Mendenhall Walking Distance from Bus Drop Off?

[bees.wax]

Traveling with my 77 year old mother. Does the express bus (around $14 round trip) drop you off AT the visitor center at Mendenhall Glacier? I read somewhere that the city bus drops off 1 1/2 miles from visitor center at Glacier.

[JCrewz]

Traveling with my 77 year old mother. Does the express bus (around $14 round trip) drop you off AT the visitor center at Mendenhall Glacier? I read somewhere that the city bus drops off 1 1/2 miles from visitor center at Glacier.

 

The bus drops you off about 75 yards from the visitor center. You will either need to walk up some ramps or some fairly steep stairs to get up to the center. I don't think there were any elevators. My guess is that the climb was about like going from a first floor to a third floor. Your mother will have a great view of the glacier and the waterfall without walking close to a mile to get to the falls.

 

The visitor center costs $3 each to get in and I believe they show a little film on the glacier. You can get into the gift store free or use the restroom for free. If your mother does not want to climb the ramp or stairs, she can walk with you across the sand up to the lake and take pictures from "Photo Point". It was not muddy when we were there. Rangers are downstairs and will answer questions.

 

I think you are right to be concerned about your eldery mother being too challenged at Mendenhall Glacier. I would take it slow and, unless she is tremendous shape, limit her to the Visitor's Center and maybe the short walk out to the lake to take pictures. There are trails that get you closer to the glacier and right up to the waterfall, but they are not easy walks.

 

It is about a 20 minute bus ride and it picks up right where the cruise ship shuttles drop off (by the Mt. Roberts Tramway entrance). Have fun. It is a stunning view with plenty of blue ice.

[tetleytea]

There was an elevator at the Visitors' Center. Go past the first set of stairs and look to your right. There's a small tunnel with elevators at the end. There should also be a couple signs saying, "Elevators".

 

To the city bus, a black bear was crossing the road you walk to the bus stop the day we were there. It's not just about the 1 1/2 mile walk, it's the precious port time you spend walking, and it's also a little dangerous.

[nanadeborah]

Instead of using the $14 shuttle bus, which is just a rehabbed school bus, go to the tours office near the dock. It is right by the drugstore and the gift shop, before the salmon smokery place. For $15, you get a regular Greyline bus, entrance to the mendenhall Glacier Visitor's Center, and a drive through the accessible parts of Juneau. According to the driver, the streets in the main part of Juneau aren't accessable by bus. We had 45 minutes at the visitor's center, and it was plenty of time.

[Jeff in Torrance]

We were there just last week. The bus driver that we had on the $14 shuttle gave us a pretty good local tour while going and coming back from the glacier run. Since your mother is 77 she is eligible to purchase the US federal government's America the Beautiful pass, which costs $10, and is good for her lifetime. It allows her, and up to four persons, to enter any federal park/monument/etc. for free. She can purchase it at the Mendenhall visitors center. A great thing for us "gready geezers."