The West Glacier Trail in Juneau, Alaska, is incredible. This trail is one of the most accessible hiking trails in the area, and it is an excellent way to see Juneau from a different perspective.
The West Glacier Trail can be accessed from several places in Juneau, but the most common trailhead is the footbridge over Mendenhall River. To get to the trailhead, you can either drive or take a bus. The bus stop is located at the Northwood Shopping Center.
Alternatively, you can walk to the trailhead from downtown Juneau in about 45 minutes. The trail crosses several streets on the way to the footbridge, so you need to make sure to follow the appropriate crosswalks.
The trail can also be accessed from the Lemon Creek Trail, but this trailhead is more challenging to reach.
The West Glacier Trail can be hiked in either direction, but if you are coming from town, you will start at the footbridge over the Mendenhall River. Along the trail, you’ll be in a lush forest, with Mendenhall Glacier in the distance.
The trail starts out as a dirt path, but the trail quickly becomes rocky. The West Glacier Trail is relatively easy to hike, but as we got further, it got harder once we got to the rockier sections of the trail.
You could also hike back to the trailhead instead of continuing up the harder areas by following the path along the Mendenhall River—that’s still beautiful to see, and a nice hike in and out.
The trail is challenging enough to provide a good workout, but it does not pose a significant risk of injury. Hiking the West Glacier Trail is a great way to explore Juneau’s natural beauty.
The views of the lush forests, raging creeks, and nearby glaciers are excellent ways to experience Alaska’s wild side.
It's just beautiful. It was one of my favorite hikes while I was in Alaska.