Mendenhall Glacier

Mendenhall Glacier is a 13.6-mile (21.9 km) glacier in the Mendenhall Valley about 12 miles from downtown Juneau, Alaska. It flows from the Juneau Icefield into Mendenhall Lake and lies within the 5,815-acre Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area of the Tongass National Forest. It has retreated about 2.5 miles since its mid-1700s maximum [1].

Location and Setting

The glacier lies in the Mendenhall Valley in the Coast Range of Southeast Alaska and is a mountain glacier ending in a proglacial lake. It flows from the Juneau Icefield, the fifth-largest icefield in North America, to Mendenhall Lake. The glacier and surrounding land are part of the Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area, a federally designated unit of the Tongass National Forest [1].

Retreat

Mendenhall Lake began forming in 1929 and has grown as the glacier retreats. The glacier has retreated 1.75 miles (2.82 km) since 1929 and about 2.5 miles from its mid-1700s Little Ice Age maximum. The Juneau Icefield Research Program has monitored the icefield’s outlet glaciers since 1942 [1].

Names

The Tlingit called it Sitaantaago or Aak’wtaaksit. John Muir named it Auke Glacier in 1879, and in 1891 it was renamed for Thomas Corwin Mendenhall [1]. See the entry on the Tlingit.

Visitor Center and Trails

The U.S. Forest Service built the visitor center as the first Forest Service visitor center in the nation, designed by Linn A. Forrest and dedicated in 1962. Nugget Falls Trail is 0.8 miles long and leads toward the glacier face, and the East Glacier Loop reaches an overlook within 1 mile of the glacier. Access to the outside area and trails is free [1].

Floods and Ancient Trees

Periodic floods have come from Suicide Basin since 2011, and a major 2023 release destroyed two buildings. In 2012, stumps emerged from beneath the retreating glacier, the most recent about 1,200 to 1,400 years old and the oldest about 2,350 years old [1].

Wildlife

Mendenhall Lake supports salmon, Dolly Varden, char and cutthroat trout, and a wolf nicknamed Romeo lived near the glacier from 2003 to 2009 [1]. See the entries on the Temperate Rainforest of Southeast Alaska and the Hubbard Glacier.

FAQs

How long is Mendenhall Glacier? About 13.6 miles.

How far is it from Juneau? About 12 miles from downtown.

Is it retreating? Yes, about 1.75 miles since 1929.

Is entry free? Access to the outside area and trails is free.

Who named it? John Muir named it Auke Glacier in 1879; it was renamed for Thomas Mendenhall in 1891.

Sources

1. Wikipedia: Mendenhall Glacier

Editorially reviewed by Specialty Digest Editorial TeamLast reviewed November 12, 2026Researched and drafted with AI assistanceReport an issue