Swimming At Mendenhall???

[kag92]

My DH & I were watching top ten beaches on the travel channel. One of the top ten beaches to swim was at Mendenhall. Can anyone tell me if you are still aloud to swim or was this a old show? If you have swim there please tell me about it.

[Yukon]

LOL - you can swim there in theory, but the lake has a lot of icebergs floating in it. There isn't enough whiskey in Alaska to get me to jump in (well, okay, there might be if someone else is buying!) :D Much of the beach up by Nugget Falls is nice and sandy, though.

[Yukon]

I see a note at TripAdvisor that The Travel Channel said that it was good for a Polar Bear Plunge sort of experience - THAT I'd agree with :)

[PennyAgain]

It would be like swimming in a Slurpee! Very darn cold! I don't think you want to do it.

[wolfie11]

I see a lot of kids swimming on warm days. I don't know this year what is open to swimming as areas are closed each year for nesting birds (and those terns can get mean when you get near their nests). Of course these are the same kids wearing shorts at tee shirts at 20 F!

[lmt1022]

When I was there last week, there were kids swimming right by the shore.... more like wading I guess.

[kag92]

Thanks for the answers. I would not be swimming. I would be on shore taking the photo and sipping hot chocolate. My dh & dd's (4 of them) are wanting to swim.

[alaskaalaska]

Swimming in Alaska beside an iceberg would make for good memories;)

[tee_harbor]

I need to carry a camera all the time, I swear. I was out there one of our warm days, say, 78 degrees. A mother was letting her baby splash and wade in the lake, wearing nothing but his diaper, while a tourist is full Arctic polar gear stood watching in horror.

 

But there's a nice big bathroom at the visitor's center if they want to change and take a quick dip, depending on how rainy and cold it is. Have them understand though, on most days, your body will go numb very quickly. I have friends just stick their fingers in the water of any creek or lake to see how cold our water is. My visitors have trouble brushing their teeth because the water's so cold coming out of the tap.

[runner5]

I never even thought to swim there. Anyone know the water temp? I do tri's and have swam in VERY cold water, that would definitely be something unique to do in Alaska :)

[Belle]

Last Sept. while we were there, a couple

of people who live there(Juneau) were in the

water in the rain taking icebergs out for their

own use. They were wearing waders!

We were told this was what they do. Normal! BRRRR

[kag92]

One of my dd said she probably would never be in Alaska again and not everyone can say they have swam in Alaska. I am sure my family will give it a whirl.

What memories and photo to show back home.:D

[NHsnowpup]

LOL - you can swim there in theory, but the lake has a lot of icebergs floating in it. There isn't enough whiskey in Alaska to get me to jump in (well, okay, there might be if someone else is buying!) :D Much of the beach up by Nugget Falls is nice and sandy, though.

 

Have to think about this photo op.