Located just 12 miles outside of downtown Juneau, Alaska sits the Mendenhall Glacier. Hundreds of thousands of visitors gaze upon its beauty each year. But very few people actually see it from its most beautiful angle : the inside.
Inside the glacier is a series of ice caves that are simply otherworldly — like walking through the wardrobe into Narnia. Only all of Narnia is blue. And you had to hike a moderately strenuous 3.5 mile trail (each way) to get there.
However, the caves are quickly melting and collapsing. Get to Juneau as fast as possible! That is, if you have any interest in photographing yourself as a Smurf experiencing this surreal natural wonder!
Know Before You Go
This trail can be dangerous, arduous, and is somewhat unmarked in certain spots. A few people each year come ill-prepared, get lost, slip and fall, sprain their ankle, or need rescuing. I highly recommend not hiking this one alone if you’re not an experienced hiker.
Expect the hike to take between 2–3 ½ hours each way. Start early and don’t underestimate the time. Plan it so that you’re not coming back in the dark! You should also know that you are not guaranteed access into the ice caves. Take note of the weather and always use common sense when it comes to your safety.
What To Bring
Dress in layers, bring snacks and water for the day, and keep in mind that you’ll get wet! This means safeguarding your phones and your cameras with protective cases! My LifeProof NUUD Waterproof iPhone case* saved me on this trip!
A warm sweater or light rainjacket to change into will be wanted once you get closer to the cold wet glacier. Bring proper hiking boots or sneakers with ankle support, and wool socks. Chapstick with SPF, sunscreen on sunny days, and mosquito repellent are good ideas too.
Crampons for your shoes are extremely helpful if you want to walk on the top of the glacier and laugh at all the people who paid hundreds of dollars to do the same thing on tour. I was recently sent a pair of STABILicers to test out and I LOVE them! Definitely bringing these on all my ice and glacier hikes from now on. Plus, they donate 5% of sales to the National Park Foundation! Gloves to protect your hands while scrambling down the rocks during the last bit of the hike would’ve been handy to pack, too.
And of course, please remember that this is an incredibly beautiful natural wonder in need of protection and safeguarding. Practice your Leave No Trace skills — and if you pack it in, pack it out.
[*This case is no longer made, but I’m now using the LifeProof Frē on my adventures, which I’ve linked to in its place. It’s also waterproof (and everything proof)!]
How To Get There
The West Glacier Trail is on the western side of the glacier starting at Mendenhall Lake. This out-and-back trail will bring you to the caves. You could also veer off at the “Viewpoint” sign on the trail. This will still bring you to the caves, but on a different route (the Cairn route).
If you’re not on a tour, you can drive your own vehicle, rent one in town, or take a taxi. In a taxi, tell the driver you plan on doing the West Glacier Trail off of Skater’s Cabin Road. Use the Google directions below if driving yourself.
Start on the West Glacier Trailhead. If you can, set up a GPS to track your course before you start the hike. This will make finding your way back a whole lot easier. I also dropped a pin on my phone’s map when I started and took note of the time.
If you opt to take a guided tour, you’ll be shuttled by van from your pick-up point to the trailhead. The van should also bring you back once the tour has ended.
Credit : alaska.org
AllTrails App screenshot
The West Glacier Trail starts out in a forest and is fairly level to walk on for a while. It can get muddy and slick in some areas. A good portion of the trail has uplifted rocks and roots. It begins to get pretty steep and you’ll have to go over bridges, switchbacks, and stairs. There’s also a large boulder with a knotted rope to aid in climbing up it. (Obstacle course, anyone?)
You’ll reach a few scenic overlooks until you come to an area with shrubbery and exposed rock near the glacier. Again, not all of the trail is marked. Look for the colorful ribbons tied to bushes, or for cairns — rocks piled orderly on top of each other — that other hikers have created to help distinguish the route. The last bit is that loose rock scramble downhill to reach the cave entrance.
Exploring The Caves
Again, the last bit of the West Glacier Trail has you scrambling down a hillside of loose rocks and pebbles. Be mindful of your footing and go slow. The cave entrances are right in front of you. You’ll see holes in the sides of the glacier with an icy bubbly blue hue inside. There’s a little stream running through them.
Caution : Once you enter the ice caves, you’ll want to stay forever and you will seriously contemplate adapting to the cold and taking an ice worm as your wife.
Fun Fact — Yes, ice worms actually exist! They spend their entire lives in glacial ice, only coming to the surface in mornings and evenings. They feed on algae and pollen grains. Their bodies actually liquify if they experience temperatures of 41° F (5° C) or higher! So in retrospect, maybe choose a different wife species when you decide to stay here forever. Unless you want to become a widow thanks to global warming. ;)
This Glacier Is Receding!
The Mendenhall Glacier is receding and melting quicker than it can accumulate snow and ice. The snowfall at the head of the Icefield is heavily relied on. But with increasing global temperatures, it’s not looking very hopeful for glaciers.
Granted, the total disappearance of the Mendenhall glacier would probably take centuries. But the ice caves inside of it are disappearing at a much faster rate.
I first visited the caves in July 2014. Two days later, a ranger informed me that the main entrance had melted and collapsed! Talk about timing! I returned to these ice caves in August 2017 and the difference was alarming. The new entrance was much smaller and the caves weren’t as vast or extensive. Water was still dripping and pouring from its “ceiling”.
Some predict that it could be as little as 10 years until they are gone completely!
Avoid future disappointment and start planning your trip to Juneau ASAP!
To learn more about ice caves and to check out a tour option, visit Alaska Shore Tours.
Thinking about a cruise to Alaska?
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Have you visited an ice cave before?
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Comments
I never knew about this place, looks really beautiful I’ll have to add it to my list! Great helpful/ informative post, thanks! :).
Glad you enjoyed it! And yes — Definitely add it to your list, especially since they’re melting!
Alaska is in my bucket list but it will probably be a while before I get there. The ice caves look amazing and I will definitely look to visit although I will have hero get my fitness up first lol. I’m also not adverse to looking like a smurf ?
Hahaha yeh this trail was a pretty long hike with some tough parts, but a chance at becoming a smurf inside the caves is so worth it! :D
I would love to visit Alaska and these ice caves look amazing. But it makes me so sad to think that they will be gone in ten years because of climate change. It reminds me how much is at stake.
Right?! It makes me wonder what kind of natural wonders will still be around when I’m like 50 or 60. I couldn’t believe the entrance we used in these ice caves had melted and collapsed 2 days after we were there!
There will simply be NEW natural wonders…
OMG – this is absolutely stunning! I would not be able to make this hike (knee injury) but SO enjoyed going along on your journey with you, thanks for sharing!!
You’re welcome! It was absolutely surreal to be inside. I’d love to go back at some point and see how much it’s changed!
ӏ do accept ɑs true with all the concepts ʏօu’ѵе offered on your post.
Thᥱу’re realⅼy convincing and can definitely ԝork.
Nߋnetheless, the posts аre ѵery quick for novices.
Мay youu рlease lengthen them a little from next timе?
Tһank you for tһe post.
I could definitely try to lengthen future posts if the content is relevant and useful information! There wasn’t much more to be said about this particular hike though. Hope you get to go see these ice caves for yourself one day!
i am visiting Juneau, Alaska next Aug. and planning to hike the Mendenhall Glacier as well. Do you know if it will be in same place as this year? Are they stay in one place? or are they melting and creating new ones every year?
Awesome! Yes, it will be in the same place since the glacier doesn’t move – it only recedes/shrinks a little bit each year. Finding an entrance to the ice caves there is another story, because those can change all the time depending on what melts and where. Wishing you a great trip!
Did you use a guided tour or did you do this hike on your own? If you took a guided tour what company did you use?
I went with a group of fellow cruise crew members and it was led by one of the ship’s personal trainers who had done the hike many times before. He showed us how to get there, so I don’t know anything about which guided tour company to use. I would just google “mendenhall glacier ice caves guided tour” and compare a few companies and prices. However, I heard guided tours are typically around $215-$300/person.
Hi, which cruise line did you go with? I’m going on a Royal Caribbean cruise in August and we’ll be visiting Juneau as well, and we’re trying to go to the ice caves too! Do you think they might have someone on the ship who can lead us there too?
I work seasonally for Princess Cruises. My hike to the ice caves was a crew tour that was led by one of the personal trainers onboard who’s hiked this route many times and knew where to take us. It’s likely that nobody on the ship would take you to the ice caves since it’s not offered to passengers as a tour or anything. I’d recommend going with a tour company on land that will guide you there, but make sure you’ll make it back to the ship on time before it sails away! This hike is about 3 and a half hours each way! We arrived into Juneau at around 6am and had the full day there.
how long is the hike there? did i read correctly its 3.5-4.5 hours each way???
Yes haha Starting at West Glacier Trail makes the hike 3.5-4.5hours EACH WAY lol
It’s definitely an all day early morning hike!
Hi Joy,
Loved your post! My wife and I are leaving on a Princess cruise soon and interested in doing this hike down to the ice caves when we get to Juneau. A guided tour was unavailable as our cruise ship doesn’t arrive in Juneau until 12:30 p.m. and leaves at 10:00 p.m. I have a question for you regarding the trail that splits from the West Glacier Trail – how difficult would the lower trail be to follow for the two of us to get down to the ice caves? I’ve heard that it isn’t marked very well.
We are both in great shape, so I feel good about the physical aspect of the climb, just want to make sure we don’t get lost!
Thank you,
Tyler
Hi Tyler!
Glad you loved my post! Unfortunately, I don’t know anything about a trail that splits from the West Glacier Trail. I do know that that entire area and trail was not very well marked at all especially toward the last half of the hike to the glacier. We were lucky because we were being guided by one of the personal trainers that has done this hike many times before, so he knew exactly where to bring us. For the most part, there’s a clear well-hiked trail, but at the end you’re just kind of wandering through rocks and shrubs looking for cairns, spray paint, little signs, or flag tape which proved to be kind of difficult.
Keep in mind that the trail head is about 20-30 minutes away from the ship and that each way of the hike is about 3-4 hours long, so factor that into the timing of when passengers are allowed to disembark the ship and when you’ll need to be back onboard before it sails away!
I can only speak of my own one experience but I hope that helps a little!
Hi Joy,
Thanks for the response. My wife and I made it successfully to the ice caves yesterday! We started at the West Glacier trailhead and split from the trail at a sign marked for a viewpoint a little over a mile in. The trail was pretty well marked with large signs, ribbons, and cairns. Had no problem finding it. We paid good attention to where we came from and landmarks and didn’t have much trouble getting back. I’ve heard a lot of people get lost on the way back as there isn’t much of a trail, but there are signs marked with dates regarding the glacier recession that around surrounded by stacks of rocks that can be seen from 100-300 yards. Can be a little ambiguous, but definitely not impossible.
The ice caves were amazing when we finally got there and we used our crampons to hike up onto the Glacier. Really fun trip! Thanks for your post. It was really helpful. Definitely a once in a lifetime type trip.
Best,
Tyler
Hi Tyler!
I’m SO SO stoked you both got to go and see the ice caves! It sounds like the trail has been better marked-off than when I went a few years ago, so that’s good news! It’s one of the most memorable places I’ve ever experienced. And definitely the best hike I’ve ever done! Glad you got to experience it too!
And I hope the rest of your cruise was a blast as well!
Thanks for getting back to me to tell me about your trip!
Cheers,
Joy
Hello Joy
Thank you for answering my previous question. Due to my mother’s shape i am thinking of kayaking from information center to Glacier.
I just purchased 2 inflatable kayak for this trip. So i can get there much faster and less walk. I will be paddling more. I think it should be safe to paddle because it is a lake not coast.
Do you have any advice or concern about on inflatable kayaking to Glacier? Maybe there will be too many ice etc? (ps. we are visiting on Aug.) i will bring all the basic safety equipment for paddling.
Thank you.
-Max-
Hi Max!
The lake can still be rough sometimes if the winds pick up so it might be a bit choppy. In August most of the ice would have melted but some bigger chunks could still be around. Just avoid them with the inflatable kayaks so that they don’t get any holes in them! As long as you’re experienced and you know how to judge the safety of the lake once you get there, you should be fine. Ask anyone working in the information enter about their thoughts or any advice from them too if it’s open when you arrive!
Have an awesome time!
Joy
Thank you.
Hey Joy!
Im going to Juneau July 12, 2017. Im coming in via a princess cruise ship. I’m very serious about making this hike. I have some questions if you think you could answer:
Will I need Crampons or some other form of traction shoes(other than hiking boots) or is this unlikely in mid July?
From the the port what is the best way to get there? rent a car and drive to where the west glacier trail begins? Lyft, Uber, Taxi? shuttles?
Here’s what we plan on having let me know if you have any other suggestions…
Base layers
Rain jackets
Hiking boots
Wool socks
Camelbaks
a Can-do attitude
…I appreciate any input you have and look forward to a response :)
That’s so exciting! I work seasonally for Princess Cruises and literally just got back last night from a weeklong contract to Alaska! I’ll be headed back there for 6 weeks next week too! What ship will you be on?!
You’ll definitely need to make sure that you’ll be docked all day in Juneau. I see Max has already answered (thanks Max!) but I’ll also give my input. You won’t need crampons unless you plan on climbing on the top of the glacier instead of inside the ice caves. The caves can be wet so wear the proper shoes for that or bring an extra pair of wool socks to change into after. From the port, I went on a crew-led “tour” and we used a shuttle van, which would definitely be the way to go. Otherwise an Uber or Lyft would be fine though they arent as popular in AK as they are in the lower 48. You can still get one in Juneau though. And if you don’t already have either one of those apps downloaded on your phone, head to my right hand sidebar and get it through the link in the promotions photo of Uber or Lyft for some money off on the ride!
Hi Brittany
I am not sure if i should answer for you or not, but since i am here and i have been to glacier….i will do.
if you are just viewing, you do not need any of them but if you want to hike you do need boots+@.
If you want to go top of glacier after 4~5 hr hiking, you need Crampon (Must) for ice, ice axe ( I am bringing tracking pole with spike for ladies) and helmet (ski helmet for my mother). but crampon will do.
if you wan to go ice cave you may or may not need crampon … but you might need helmet too because it is melting and ice can fall from top, but i saw lots of picketers and videos without helmet.
-Max-
Thanks for helping to answer, Max! I was away on a ship with limited service!
Hi Tyler,
We are crushing to Juneau next week and I really want to do this hike and find an ice cave; can you give me any more specific directions on how you found a cave since the opening Joy used is gone?
Hey Anna!
The entrance I used isn’t really “gone”, it just melted a bit and caved in on itself. You can still access the caves here though. I took a shuttle (you can also take a taxi) from town to the Mendenhall visitors center and took the West Glacier Trail to the glacier and the entrance.
Hope that helps! Remember that entry isn’t always guaranteed and on warm days, it’s best to take a helmet or buy one in town before heading out if you’re going without a tour!
Joy
My husband and I r planning a trip to Alaska. We would like to go to the ice caves but I have asthma and not sure it would be safe .
Yeh, it’s a pretty long hike and parts of it are challenging. I don’t know enough about your health or your body, like what you’re capable of hiking with your asthma though so I can’t really comfortably say “Go try it!”, ya know? lol
Was wondering how steep of a climb it would be. We kayak in the summer . Would it be best to have a guide.
The trail varies a lot, some parts are steep switchbacks and some parts are straight and flat. You could do it without a guide, but because some of it is unmarked, I’d suggest getting a guide. It’s up to you and your comfort level in the outdoors. :)
Thank you for your sharing.
Will the west glacier trail be closed in winter? We Consider the appropriate month for access into the ice caves.
And, are there any bears on this road?
Hi Serena!
I’m not sure if the trail will be closed in winter or not but it would be extremely dangerous in winter and there’s no way you’d find where to go in all that snow. A lot of the trail markers and cairns (rock piles stacked by other hikers to tell you where a trail is) would be covered by the snow and a lot of the rocky and narrow parts of the trail would be way too slippery or also covered in snow and too dangerous to navigate. The best time to go would be June-Sept.
Yes, there are black bears in the area though I’ve never seen any on my two hikes there before.
Hope that helps!
Thank you for your help.
Hey, just wanted to let you know that the ice cave is completely gone as of this spring. I ran out there last week and the river that forms the ice caves was running approx 150 – 200 feet away from the base of the glacier. the glacier has completely receded away from where the caves were. :/
Holy! Good to know! I might head out there again this summer, so if I do I’ll definitely be re-writing this post or writing a new post on the caves and the effects of global warming. So crazy!
Wow! You’re so lucky you still got to see it in all its glory! Damn you, global warming! :( :( I’ve always wanted to do glacier hiking but not a lot of people I would love to go with are keen to accompany me! Is there like an organized tour to do this with others? Also, what special equipment (shoes, clothing) would one need?
Aw bummer! I hope you can convince one of those people to try it out with you soon! But if not, then yes – this glacier has a lot of various tours available so you can join a group on a guided hike or boating trip to the glacier face or go on a glacier trekking tour that included the caves. (Though hiking it yourself is free instead of a couple hundred dollars).
I listed a “What To Bring” section in the post. Basically, you’ll want ankle high hiking shoes or boots that have been worn in already. If you want to climb around on top of the glacier, pack crampons (I love STABILicers which I listed above along with my discount code for a pair of your own!). You’ll work up a sweat on the hike (I hiked in capri hiking bottoms and a wick-away t-shirt), but once you get close to the glacier it starts to cool down so bring a light rainjacket and/or sweater!
This is an excellent post with lots of useful information. Thanks!
Some in our group want to take their children on this hike, but it seems like it would be too much for them. What do you think is a good minimum age (range)? Did you see other kids on your hike?
Hmmm, I don’t remember seeing any kids. I did see some teenagers though!
That looks really beautiful!! I wish I could have seen them, but unfortunately, they are gone now. It‘s incredibly sad.
Yeh I heard they were gone and I’m so bummed now! I DID leave the statistic in here about how I read that they’d likely disappear within the next 10 years but wow…that was so much sooner than I thought! Guess my blog post title of “…Before Its Too Late” was right! Unfortunately.
I’m hoping to go back on the hike anyway (either this summer or next) and just see what it looks like myself, and then re-edit this post with updated photos. :(
Hi Joy. Thanks for your detailed post. It has been extremely helpful! I’m headed to Juneau in July and had this hike on my itinerary. I just wondered if you or any other readers have made it back recently. Are the caves completely gone? I think I’ll still go to enjoy the glacier and scenery but just wanted to know whether or not to get excited about exploring the caves.
I haven’t been back recently, but a few years ago a park ranger from Glacier Bay told me (and some of my readers/friends told me) that the ice caves have officially melted here. They don’t “grow” back or anything, so unfortunately I don’t think any accessible caves are left at Mendenhall. Which super sucks! But the glacier and the trails around it are all incredibly beautiful and worth exploring!
This website really has all of the information I wanted about this
subject and didn’t know who to ask.