You may encounter small groups of purple-brown, many-flowered spikes arising from the ground under alders. This is groundcone Boschniakia rossica , a member of the broomrape family, that makes its living by parasitizing the alder roots. In turn, its thickened rhizome is a favorite nutritious fall delicacy of bears. Trail of Time forms a short loop 0. On this trail you will see rock outcrops with lichens, mosses, several types of saxifrages, and small ferns in the recesses.
Large ferns like lady fern Athyrium filix-femina and shield fern Dryopteris expansa occur in the shaded, moist areas. East Glacier Loop 3. Besides passing through streamside habitats with violets, buttercups, Sitka burnet Sanguisorba canadensis , various willows, currants and gooseberries, the trail leads to a copse of yellow cedar trees Chamaecyparis nootkatensis which are rare in the northern part of the Tongass National Forest.
Safety First: Many black bears reside in the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center area and rely on the salmon return to Steep Creek and berries ripening in late summer and fall to prepare them for winter hibernation. When in bear country, make lots of noise to make your presence known especially if you are by yourself or in a small group.
Bear spray and insect repellent are recommended items to carry. Be prepared for inclement weather by wearing non-cotton clothing and have rain gear handy. Directions: Coming from downtown Juneau, you reach this area by travelling about 13 miles north on Egan Drive to the intersection of Mendenhall Loop Road. There turn right and continue straight out until the road ends at the Visitor Center. Parking is available in 2 formal parking lots and along the roadside.
Watch for tourists and bears crossing the road, as well as buses loading and unloading passengers. Map: Get a map of the Mendenhall Glacier trail system…. Breadcrumb Home Celebrating Wildflowers. Celebrating Wildflowers. Water depth at the glacier's terminus is feet.
At this rate, the glacier would take several centuries to completely disappear. For Mendenhall Glacier to advance, the icefield's snowfall needs to increase, the glacier's rate of melt needs to decrease, or both. As Mendenhall Glacier retreats and uncovers bare rock, the wind carries seeds and moss spores onto barren land. Alder, willow and cottonwood tree seeds systematically grow in deglaciated landscapes.
Low-nutrient glacier debris depends on flowering lupine and alder to fix nitrogen in the soil. All species add organic matter to the soil as they are overtopped and shaded out by other species.
Spruce and hemlock ultimately rise to close the forest canopy, eventually creating an old growth forest. Encompassing almost years, this sequence of plant succession provides habitat for an increasing number of plants and animal species. The base of Mendenhall Glacier works like a giant piece of sandpaper.
As the ice flows towards Mendenhall Lake, the glacier picks up rocks that become imbedded in the ice from the valley floor. The glacier scrapes these rocks across the bedrock creating grooves and striations.
The glacier's erosive power changes the landscape and scrapes much of the soil and rock from the valley walls. Rocks scoured from the surrounding valley wallscan fall on to the glacier and be transported down valley. This process can create dark debris lines called moraines on the edges and, where twoglacier branches come together, down the center of the glacier.
As the glacier continues its path towards Mendenhall Lake, it carries debris like a conveyor belt and deposits it in the lake. As it moves the glacier also grinds up rock to a fine powder called rock flour silt that escapes with glacial melt water and creates the lake's murky color.
Porcupine, squirrels, snowshoe hare, and short-tailed weasel build homes on the valley floor, and migrating songbirds build nests in the deciduous shrubs in the young forest.
In Steep Creek, beavers work to create ponds while spawning sockeye and Coho salmon provide a food source for black bears and eagles. Gull and Arctic terns nest around Mendenhall Lake, and mountain goats favor the rocky terrain and alpine meadows on the surrounding peaks. There have been several ice caves in past years, but the cave that appears in many recent internet photos has collapsed and disappeared. It was located along the west flank of the glacier but the ice has completely melted out of that area and cave presence is seasonal and inconsistent.
A trip close to or on to the glacier, while inspiring, is also dangerous. If you choose to go, be aware of the risks and go prepared and with a guide.
There are two general routes people take to the glacier: over land and over the lake. Both routes involve hazards not normally found on trails and it is strongly recommended to go with someone who knows the route. The lake route involves paddling a watercraft on an icy-cold lake and passing near the glacier face where large bergs may break off at any time.
This should only be attempted by those with cold-water paddling skills including an ability to self-rescue in the event of capsize. Waves from glacial calvings collapse of the glacial terminus face can cause watercraft to capsize or wash watercraft off the shoreline. This route also requires foot travel for 30 minutes along the glacier edge where rock is especially loose, or on the glacier itself with the hazards of crevasses and slippery ice.
Many people use an overland route that begins at the West Glacier trail and veers onto an unmaintained, unofficial path through the forest and across a moon-scape of loose rock with a confusing array of markers. The overall route length to the glacier is approximately 4 miles one-way and the majority of it is over rough, steep, uneven, unmarked, and slippery terrain.
Many people get lost on the return. Slips and falls down steep and sometimes wet rock faces are all too common. More experienced hikers should try the West Glacier Trail, which follows the edge of the lake and glacier, providing access to the ice itself. For another kind of adventure, kayak on Mendenhall Lake and enjoy paddling near icebergs and arctic nesting cliffs. For the less experienced, there are guided canoe tours you can book through many cruise lines.
The Mendenhall Glacier has plenty of activities you can do yourself but there are a number of fun charter tours that help you get the most out of your visit. Consider a day cruise that combines a visit to the glacier with a whale-watching tour of Auke Bay, for example.
There are many helicopter tours providing spectacular aerial views of ice spires, deep blue crevasses, and meltwater pools. The helicopter tours land at the glacier site and offer everything from guided ice walking to dog-sledding. While the Mendenhall Glacier is accessible all year, the best time to visit is May through October. The Mendenhall Glacier is great in all weather.
On a sunny day, it's beautiful, with blue skies and snow-capped mountains in the background. On a cloudy afternoon, it can be even more impressive as the ice turns a deep and mystical shade of blue.
There is plenty of free parking on site. By shuttle : For a fee, the Glacier Shuttle is quick and convenient with one leaving from downtown every 30 minutes. Pick up and drop off is located at the cruise ship terminal. By boat : There are a number of day cruises which combine whale-watching and a visit to the glacier. They will drop you at the glacier following your tour, allowing you time to explore Mendenhall Glacier and its surrounding terrain on foot. By air : Helicopter tours provide incredible views of the glacier and the larger Juneau Icefield.
From this height, you can see why NASA chose this area as one of the places on Earth that "captured the emotional sensations that one might encounter while walking on the moon. In This Section. Explore Juneau Virtually. Juneau on Location. About Our Town. Alaska's State Capital. Juneau's Native Heritage.
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