Juneau July 2024 - How to get to Mendenhall Glacier (not the city bus)?

[surgie]

I am trying to get our excursions set for our July 2024 cruise on RCCL. In Juneau we (family of 11 people) would like to visit the Mendenhall visitor's center. I know we can take a city bus and walk 1.5 miles but that doesn't work for the make-up of our group. I want to get something booked since I had read about ticket shortages this summer. But our cruise line pairs the glacier with helicopter outings (not interested) or salmon bakes etc. We just want to go to the visitor center and back. How do we accomplish this? 

 

And...in 2015 I seem to remember we walked out on the glacier. Could this have been possible then but no longer due to receding of the glacier?

[VacationCharlene]

Sorry no one has responded yet to you.

 

It is very EASY to get to Mendenhall Glacier and fairly cheap on your own.  There are a couple (or more) companies that you can book and reserve ahead of time.  You easily get off the ship and walk a pretty short distance to  where you get on THE BLUE BUS GLACIER EXPRESS for about $45 per person. 

• 490 S Franklin St, Juneau, AK 99801, USA The Blue Bus Glacier Express departs from the Mount Roberts Tramway parking lot going to the Mendenhall Glacier. The Blue Bus picks up at “The BEAR Stop” ONLY at the Glacier to return to town.

It is a narrated bus trip directly to and from the Glacier.  Drops you off out front of the visitor's area.  You cannot walk ON the glacier but you can walk near, very close, to the waterfall!!

 

"Secure easy and reliable transportation to the Mendenhall Glacier from Juneau with the Blue Bus Glacier Express. Skip the hassle of a rental car and admire views during the bus journey to the glacier. Stay as long as you choose to explore trails, check out wildlife, and go inside the visitor center, and then climb aboard a return bus at a convenient time."

 

https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionProductReview-g31020-d23311701-The_Blue_Bus_Glacier_Express_Is_a_fully_narrated_trip_to_the_Mendenhall_Glacier-Jun.html

There might be another company..............ENJOY

BE SURE TO WATCH THE TIMES RETURNING....:-)  YOU should be able to book directly and not need to use Viator or others...

 

Edited October 2, 2023 by VacationCharlene

[surgie]

Thank you for the information. I had thought I had read elsewhere that you needed to walk 1.5 miles from the bus and not everyone in our group can do that. But this sounds easy. When I go to the Blue Bus website it says it is not taking bookings. I realize the seasons over but I have booked many excursions for 2024 and many offered through our ship are sold out already. Maybe Blue Bus doesn't take advance bookings?

Edited October 3, 2023 by surgie

[Anita Latte]

I’m not sure that Blue Bus and other tour operators for Mendenhall have received their allotments for 2024 yet. I’m not familiar with the entirety of the process but I do know that there is a finite number of entrances to Mendenhall that tour operators are allocated. The shortage this year happened because, in the past, when tour operators like Blue Bus and others have run through their permit numbers there has been a redistribution of permits but that didn’t happen this year because of the high visitor numbers.

 

They’ve now been having issues with the city bus running at capacity because tourists have been riding it to get to Mendenhall and so locals waiting at bus stops have been passed because there wasn’t room to pick them up. The city bus is expected to make some changes over winter to help rectify the situation. And you’re correct that the city bus doesn’t go on site and so the city bus drop off is 1.5 miles away. And if you take the city bus, there is a sign advising you that it could be 4-5 hours of bus riding round trip.

 

The unfortunate part of the deal is that later season people who had purchased tickets in advance for Blue Bus had their tickets cancelled because of the lack of redistribution. So even with advance tickets, that wasn’t a guarantee of being able to get there. July 2023 was just about the time that the tickets ran out so even if you are able to buy advance tickets, I would have a backup plan in case there is a repeat of this year’s shortage.

 

Understand that Mendenhall is Federal property and any commercial operation requires a permit to go onto said property. They pay a permit fee and then they are given however many of 517,650 total visitors “passes” on commercial tours. This is the annual limit based on an environmental analysis of the area. So if there are that many commercial visitors before your visit… I suppose it will depend on if the tour operators decide on a different tactic with their allotment and may choose to limit the visitors to hope to spread availability throughout the season but I would venture to say that the laws of supply and demand will say that the prices will go up significantly and demand will then naturally go down and hopefully the tour operators can still make a decent living in the few months that they work during the cruise season.

 

This limit is set for commercial tour visitors. It does not limit personal visitors. But keep in mind that taxis and Ubers, etc are commercial operations and they also will drop off passengers in their designated area which is before hitting Federal land. I think that’s closer than the city bus but it’s still a quite a distance if you have walking challenges. So if you have people in your party that are unable to walk such a distance, then you will need personal transportation to visit. I read about someone having a very good experience using personal car share in Juneau, I think it’s called Turo. That may be something to consider if your party is large enough and ticket prices are high enough. They were able to coordinate with the owner to have pick up and drop off be near the pier.

[maxxboy]

We were there two weeks ago. We wanted to see Mendenhall Glacier but made no arrangements prior to getting off the ship. I waved down a taxi and she took us (two of us) directly to the visitors center for about 75.00 which included admission. She gave us her phone number and to call her about 20 minutes before we were ready to leave. When we were ready to leave we called and she just happened to already be there as she had just dropped off some other people. Worked like a charm. Her name was Daring (quite unique) and she was a sweetheart. She is with Juneau Taxi and her number is 502.919.3191. 

[Aquahound]

13 hours ago, surgie said:

Thank you for the information. I had thought I had read elsewhere that you needed to walk 1.5 miles from the bus and not everyone in our group can do that. But this sounds easy. When I go to the Blue Bus website it says it is not taking bookings. I realize the seasons over but I have booked many excursions for 2024 and many offered through our ship are sold out already. Maybe Blue Bus doesn't take advance bookings?

 

The long walk is associated with the city bus.  People use that option because it's only a couple bucks.  I don't recommend using the city bus.  It's there for commutting locals, not tourists.

[surgie]

12 hours ago, Aquahound said:

 

The long walk is associated with the city bus.  People use that option because it's only a couple bucks.  I don't recommend using the city bus.  It's there for commutting locals, not tourists.

Thanks for the clarification. No, we are not interested in the city bus.

[GTJ]

On 10/3/2023 at 8:41 PM, Aquahound said:

The long walk is associated with the city bus. People use that option because it's only a couple bucks. I don't recommend using the city bus. It's there for commuting locals, not tourists.

The reason for not using the city bus is because of the inconvenience of the short 1-1/2 mile, about 20-30 minutes on foot, walk required. But the city bus service is funded through the U.S. Federal Transit Administration not merely for the benefit of commuting locals but for all taxpayers throughout the entire United States. It would be unlawful for the city bus system to exclude non-locals from using the service. It is a general bus service open to any person for any trip purpose. (In that sense, the city bus is like Mendenhall Glacier itself, which is managed by the U.S. Forest Service, not merely for the benefit of local residents but for all taxpayers throughout the entire United States.) One can decide to use or not to use the city bus based on having to walk between the bus stop and the glacier visitor center, but no one should make the decision not to use the bus based on a belief that only "locals" are permitted to ride the bus.

[Aquahound]

2 hours ago, GTJ said:

The reason for not using the city bus is because of the inconvenience of the short 1-1/2 mile, about 20-30 minutes on foot, walk required. But the city bus service is funded through the U.S. Federal Transit Administration not merely for the benefit of commuting locals but for all taxpayers throughout the entire United States. It would be unlawful for the city bus system to exclude non-locals from using the service. It is a general bus service open to any person for any trip purpose. (In that sense, the city bus is like Mendenhall Glacier itself, which is managed by the U.S. Forest Service, not merely for the benefit of local residents but for all taxpayers throughout the entire United States.) One can decide to use or not to use the city bus based on having to walk between the bus stop and the glacier visitor center, but no one should make the decision not to use the bus based on a belief that only "locals" are permitted to ride the bus.

You can try to paint it that way all you want but it doesn’t change the fact that locals rely on it for commuting.  They do not appreciate it when it fills with cruise ship tourists trying to save a few bucks. Personally, I try not to be an ugly tourist when I travel. If you’re ok with that, go for it. 

[GTJ]

7 minutes ago, Aquahound said:

You can try to paint it that way all you want but it doesn’t change the fact that locals rely on it for commuting. They do not appreciate it when it fills with cruise ship tourists trying to save a few bucks. Personally, I try not to be an ugly tourist when I travel. If you’re ok with that, go for it. 

Capital Transit anticipates that some out-of-town visitors to Juneau will use the local transit bus service to and from Mendenhall Glacier, and it designed an entire webpage devoted to that subject. See http://juneaucapitaltransit.org/how-to-ride-to-the-mendenhall-glacier-visitor-center-with-capital-transit. Many other public transportation agencies beyond Capital Transit also design webpages specifically for helping out-of-town visitors navigate their transit systems. Indeed, most public transportation agencies throughout the United States welcome and encourage tourists to use their transit systems because, among other things, it is the least impactful means of transportation (to traffic congestion, environment, etc.) available. So while there are several legitimate reasons why using the transit bus to visit Mendenhall Glacier might not work out for some visitors, concern over being called "ugly" should not be one of those reasons. If the city bus works, then don't be afraid . . . use it!

 

Let me give you my personal perception, including why I would have no guilt for using the city bus to visit Mendenhall Glacier. At home I use public transportation when I travel places. If I am going only a short distance I will walk, but otherwise public transportation is the ordinary means for all of my travel. True, I pay less for using public transportation than it I hired taxis for all my travel, but I am not rich and I could not reasonably afford to travel by taxi everyplace. In short, use of public transportation is normal. When I travel to other places beyond my home, I see no reason to change my travel patterns, assuming that the local public transportation system in the place of visit meet my needs. This is particularly true when I travel to other parts of the United States, and I know that my federal tax dollars are supporting the cost of the public transportation in those other parts. I use taxis only in extraordinary circumstances. Why would I not want to use public transportation when I travel elsewhere? I have never experienced any sense of being made to feel unwelcome when I travel using local public transportation. I certainly have no objection when visitors come to my home and use "my" local public transportation system. It is simply the normal thing to do.

[jean87510]

On 10/5/2023 at 2:05 AM, GTJ said:

Capital Transit anticipates that some out-of-town visitors to Juneau will use the local transit bus service to and from Mendenhall Glacier, and it designed an entire webpage devoted to that subject. See http://juneaucapitaltransit.org/how-to-ride-to-the-mendenhall-glacier-visitor-center-with-capital-transit. Many other public transportation agencies beyond Capital Transit also design webpages specifically for helping out-of-town visitors navigate their transit systems. Indeed, most public transportation agencies throughout the United States welcome and encourage tourists to use their transit systems because, among other things, it is the least impactful means of transportation (to traffic congestion, environment, etc.) available. So while there are several legitimate reasons why using the transit bus to visit Mendenhall Glacier might not work out for some visitors, concern over being called "ugly" should not be one of those reasons. If the city bus works, then don't be afraid . . . use it!

 

Let me give you my personal perception, including why I would have no guilt for using the city bus to visit Mendenhall Glacier. At home I use public transportation when I travel places. If I am going only a short distance I will walk, but otherwise public transportation is the ordinary means for all of my travel. True, I pay less for using public transportation than it I hired taxis for all my travel, but I am not rich and I could not reasonably afford to travel by taxi everyplace. In short, use of public transportation is normal. When I travel to other places beyond my home, I see no reason to change my travel patterns, assuming that the local public transportation system in the place of visit meet my needs. This is particularly true when I travel to other parts of the United States, and I know that my federal tax dollars are supporting the cost of the public transportation in those other parts. I use taxis only in extraordinary circumstances. Why would I not want to use public transportation when I travel elsewhere? I have never experienced any sense of being made to feel unwelcome when I travel using local public transportation. I certainly have no objection when visitors come to my home and use "my" local public transportation system. It is simply the normal thing to do.

Exactly.  We use public buses all over the world.  Never heard anyone complain.  It works out well a lot as locals know good info.  Plus, usually everyone is at work and school by the time the ships come in.

[jean87510]

On 10/5/2023 at 1:02 AM, Aquahound said:

You can try to paint it that way all you want but it doesn’t change the fact that locals rely on it for commuting.  They do not appreciate it when it fills with cruise ship tourists trying to save a few bucks. Personally, I try not to be an ugly tourist when I travel. If you’re ok with that, go for it. 

Nothing wrong with saving a few bucks on an AK cruise.  

[Coral]

I say this honestly -  visiting Mendenhall visitor center and in the front of the glacier is not worth the time. It has retreated so much that I am guessing that your group could probably come up with a better shore excursion to do than to visit Mendenhall glacier.

 

I have been going to Alaska for more than 20 years. I just can't recommend Mendenhall glacier anymore. I know that you're working on a budget and I think it would be a lot of money to bring 11 of you out there to see this glacier that isn't really worth seeing. I sure hope that you have Glacier Bay or Hubbard glacier on your itinerary so that your group can see great glacier(s).

[Coral]

On 10/3/2023 at 6:14 AM, surgie said:

Thank you for the information. I had thought I had read elsewhere that you needed to walk 1.5 miles from the bus and not everyone in our group can do that. But this sounds easy. When I go to the Blue Bus website it says it is not taking bookings. I realize the seasons over but I have booked many excursions for 2024 and many offered through our ship are sold out already. Maybe Blue Bus doesn't take advance bookings?

Blue bus had to stop operating last year because they had ran through all of their permits early in the season. I would not count on the blue bus for next summer unless you're traveling in May.

[surgie]

3 hours ago, Coral said:

Blue bus had to stop operating last year because they had ran through all of their permits early in the season. I would not count on the blue bus for next summer unless you're traveling in May.

Thanks for the information. Am I understanding correctly that if we can get ourselves to the Visitor Center by taxi, there will likely be passes there? (July 14, 2024). The cruise line offers various tours that include Mendenhall but they are paired with things we are not interested in like a salmon bake. 

[Coral]

3 minutes ago, surgie said:

Thanks for the information. Am I understanding correctly that if we can get ourselves to the Visitor Center by taxi, there will likely be passes there? (July 14, 2024). The cruise line offers various tours that include Mendenhall but they are paired with things we are not interested in like a salmon bake. 

Yes - taxis worked this year.

[surgie]

2 minutes ago, Coral said:

Yes - taxis worked this year.

Thank you! I am finding Juneau hard to plan with various ages and interests in our group!

[Coral]

26 minutes ago, surgie said:

Thank you! I am finding Juneau hard to plan with various ages and interests in our group!

It probably would be ok to split up in port one day and then join back together for dinner.

 

Whale watching maybe a good option? You can charter a boat with your size of group.

Edited October 10, 2023 by Coral

[Time4Vaca]

Look into a car rental. One of the videos I watched suggested Turo (privately owned cars) then you can drive to the glacier with your group. With 11 people you may need 2 vehicles but would give you a lot more flexibility. 

[ptuser]

Since I'm investigating this now for May 2024...

 

My understanding is that the traditional dedicated bus shuttles (Blue Bus, Glacier Tours, etc.) are not operating at any time during 2024 "open-ended" as they used to, meaning they are doing timed tours (typically 2hrs at the Glacier, so... inadequate) and you can't just hop on any bus at any time (until 6pm) to get back, as you could for decades. The city bus still leaves you 1mi from the visitor center, 2mi round trip roughly, and only runs every hour.  Some taxi companies have permits to drop you at the visitor center, but ask as not all of them do. Rental cars are allowed to drive to the visitor center.

[SightCRR]

I think that most of the rental cars have to be picked up at the airport this year. Not 100% sure but something to check and factor in getting to and from. 

[simplyrubies]

We were able to easily get a taxi into Mendenhall Glacier from the port on April 29th but it was an anomalous situation for Juneau as we were the only ship in the port. Due to the date, no fee for entry was taken and no passes were required. 

 

The taxi company - Juneau Taxi - took us straight to the visitor's centre. We made arrangements with driver for a pick-up time and were charged a set rate. 

 

You should be able to call a taxi or car company in advance to arrange for a driver for the group - probably the less stressful alternative to hoping a taxi is in port as we did.

 

It ended up being much cheaper than Blue Bus for us (Blue Bus is $80 USD per person according to the website!) and we could choose the pickup time with the driver.