Hi there!
Hiking the Mount Roberts Trail to the tram station can be a perfect hike to do when you’re in Juneau if you’re looking for a “real” hike through a forest!
The Mount Roberts Trail is not the only way to get to the Juneau tram, and it is the HARD way to get to the tram station! (I’ll let you know a little bit about the easy way below too.)
If you have a full day in Juneau, then you can do a Juneau excursion in the morning, and then follow it up with a nice hike through the forest on the Mount Roberts Trail in the afternoon!
I did the Mount Roberts Trail in September 2023.
See below for details on how to make the Mount Roberts Trail and the Mount Roberts tram a part of your day in Juneau cruise port!
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- Mount Roberts Trail to tram basics
- Map: Juneau cruise port to Mount Roberts trailhead
- Things to know about the Mount Roberts Trail
- How much time?
- Cost
- What to wear hiking the Mount Roberts Trail
- Reviews
- google maps
- alltrails
- tripadvisor
- More hikes in Juneau
Mount Roberts Trail to tram basics
The sign at the trailhead recommends that you give yourself at least 1.5 hours to hike from the Basin Road trailhead to the tram station.
You can walk to the Mount Roberts trailhead that’s at Basin Road (or take a taxi), and then hike the Mount Roberts Trail with the tram station as your destination!
Once you’ve made it to the tram station, you can have a walk around the trails in the area, which includes a totem trail!
There is also a restaurant at the tram station so you can have a post-hike food and drink.
The Mount Roberts Trail also extends beyond the tram station if you want to go further.
There is a cost for the tram ticket, but if you are on a Norwegian cruise, you might be able to get it for free!
The Mount Roberts Trail is not the only way to get to the tram station!
There is an easier way, which is the most popular way, and that is simply to walk a few minutes from the cruise port to the tram! Then you can take the tram up and do some things at the top, including easy walking, hard hiking, eating, drinking, and learning about Native Alaskan culture!
See my post about things to do around the Juneau tram.
Map: Juneau cruise port to Mount Roberts trailhead
Cruise ships dock in downtown Juneau.
The walk to the Mount Roberts trailhead can be longer or shorter depending on which specific dock your cruise ship is docked at.
If you’re at the dock furthest away, it could be an extra 10-15 minute walk compared to the one that’s closest.
But as long as you don’t mind walking, you can walk to the Mount Roberts trailhead from the Juneau cruise port!
If you want to save your energy for the Mount Roberts Trail, then you can take a taxi to the trailhead.
👆 Map. How to get to Mount Roberts trailhead: Juneau cruise port to Mount Roberts trailhead walk. Explore the map.
Things to know about doing the Mount Roberts Trail to the Goldbelt tram
There is a Goldbelt tram station right near the cruise port.
You can walk 5 to 10 minutes from your cruise ship to get to the Goldbelt tram station that’s at Juneau cruise port.
Whether you walk 2 minutes, 5 minutes, or 10 minutes to get to the tram station as soon as you step off your cruise ship will depend on exactly where your cruise ship is docked.
You can take the tram up, and where that tram ends up is where you will be hiking to if you start at the Mount Roberts trailhead on Basin Road!
Why take the tram when you can hike to it?! 🤪
👆 Map: Juneau cruise port to Mount Roberts Trail to tram station! Explore the map.
You can walk to the Mount Roberts trailhead from the cruise port.
The Mount Roberts Trail is something you can do on your own when you’re in Juneau cruise port.
It will take about 30 minutes to walk to the trailhead, but you can think of it as a leisurely walk in Juneau… and a warm-up to the Mount Roberts Trail!
In order to get to the trail, you’ll be walking on regular roads through downtown Juneau and residential neighborhoods.
It’s hilly in Juneau!
It’s a hike through the forest!
Much of Southeast Alaska, where most cruises spend most of their time, is covered by forest.
You will get a sense of that forest-covered Southeast Alaska by hiking the Mount Roberts Trail to the tram!
It’s an uphill hike!
Hiking the Mount Roberts Trail from Basin Road to the tram station means that you will be mostly hiking UP the mountain!
👆 Mount Roberts trailhead sign. Mount Roberts isn’t a stroll in the park! You’ll be hiking uphill pretty much the whole time until you get to the tram station.
You can keep hiking past the tram station.
Once you have reached the tram station, you can stop your hiking there, or if you still have time and energy, you can keep on going.
There’s the Mount Roberts totem trail loop that you can do, and you can also hike to Father Brown Cross as another “destination” that isn’t too far away.
If you have a lot more time and energy, then you can even keep going to Gastineau Peak (and beyond).
Although, if you are interested in Gastineau Peak, it could be worth it to just take the tram up, and then start hiking to Gastineau Peak to save you time and energy!
The cost to take the tram DOWN is $20.
A normal Mount Roberts tram ticket is around $50. This will give you an all-day pass to take the tram as often as you want.
It’s not possible to buy just a tram ride up for less, but it is possible to buy a tram ride down for less.
The cost of the tram ride down is $20 to go one-way. (Cost in 2023.)
You won’t actually buy a tram ticket.
Once at the tram station, you will buy $20 in souvenir gifts or food and drink at the restaurant there, and that will be your ticket down.
Basically there is no way to buy a one-way ticket, and that’s your way to do it!
To get on the tram, you will show a receipt that has a minimum $20 purchase.
Pro tip if you booked your Norwegian cruise with the free at sea promotion: If you won’t be doing any excursions in Juneau through the cruise ship, then buy your Mount Roberts tram ticket through NCL before you go! It will be FREE! NCL’s free at sea promotion includes a $50 discount on one shore excursion in each port for the first guest. I booked my tram ticket before I went on the cruise, so I got a free tram ticket! I noticed once on the cruise, the tram ticket cost $20 more than it was pre-cruise, so you want to make sure to buy it before you go!
You can hike the trail in the opposite direction.
Because the tram is right at the cruise port, you can take the tram ride first and then hike the Mount Roberts Trail down to Basin Road, if you prefer hiking downhill.
But, there are a couple of things to keep in mind if you want to do the tram first.
If you want to do the tram first, chances are you will be trying to take the tram at the same time that tons of other people want to take the tram ride up.
This can mean long lines to take the tram.
The other thing is that it will cost more to do the tram. If you take the tram from the bottom (aka near the cruise port), it’s $50 for a tram ticket. You can’t just buy a one-way ticket to go up.
But if you would still rather do this, then also keep in mind that hiking downhill can also be tough on the knees, so consider bringing hiking poles!
The Gold Creek Flume Trail connects to the Mount Roberts Trail.
You can start your hike to the tram from the Mount Roberts trailhead at Basin Road… or you can start it by first hiking the Gold Creek Flume Trail!
If you start the Gold Creek Flume Trail at Evergreen Avenue, it will take you to Basin Road.
At this point, you cross over Basin Road, and you are at the Mount Roberts trailhead where you can continue hiking to the tram station!
Side note!
Things to buy on Amazon that you'll thank yourself for having for your Alaska cruise!
I am an Amazon Associate. I may earn a commission.
- Travel-friendly rain gear in case it rains (much of your cruise is in Southeast Alaska where it rains a lot)
- Water resistant pants for walking in Alaska (lightweight comfortable pants that are good for movement and quick to dry!)
- for women: hiking pants | for men: hiking pants
- A popular travel essential nowadays if you have an iphone: An airtag tracker for your luggage so you can keep track of it! Buy just one, or buy a pack of 4. (Buy one for yourself, and as a travel gift!) Read the reviews!
- Lightweight waterproof binoculars (so you can see wildlife better on those scenic cruising days!)
- Merrell waterproof hiking shoes if you'll be doing rainforest hikes or if you'll be doing a lot of walking:
- Merrell is one of the best outdoor shoe brands
- Women's Merrell Moab 3 shoes
- Men's Merrell Moab 3 shoes
- Packing cubes travel set (better organize your suitcase and with clothing cubes, a shoe bag, and toiletry bag! This also makes it easier to unpack and organize your cruise cabin quicker.)
/end side note
👆 Map: Juneau cruise port to Gold Creek Flume Trail to Mount Roberts trailhead. Explore the map.
👆 Gold Creek Flume Trail to Mount Roberts Trail to Goldbelt Tram!
Download offline maps before you go!
The Mount Roberts trailhead is listed on google maps, so it can be helpful to have google maps available to you offline in case you aren’t able to get data.
In general, if you are interested in hiking in Alaska cruise ports, I also recommend downloading the free app called mapsme. Be sure to specifically download the Alaska map.
You don’t need mapsme for the Mount Roberts Trail, but it’s a good thing to have anyway just in case!
How much time does it take to hike the Mount Roberts Trail?
If you will be hiking the Mount Roberts Trail from the Basin Road trailhead to the tram station, you want to give yourself 1.5 hours for the Mount Roberts Trail itself.
This does not include the time it takes to get to the start of the trail, or the time at the tram station.
It might take you 30 to 40 minutes to walk to the Mount Roberts trailhead from the cruise port.
You will need some time at the tram station to go shopping for your $20 items, and there might be a line for the tram ride down.
Cost to do the Mount Roberts Trail to the tram station
There is no entry fee for the Mount Roberts Trail, so the cost to do the Mount Roberts Trail is the cost of your tram ticket.
So it will be $20 to do this hike in Juneau.
What to wear hiking the Mount Roberts Trail
The Mount Roberts Trail is a rugged trail through the forest.
If it’s raining or it has rained recently, which is quite possible in Juneau, then it can be muddy on the trail.
It’s a good idea to wear waterproof shoes for this reason.
One of the best waterproof shoes to have is Merrell hiking boots or Salomon trail running shoes. Goretex means that it’s waterproof so look for that.
You can go to your nearest REI to try on shoes to make sure you are getting shoes that fit your feet! Be sure to break them in at home before you wear them for long walks.
It’s also a good idea to be prepared with rain gear. This can include a proper rain jacket and rain pants.
Or if you want to keep it simple (and cheap), you might want to get a $5 poncho from Walmart, although that is not the best way to protect yourself from the rain when hiking.
Other than that, make sure you bring water and snacks for your hike on the Mount Roberts Trail!
Reviews
Before doing any hiking in Juneau or any other Alaska cruise ports, it’s a good idea to read through the reviews so you can know what to expect.
Read the reviews for the Mount Roberts Trail:
More hikes in Juneau
Depending on how much time you want to spend hiking, how much effort you want to put forth, and what the weather is like (or come prepared for the rain!), here are more hikes for you to consider:
- Gold Creek Flume Trail
- Goldbelt Tram to totem poles, Father Brown Cross, or Gastineau Peak
- Nugget Falls Trail
- Photo Point Trail
- West Glacier Trail
Also see more hiking in Alaska cruise ports!
HAPPY HIKING THE MOUNT ROBERTS TRAIL!
I did the Mount Roberts Trail on September 6, 2023. Your experience may vary!
Plan more of your Alaska cruise
Juneau | Ketchikan | Skagway | Icy Strait Point | Sitka | Seattle | Vancouver
More Alaska travel planning tips you need to know!
Juneau | Ketchikan | Skagway | Icy Strait Point | Sitka | Seattle | Vancouver
Things you might need for a day in Alaska on land or at sea!
Read the reviews on Amazon! I'm an Amazon Associate.*
- Rain poncho for a day out and about
- Review from cruise ship passenger: "Absolutely loved having these for our Alaska excursions from the cruise ship! Nice, lightweight, easily packable... easy to put on over our backpacks... Also, highly breathable vs the disposable plastic ones. Ours held up to the windy conditions too!..."
- Read the full review.
- Or... cheap ponchos just in case
- merrell waterproof shoes for women (one of the best shoe brands for the outdoors)
- merrell shoes for men
- travel binoculars that come with a phone adapter designed to allow you to take pictures through the binoculars with your phone. (Test out the binoculars and phone adapter at home before your cruise so you won't be wasting time figuring out when you want to be actually looking for wildlife!)
- for higher quality ones, as recommended in cruise facebook groups by people in-the-know, look at vortex diamondback binoculars
- Packable lightweight puffer jacket (aka travel-friendly)
- For women: puffer jacket | for men: puffer jacket
- Water resistant hiking clothes for Alaska
- for women: hiking pants | for men: hiking pants
For more ideas, do a search for Alaska cruise clothes!
*I may earn a commission.
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Pinterest tip: Share the travel ideas you find on pinterest with your travel partners! Go to your Alaska cruise travel board, and look for the little + person icon! Or, you can go to "edit board" and "invite" your travel partners as a "collaborator"! This way you can all add pins to one shared board and you can all easily see what ideas others have found!