Mendenhall tourist centre at glacier…….fee to enter?

[muffin]

Plan to take taxi to mendenhall glacier from downtown. Used to be a fee to go into centre to see exhibits, movies etc. well worth it. None of the transfer shuttles make mention of fee being included in their cost. Cost is high for  20 minute trip each way, so I think it must be included. Cannot find info online anyway I try to find out. Help appreciated. 

[JT1962]

I believe the fee is $ 5.00 and is included in most of the shuttle bus / tour fees. If you have a National Park Annual Pass, there should be no charge. 
 

https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/tongass/about-forest/offices/?cid=fseprd502109

 

Check with any taxi service you use since it has been reported that many now charge an extra $ 12 - $ 17 fee per person to enter the area where the Visitors Center is located. 

 

 

 

[muffin]

I knew this would happen. I tried one last time and found it!   fs.usda.gov 

 

$5.00 per person. under 15, free. Various passes etc available too.  Good read of all there is to see and do.   Your welcome!  

[muffin]

Mmmmm…..wonder what the 12-17 extra fee is for? Perhaps for national park visitor entry?  Will be careful to ask….should not be extra fee to leave by taxi if it is, in fact, an entry fee.   Thanks got the extra infoJT. 

[travelbuds]

7 hours ago, muffin said:

Mmmmm…..wonder what the 12-17 extra fee is for? Perhaps for national park visitor entry? 

I talked to a Juneau taxi company today. Was told if you have a National Park Pass, the entry fee of $5 is removed from the $17. She really didn't give a clear explanation, at least to me, for the other $12. Sounded like a way for the driver to get more money, as if the tip isn't good enough. She said I could be dropped off a mile or so short of the Visitor Center to avoid the $12 charge and walk the rest of the way. If no Park Pass, can pay $5 at the Center. Maybe someone on this board can give a good explanation for the extra $12.

Edited April 24, 2022 by travelbuds

[JT1962]

6 hours ago, travelbuds said:

Maybe someone on this board can give a good explanation for the extra $12.

The explanation I have seen on these boards is because they can. There is a high demand for transportation to / from Mendenhall Glacier and a relatively short tourist season. Most things in Alaska are much more expensive than many are used to and 2-3 times the price of what cruisers typically pay in the Caribbean.
 

The cheapest way to get to the glacier is to take the City Bus, then walk the final 1.5 miles to the Visitor Center. If there are 4 or more in the party, renting a car can sometimes be cheaper than other options and gives you the ability to see other areas. For 1 the $ 45 bus is probably best. For 2-3, a cab, even with the $ 17 extra fee, may be cheapest.

[cruisingrandy]

I assume they only charge the $17 or $12 fee for the ride to Mendenhall, Not the return to town?  I wonder because there are 3 of us and I have Lifetime Park pass to save their $5 fee.  I am thinking take taxi or bus and walk the 1 1/2 mile to Visitor center to avoid the $12 or $17 fee. then take taxi back. I wonder if it is possible to get a taxi at visitor center for the return.

[PACD_JG]

26 minutes ago, cruisingrandy said:

I assume they only charge the $17 or $12 fee for the ride to Mendenhall, Not the return to town?  I wonder because there are 3 of us and I have Lifetime Park pass to save their $5 fee.  I am thinking take taxi or bus and walk the 1 1/2 mile to Visitor center to avoid the $12 or $17 fee. then take taxi back. I wonder if it is possible to get a taxi at visitor center for the return.

 

A small part of me wanted to call you a cheap SOB, but I agree with you about the excess fee, and the fact that a shuttle bus is $45-50 per person.  Here's what I'm doing - since I knew I wanted to whale watch and visit Mendenhall, I booked an excursion that does both, and they "assured" me that we would whale watch first.  That takes care of the ride to the Visitor Center (four of us).  The excursion is only at Mendenhall for an hour, so if the weather is dreadful, we all leave then.  If the weather is great, I'll hike to Nugget Falls and back to the bus stop via Powerline Trail.  The wife and kids would probably still go back on the excursion bus.

[JT1962]

15 minutes ago, PACD_JG said:

 

Here's what I'm doing - since I knew I wanted to whale watch and visit Mendenhall, I booked an excursion that does both, and they "assured" me that we would whale watch first.  That takes care of the ride to the Visitor Center (four of us).  The excursion is only at Mendenhall for an hour, so if the weather is dreadful, we all leave then.  If the weather is great, I'll hike to Nugget Falls and back to the bus stop via Powerline Trail.  The wife and kids would probably still go back on the excursion bus.

I’m not sure who you booked with, but I am using Juneau Whale Watch for a whale watching / glacier combo tour. They do the whale watching first and allow you to choose when to leave the glacier. They have a return bus every 30 min. You can stay as long as you want to at the glacier (as long as you don’t miss the last bus or your ship). 
 

https://www.juneauwhalewatch.com/tours/mendenhall-glacier-juneau-whale-watching-combo-tour/

Edited April 24, 2022 by JT1962

[PACD_JG]

7 minutes ago, JT1962 said:

I’m not sure who you booked with, but I am using Juneau Whale Watch for a whale watching / glacier combo tour. They do the whale watching first and allow you to choose when to leave the glacier. They have a return bus every 30 min. You can stay as long as you want to at the glacier (as long as you don’t miss the last bus or your ship). 
 

https://www.juneauwhalewatch.com/tours/mendenhall-glacier-juneau-whale-watching-combo-tour/

 

That's a great plan.  Unfortunately, that wasn't an option with HAL, and I had use or lose shore excursion credit.  I booked with Gastineau Gliding - I called them directly and told them I wanted to do Mendenhall last, and they told me to book the 1:30 PM trip, which I did through HAL (we're in port 1-10 PM, so no hurry to get back to the ship).

[SightCRR]

Make sure that you check when the last bus is and don't miss it. sightcrr

[3rdGenCunarder]

On 4/24/2022 at 10:57 AM, PACD_JG said:

 

That's a great plan.  Unfortunately, that wasn't an option with HAL, and I had use or lose shore excursion credit.  I booked with Gastineau Gliding - I called them directly and told them I wanted to do Mendenhall last, and they told me to book the 1:30 PM trip, which I did through HAL (we're in port 1-10 PM, so no hurry to get back to the ship).

 

Gastineau are fantastic! They don't crowd the boat. If you get a good pic of a fluke, you can look through their "mugshot book" to identify your whale. 

I'm doing their "photo safari" tour because it's the only Gastineau tour Cunard is offering.

[piper28]

23 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

Gastineau are fantastic! They don't crowd the boat. If you get a good pic of a fluke, you can look through their "mugshot book" to identify your whale. 

 

There's some sites online that can help with that too.  I actually found at one point when going back and perusing the pictures I'd taken that I'd seen the same whale across three different trips over a number of years.  Thought that was kinda neat.  Have to keep an eye out for that one this summer too :).

[3rdGenCunarder]

46 minutes ago, piper28 said:

There's some sites online that can help with that too.  I actually found at one point when going back and perusing the pictures I'd taken that I'd seen the same whale across three different trips over a number of years.  Thought that was kinda neat.  Have to keep an eye out for that one this summer too :).

 

I saw the same whale twice, about 3 years apart. I was excited, like I'd meet an old friend!