Campground
Mendenhall Lake Campground
Lakeshore Forest Service campground facing Mendenhall Glacier, with RV hookups, showers and walk-in sites.
0.3 mi
Trail
West Glacier Trail
Trail along the west side of Mendenhall Lake to a rock outcrop above the glacier.
Tongass National Forest · USFS
- Distance
- 3.5 mi
- Difficulty
- Strenuous
- Route type
- Out and back
- Access modes
- Road · Hike
- Bikes allowed
- Yes
- Hazards
- Off-trail terrain, rock crevices, glacier and ice-cave hazards.
RoadHike
A 3.5-mile trail from the end of Skater’s Cabin Road to the junction with the Mount McGinnis route, ending on a rock outcrop overlooking Mendenhall Glacier. Most of it runs through willow, cottonwood and alder below the glacier trimline, skirting older spruce-hemlock forest. The last section can be hard to follow, so watch for cairns. Leaving the trail causes 10–12 search-and-rescue calls a year, most involving injuries. Stay on the trail; ice caves are hazardous and best visited only with a professional guide.
Location
In pictures
Hiking · Biking
Sources
- Juneau Hiking TrailsTravel Juneau · Accessed 2026-11-08
- West Glacier TrailheadUSDA Forest Service, Tongass National Forest · Accessed 2026-11-08
- USFS Tongass National Forest, RecreationUSDA Forest Service
- West Glacier TrailUSDA Forest Service, Tongass National Forest · Accessed 2026-11-08
Last updated 2026-11-09
Nearby within 25 miles
Campgrounds
Public use cabins
Public-use cabin
Sít’ Yá Hít’ Cabin
Year-round cabin in Mendenhall Lake Campground, in view of the glacier.
0.4 mi
Public-use cabin
John Muir Cabin
Chalet-style ridge cabin above Auke Bay, reached by a 3-mile climbing trail.
4.0 mi
Public-use cabin
Peterson Lake Cabin
Accessible lakeside cabin at the end of the Peterson Lake Trail, also reachable by floatplane.
5.4 mi
Public-use cabin
Windfall Lake Cabin
Accessible lake cabin on the Windfall Lake Trail with a dock and boardwalk.
7.9 mi
Public-use cabin
Marten Cabin
Small Eagle Beach cabin on the campground back loop.
10.8 mi
Public-use cabin
Berry Patch Cabin
Accessible Eagle Beach cabin a quarter mile along the campground road.
10.9 mi
Public-use cabin
Saturday Creek Cabin
State park cabin beside the Eagle Beach parking lot, 28 miles north of Juneau.
11.1 mi
Public-use cabin
Dan Moller Cabin
Two-level Douglas Island cabin in an alpine bowl, 3 miles up the Dan Moller Trail.
11.8 mi
Public-use cabin
Eagle Glacier Cabin
Log chalet on Eagle Lake facing Eagle Glacier, 5.5 miles up the Amalga Trail.
12.2 mi
Public-use cabin
Admiralty Cove Cabin
Wilderness beach cabin on north Admiralty Island, 15 minutes by floatplane from Juneau.
16.8 mi
Public-use cabin
Young Lake North Cabin
Fly-in lake cabin on north Admiralty Island with a skiff; trout and coho fishing.
19.9 mi
Public-use cabin
Young Lake South Cabin
Floatplane-access cabin at the south end of Young Lake with a skiff.
20.9 mi
Public-use cabin
Camping Cove Cabin
Point Bridget cabin 3.75 miles from the trailhead.
21.0 mi
Public-use cabin
Taku Glacier Cabin
Wheelchair-accessible beach cabin with a view of Taku Glacier.
21.0 mi
Public-use cabin
Cowee Meadow Cabin
Point Bridget State Park cabin 2.5 miles from the mile 39 trailhead.
22.2 mi
Public-use cabin
Blue Mussel Cabin
Point Bridget beach cabin 3.4 miles from the trailhead.
23.0 mi
Public-use cabin
Turner Lake West Cabin
Stone-and-log chalet on Turner Lake with a fireplace and two rowboats.
24.2 mi
Public-use cabin
Seymour Canal Cabin
State marine park cabin at the head of Seymour Canal, reached via the Oliver Inlet tram.
24.5 mi
Bear viewing sites
Trails
Trail
East Glacier Trail
- Distance
- 1.61856997095711 mi
Loop above the east side of Mendenhall Lake with glacier views and a side trip to A-J Falls.
1.6 mi
Trail
Nugget Falls Trail
- Distance
- 1.61856997095711 mi
Flat 0.8-mile walk along Mendenhall Lake to the foot of Nugget Falls.
1.6 mi
Trail
Auke Nu Trail
- Distance
- 3.22899858789047 mi
Partly planked 3-mile climb through muskeg to the John Muir Cabin above Auke Bay.
3.2 mi
Trail
Peterson Lake Trail
- Distance
- 8.23630549129335 mi
Muddy 4.3-mile trail on an old mining tram route to Peterson Lake Cabin.
8.2 mi
Trail
Dan Moller Trail
- Distance
- 10.4877054946301 mi
Planked Douglas Island trail climbing to an alpine bowl and the Dan Moller Cabin.
10.5 mi
Trail
Herbert Glacier Trail
- Distance
- 10.6232060594006 mi
Wide gravel path up the Herbert River valley to a moraine below Herbert Glacier; good for mountain bikes.
10.6 mi
Trail
Amalga Trail
- Distance
- 10.9448933908537 mi
Rough, wet 7-mile trail past beaver ponds and meadows to Eagle Glacier and its cabin.
10.9 mi
Trail
Admiralty Cove to North Young Lake Trail
- Distance
- 16.7561150867683 mi
Wilderness trail across north Admiralty Island linking Admiralty Cove and Young Lake cabins.
16.8 mi
