied by a parent or guardian
Children 13 to 17 must have a signed parental consent form to participate without a parent or guardian
Minimum weight: 40lbs
Maximum weight: approx 350lbs.
At time of booking, Cruise ship passengers must provide the following information at time of booking: ship name, docking time, disembarkation time and re-boarding time
Cancellation Policy
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
What To Expect
Be among the select few allowed to travel by canoe for an unprecedented experience near the face of the majestic Mendenhall Glacier under a limited U.S. Forest Service permit. Paddle across Mendenhall Lake, navigating past icebergs, surrounded by one of the most scenic and naturally beautiful locations you’ll find anywhere. Birds including arctic terns nest on the shoreline, and eagles, goats, salmon and bears may also be seen. You will venture within a safe distance of the massive, awe-inspiring face of the living Mendenhall Glacier, and skirt the base of the beautiful and powerful Nugget Falls, where you’ll head ashore to refuel for the return paddle with a snack of Alaskan-style fare. You’ll make your trip in a traditional Alaska Native-style canoe, an exceptionally stable 15 to 20 passenger watercraft. Because of the close approach to the glacier face, the Forest Service tightly controls the number of participants. Only a lucky few get to experience this one-of-a-kind adventure.
What‘s Included
Worry-free Shore Excursion Guarantee
Necessary Equipment (rain gear, life jackets, boots)
Snacks
Transportation
Gratuities
Souvenirs (available for purchase)
Options
Mendenhall Lake Canoe Adventure
Reviews
201 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Great Experience
Beth M,,Oct 7, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Be ready to padel, but it is so worth it! Waterfall and glacier are amazing. Great guides and an experience we’ll never forget.
What fun
Cheryl S,,Sep 11, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Being so close to the glacier you could feel the cold and can't imagine the true size of Mendenhall or Nugget Falls.
Make the effort to get close to the glacier!
179stephaniel,,Sep 7, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00BLUF: Want to get up close like the Adventure tour advertises when you click? Then EVERYONE has to put in the work to get as close as possible, it's a team effort - unfortunately on our amazing trip this didn't happen - the guides run a tight schedule we still got fairly close, could feel the cool air. They provide rubber boots which means you can climb all over the waterfall when you stop for pics - the light snack -(I got 2 small pieces of celery and carrot, it was all gone by the time we were done taking photos). Guide was great - highly recommend just be willing to work and be willing to step up when others can't or won't row.
Magnificent!
Cheryl S,,Aug 29, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00You won't regret it! Paddling out the glacier is cold, dress warm. Once you see it it's amazing and you will be amazed!
Great adventure tour with a little workout!
Maggs M,,Aug 16, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00This was a great tour. We had a small group of us, only 6 on the canoe and Gabe the guide. We got a workout, but we wanted that. We got to see so much, even though we couldn't get to Nugget Falls due to the rain and lake levels. We were able to see a little bit of the glacial lake outbreak coming under the glacier. It was cold and wet, but we didn't mind. I highly recommend this tour if you are adventurous and want to get some exercise!
Beautiful on the lake
497devona,,Jul 31, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00I can’t imagine any other way you can get up close and personal with the glacier. We had a gorgeous day on the lake. And the stop at beach by the waterfall was just spectacular. My only complaint is that the guide talked the entire time without taking a breath and he was very loud.it would have been much nicer to enjoy at least part of the trip in quiet. All that constant talking takes away from the beauty.
Fun adventure, beautiful scenery
Jeff E,,Jul 20, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00The bus picked us up on time from downtown Juneau and drove up to Mendenhall Lake with interesting history of the gold rush and the town. They provided everything necessary including waterproof boots and rain gear if needed. We had 19 people plus the guide in our canoe and it felt very stable the whole time. We lucked out with perfect weather (no rain) and had a nice paddle out across the lake to a great viewing point of Mendenhall Glacier, then stopped at the beach area by Nugget Falls to check out the waterfall and have a small snack (hot cider, cheese and crackers). Our guide was knowledgeable and we had a great time.
Amazing trip! Amazing guide!
Karen M,,Jul 19, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We are so happy we chose this excursion! It was not touristy at all . It was nature at its finest. As I look back on the trip it was amazing that there were only 3-4 canoes on the lake. It was so peaceful and the views were breathtaking. We got as close as we could to the glacier and we also stopped at the waterfall where snacks and drinks were provided. The canoe trip was 5 miles but it wasn’t hard — guide did a lot of the work! Speaking of guide- Malachi was the best!! He truly guided us to the glacier and back. We felt safe and he was very knowledgeable about the lake and area. He gets 5 plus stars. Don’t hesitate to book this— it’s worth the price and it will be a memory in your hearts forever!
Once in a lifetime
Hannah M,,Jul 4, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our family of 7 did this adventure with tour guide, Malachi. The adventure was amazing, once in a lifetime, highlight of our whole trip! Malachi was fun, engaging, kind a great guide. We would request him again & again!
Would do again!
BackPacker532331,,Jul 3, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Great tour! We aren’t usually ones to join tours, but we thought this would be a great, easy way to get close to the glacier with the young family and we were so right! Tyler was a fantastic captain, doing all the hard paddling work and adding all kinds of interesting facts to our tour. It ended up just being my husband and I and our three kids, so Christian and Masie jumped on to help paddle too and we were so grateful. Got amazing views of the glacier with zero crowds and amazing weather. Would definitely recommend!
From US$259.00
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Operated by Alaska Travel Adventures Inc.