Mendenhall Glacier Paddle & Hike

Enjoy the Mendenhall Glacier up close!

The Glacier Canoe Paddle and Trek is our most popular adventure trip to the world renowned Mendenhall Glacier. Over the years, we’ve hosted families of diverse ages and backgrounds, photographers and writers, the BBC, Good Morning America, Gayle King with CBS This Morning, and the O Magazine.

Your adventure begins on the shore of the Mendenhall Glacier Lake with paddle instruction from your glacier/canoe guide. We’ll load our gear into our large canoes and paddle together across the cool waters – Mendenhall Glacier, always in sight, is our destination! Glide past Arctic Tern nesting grounds, and observe the mist generated by Nugget Falls while paddling in unison to the ice.

We’ll travel in 8 person or 12 person canoes skippered by 1 to 2 guides. Guests seeking a private experience are encouraged to book the Private Glacier Canoe Paddle and Trek or the Private Mendenhall Glacier Trek.

As we approach the glacier, keep your eyes open for freshly calved icebergs and feel the cool breeze generated by the ice. You will land at a beach near the glacier, and trek with your guide across the moon-like landscape of bedrock. While hiking along the rocky moraine, you will get close up views of the glacier and learn about how quickly this glacier is receding. Explore an ice age wilderness from the edge of the glacier, and look for stunning ice features such as crevasses, seracs, and other deep blue mysteries of this ancient river of ice.

The glacier is in a state of constant change, and features come and go which makes every day different. This tour does not get onto the glacier, it brings you to the edge of the glacier with front-row views of it. After soaking in the beauty of the glacier, you’ll head back to the canoes for a return paddle across Mendenhall Lake.

Client Pickup Information

Located at the base of the Mt. Roberts Tramway, the C-Sign is ABAK’s primary downtown meeting location for cruise passengers and clients staying in the downtown area.

Clients arriving at AJ Dock:

Clients who dock at the AJ Dock within 30 minutes of the ABAK pick-up time will be picked up directly from AJ DOCK.

Clients staying Locally:

Clients can be picked up from any major hotel in the Mendenhall Valley.

Clients staying at major hotels in the Downtown area will meet at our Downtown meeting location.

ABAK is unable to provide pick-up in residential neighborhoods. Clients staying at private residences, Air BnB’s, VRBO’s, or have own transportation please contact our office for meeting location information at 907-364-2333 or info@beyondak.com.