Side Trips from Juneau

Side Trips from Juneau

Just a few miles outside of this ever-expanding city are some great day trips. The area's undisputed champion of visitor attractions is Mendenhall Glacier. Admiralty Island is also very popular—it has hikes through rain forest, excellent bear viewing, and secluded sea kayaking.

Native Culture Nearby

If you're interested in seeing how many native Alaskans of Southeast Alaska live today, you can fly or take one of the Alaska Marine Highway's ferries (907/465-3941 or 800/642-0066) to Kake, Angoon, or Hoonah. Hoonah's historic cannery building has been beautifully restored. Independent travelers won't find much organized touring in any of these communities, but you will find hotels (advance reservations strongly suggested), and guided fishing and natural-history trips can be arranged by asking around.

In Kake, contact the Keex' Kwaan Lodge (907/785-3434. www.kakealaska.com).

In Angoon, try the Favorite Bay Luxury Wilderness Resort (907/788-3344 or 866/788-3344. www.favoritebay.com).

In Hoonah, Icy Strait Lodge (866/645-3636. icystraitnow.com) provides very comfortable on-the-water accommodations.

Macaulay Salmon Hatchery

3 mi northwest of downtown Juneau.

Watch through an underwater window as salmon fight their way up a fish ladder, from mid-June to mid-October. Inside the busy hatchery, which produces almost 125 million young salmon annually, you will learn about the environmental considerations of commercial fishermen and the lives of salmon. A retail shop sells gifts and salmon products.

2697 Channel Dr. 907/463-4810 or 877/463-2486. www.dipac.net. $3.25 including short tour. Mid-May-mid-Sept., weekdays 10-6, weekends 10-5; Oct.-Apr. by appointment.

Glacier Gardens Rainforest Adventure

6½ mi northwest of Juneau.

Spread over 50 acres of rain forest, Glacier Gardens has ponds, waterfalls, hiking paths, a large atrium, and gardens. The roots of fallen trees, turned upside down and buried in the ground, act as bowls to hold planters that overflow with begonias, fuchsias, and petunias. Guided tours in covered golf carts lead you along the 4 mi of paved paths, and a 580-foot-high overlook provides dramatic views across Mendenhall Glacier. A café and gift shop are here, and the conservatory is a popular wedding spot. The Juneau city bus, which departs from multiple locations in downtown Juneau, stops right in front of Glacier Gardens.

7600 Glacier Hwy. 907/790-3377. www.glaciergardens.com. $22 including guided tour. May-Sept., daily 9-6.

Mendenhall Glacier

13 mi north of Juneau.

Juneau's famous drive-up glacier spans 12 mi and is fed by the massive Juneau Icefield. Like many other Alaska glaciers, it is retreating up the valley, losing over 100 feet a year as massive chunks of ice calve into the small lake separating Mendenhall from the Mendenhall Visitor Center. The center has highly interactive exhibits on the glacier, a theater and bookstore, educational exhibits, and panoramic views. It's a great place for children to learn the basics of glacier dynamics. Nature trails lead along Mendenhall Lake and into the mountains overlooking Mendenhall Glacier; the trails are marked by posts and paint stripes delineating the historical location of the glacier, providing a sharp reminder of the Mendenhall's hasty retreat. Look for spawning sockeye and coho salmon in Steep Creek, ½ mi south of the visitor center along the Moraine Ecology Trail. Several companies lead bus tours to the glacier. A glacier express bus leaves from the cruise-ship terminal and heads right out to Mendenhall Glacier; ask at the visitor information center there. End of Glacier Spur Rd., off Mendenhall Loop Rd. 907/789-0097. www.fs.fed.us/r10/tongass/districts/mendenhall. Visitor center $3 in summer, free in winter. May-Sept., daily 8-7:30; Oct.-Apr., Thurs.-Sun. 10-4.

Shrine of St. Therese

23 mi northwest of downtown Juneau.

A self-guided pilgrimage to the shrine is well worth the 23-mi journey from downtown Juneau (a taxi costs at least $50 round-trip). Built in the 1930s, this beautiful stone church and its 15 stations of the cross are the only inhabitants of a serene tiny island that is accessible via a 400-foot-long pedestrian causeway. Sunday services are held at 1:30 PM from June through August. For those wishing to explore the area for more than a few hours, the Shrine offers a lodge and four rental cabins that run the gamut from rustic to resplendent.

5933 Lund St. 907/780-6112. www.shrineofsainttherese.org.

Admiralty Island

10 mi south of Juneau.

The island is famous for its lush rain forests and abundant wildlife, including one of the largest concentrations of brown bears anywhere on the planet. Tlingit inhabitants called it Kootznoowoo, meaning "fortress of the bears." Ninety miles long, with 678 mi of coastline, Admiralty—the second-largest island in Southeast Alaska—is home to an estimated 1,500 bears, almost one per square mile.

The Forest Service's Admiralty Island National Monument has a system of public-use cabins, a canoe route that crosses the island via a chain of lakes and trails, the world's highest density of nesting bald eagles, large concentrations of humpback whales, and some of the region's best sea kayaking and sportfishing.

More than 90% of Admiralty Island is preserved within the Kootznoowoo Wilderness. Its chief attraction is Pack Creek,where you can watch brown bears feeding on salmon. One of Alaska's premier bear-viewing sites, Pack Creek is comanaged by the U.S. Forest Service and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Permits are required during the main viewing season, from June 1 through September 10, and only 24 people per day are allowed to visit Pack Creek from July 5 through August 25. If you're headed to Pack Creek without a guide or an experienced visitor, be sure to cover the basics of bear safety before your trip. Applications can be mailed to the Forest Service beginning February 20. 907/586-8800. www.fs.fed.us/r10/tongass/districts/admiralty. $10-$50.