How long to allow for Mendenhall

[study19kda]

Long time lurker, but new poster. We are visiting Juneau in May on the Zuiderdam with a 2 yr old. It gets in to Juneau at 1:00. Some of the private whale watching tours start at 3:00 or 3:30. My question is: do we have time to get to Mendenhall glacier, hike to Nugget Falls (toddler will be backpacked by us so it will be quicker hiking), and get back to Juneau in time for a 3:00 or 3:30 whale watching? We don't want to do the 5:00-6:00 whale watching tours since they are too late for the kiddo. Also, if this won't work, how late is the Mendenhall park open (and shuttles running) so one of us could go after kiddo is in bed (we're in Juneau until 10PM)?

 

Sorry this is so long-just trying to figure out logistics, and everyone here is so knowledgeable! :)

[Budget Queen]

I would only suggest you book with a whale watch vendor who will pick you up at Mendenhall. Otherwise you are going to have to be on a 2pm bus back to downtown for your whale watch, which doesn't work with a 1pm port time.

 

You need to allow an hour for the Nugget Falls trail.

[oratheeexplorer]

We are booked with Harv and Marvs and they are dropping us off at Mendenhall Glacier after our whale watch tour. They said they can pick you up there also before a tour. There is a shuttle bus that runs from cruise pier to Mendenall and back every 1/2 hour and is $8 per person one way......

[chipmaster]

There are no tours/private that shoot for a 1:30 departure?

 

I think we did something like that, 1:30 deperature, as our ship arrived late ( the Tracy Arm excursion ) and I ran like a mad man from dock to catch the Orca tour.

 

You really don't want to do the Mendenhall then come back to Juneau only to head back out to the whale watching dock. From what I remember most of the whale tours leave from a dock that is past Mendenhall so you double back twice and waste lots of travel time.

 

We finished closer to 5pm than tour'd Mendenhall including the hike in about 45'. In someways after the bus stops running the trails are really desolate, a plus. With Orca you do the add on and they drop you off and than pick you up 45' later, you don't have to waste time going back and forth twice. Did mean we didn't get back to ship till almost 7:30 and late dinner.

[bonvoyagie]

I know there are combo tours that do both Mendenhal and Whale watching. Take a look at what is offered through HAL. They should be done as a single tour as the glacier and Auke Bay are on the same side of town and the opposite end from where the ships dock. As I recall most of the combo tours give you about an hour or so at the Glacier. This allows you time to go through the visitors center and walk the trails - I read where the new trail from the visitors center to the falls is about 3/4 mi so it is probably doable. As others have suggested, the whale watching tours will drop you at the glacier and there are express buses that run betwen the glacier and the cruise ship docks - they cost 8.00/person each way.

[study19kda]

Thanks for all the advice! We're planning to do either a 1:30 whale watching that will drop us off at the glacier or a 3:00 that will pick us up there.

 

One more question...One of the whale companies that wrote us back mentioned that the tour buses stop picking up at Mendenhall at 6:00PM. Is this really the case? It seems rather early, since the visitor center doesn't even close until 7:30.

[chipmaster]

Per my earlier post, the place was deserted, I might have been confused in my recollection of 5pm but sure it wasn't close to 7pm as we were back on ship eating late but I dont recall it being 8pm starting.

 

This much I remember light was still out, trails were deserted, great time to hike, the vistor center was open but we had to choose visit the center or do the hike as our shuttle gave us only 45'.

 

Thanks for all the advice! We're planning to do either a 1:30 whale watching that will drop us off at the glacier or a 3:00 that will pick us up there.

 

One more question...One of the whale companies that wrote us back mentioned that the tour buses stop picking up at Mendenhall at 6:00PM. Is this really the case? It seems rather early, since the visitor center doesn't even close until 7:30.

[study19kda]

Thanks for the advice. Now I see in your post about the place being deserted. It does sound nice being able to have the place a little more to yourself. If need be, the whale watching operator suggested calling a taxi, which seems reasonable.

 

Per my earlier post, the place was deserted, I might have been confused in my recollection of 5pm but sure it wasn't close to 7pm as we were back on ship eating late but I dont recall it being 8pm starting.

 

This much I remember light was still out, trails were deserted, great time to hike, the vistor center was open but we had to choose visit the center or do the hike as our shuttle gave us only 45'.

[Budget Queen]

Thanks for the advice. Now I see in your post about the place being deserted. It does sound nice being able to have the place a little more to yourself. If need be, the whale watching operator suggested calling a taxi, which seems reasonable.

 

Yes, the shuttle buses do stop running early. YOU will have to have the number of a cab and call them yourself for pick up.

[am2]

Thanks for the advice. Now I see in your post about the place being deserted. It does sound nice being able to have the place a little more to yourself. If need be, the whale watching operator suggested calling a taxi, which seems reasonable.

 

This what we are planning on our trip in June (also on the Zuiderdam). Booked with Weather Permitting Alaska for a 1:30pm whale watch then Capt. Greg will drop us off at Mendenhall around 5 or so. We figure if we have time to see what we want to by 6pm, we'll take the shuttle. Or if we want to stay longer, we'll call a cab.

[Eppiela]

Everyone says the Nugget Falls trail takes about 1 hour. How long does it take to visit the Visitor Center--there are displays and such, correct?

[Budget Queen]

Everyone says the Nugget Falls trail takes about 1 hour. How long does it take to visit the Visitor Center--there are displays and such, correct?

 

Yes there are exhibits and a movie, an hour is plenty of time with the movie.