Hi there!
Mendenhall Glacier is the most popular glacier to see on land during an Alaska cruise.
And Photo Point is one of the most popular ways to see the glacier!
I did the Photo Point Trail in May 2023 on a day I arrived to Juneau on a Princess cruise ship.
See below for details on how to make the Photo Point Trail a part of your day in Juneau cruise port, including how the glacier looks from Photo Point, and how to get there!
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Here’s what’s below!
- Basic trail information
- Map: Juneau cruise port to Photo Point trailhead
- Why do the Photo Point Trail
- How much time?
- Cost
- How to get to Photo Point Trail on your own
- What to wear hiking the Photo Point Trail
- Reviews
- google maps
- alltrails
- tripadvisor
- More hikes in Juneau
Basic Photo Point trail information
Photo Point is a part of Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area in Tongass National Forest.
The US Forest Service lists the trail as 1/3 of a mile round trip that may take around 15 minutes on a paved path.
There are many ways to see the Mendenhall Glacier, and the Photo Point Trail is really more like a leisurely walk and a nice way to take it easy to see the Mendenhall Glacier.
The Photo Point Trail is considered an easy trail by the US Forest Service.
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If you’re looking for one of the easiest ways to see the Mendenhall Glacier, going to Photo Point can be it!
It is a bit of a distant view, though!
But the visitor center and Photo Point are the most popular places to see the Mendenhall Glacier.
You can also spend a bit more time in the area by walking to Nugget Falls too.
But if you’re looking for a quick visit to see the Mendenhall Glacier in Tongass National Forest, then Photo Point can be perfect!
It’s a paved path the whole way to get to Photo Point.
Depending on your tolerance for time and how much money you want to spend, you can get to Photo Point by public bus, glacier shuttle, taxi, renting a car, or as part of a tour.
See more about how to see the Mendenhall Glacier on your own.
Map: Juneau cruise port to Photo Point trailhead
Cruise ships dock in downtown Juneau.
In order to get to the Photo Point Trail, you need to go to the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center.
You can get to Photo Point by public bus, the glacier shuttle, taxi, by renting a car, or through a tour.
It’s not reasonable to walk to Photo Point from the cruise port because it’s too far away to walk.
👆 Map. Juneau cruise port to Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center. From the visitor center you will look for the trail to Photo Point. Explore the map.
👆 US Forest Service map. You will hike the Photo Point Trail from the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center. Explore the map.
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Why do the Photo Point Trail
You can see the famous Mendenhall Glacier of Juneau.
THE reason to go to Photo Point is to see the Mendenhall Glacier!
It is a bit of a distant view, but Photo Point is one of the easiest places to see the glacier from.
You will also want to go up to the visitor center to see the view of the glacier from there too!
It’s from a higher vantage point so you’ll get great views from there too.
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
👆 The stairs down from the Mendenhall Glacier visitor center. Straight ahead on the ground is Photo Point. Across the lake is the glacier.
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To get to the visitor center, there are stairs, a paved ramp, or an elevator. (Yes, there is an elevator, you do have to look for it, though! It’s kind of hidden.)
Pro tip: The West Glacier Trail on the other side of the lake is actually the best spot to see Mendenhall Glacier on your own. To do the West Glacier Trail, you don’t go to the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center. You go to the West Glacier trailhead. These are separate areas of the national forest.
It’s a nice leisurely walk with a glacier view as your destination!
If you’re looking for a short easy going walk, the Photo Point Trail can be perfect.
The trail itself is an easy paved path from the parking lot and shuttle drop-off spot.
The trail ends at Photo Point and Mendenhall Lake!
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You can take a cheap bus to get to Photo Point from the cruise port.
The Photo Point Trail is something you can do on your own when you’re in Juneau cruise port.
As long as you don’t mind taking a little bit of extra time and walking, Photo Point can be a cheap activity from the Juneau cruise port!
The cheapest way to get to Photo Point is by public bus.
If you go to Photo Point in the cheapest way possible, then it does require a bit of extra walking, but you can think of it all as part of your leisurely walk in Juneau!
It will be $4 round trip per person to get to Photo Point by bus. (Bring exact change.)
Photo Point is in the largest national forest in the United States!
Photo Point is in Tongass National Forest.
By going to Photo Point, you will be seeing a glacier in the largest national forest in the US!
Tongass National Forest covers much of Southeast Alaska, which is where most Alaska cruises spend most of their time.
So you will likely have a number of opportunities to step foot in the largest national forest in the US, and your time in Juneau is one of those opportunities!
You can continue walking to Nugget Falls!
If you have the time and energy, you can then continue walking in the area by going to Nugget Falls!
This is one of the most popular waterfalls to see during an Alaska cruise.
How much time does it take to walk to Photo Point?
It will be good to give yourself 1 hour to spend time around the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center.
While the Photo Point Trail itself may take you only 10 to 15 minutes, you can also stick around Photo Point to take in the views.
It’s also a good idea to visit the nearby visitor center so you can learn more about the ever-changing nature of glaciers.
But if you truly are just looking for a quick visit, then you don’t need any more than 20 to 30 minutes.
This does not include the time to get to Photo Point from the cruise port and back. That can vary based on what type of transportation you use to get to Photo Point.
Cost to do the Photo Point Trail
There is an entry fee for the Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area, of which Point Point is a part of, which is $5 per person.
This is not exactly enforced and it is more based on the honor system.
You go to the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center to pay your $5 entry fee.
So the cost to do the Photo Point Trail is $5.
If you have an annual national parks and federal recreational lands pass, the Tongass National Forest is one of the public lands that’s covered under that.
If you’re traveling with a 4th grader you can get a national park pass for free too with a 4th grade pass!
If you go to Photo Point in the cheapest way possible, it will be $4 per person round trip by bus. So then in total, your cost to go to Photo Point is less than $10!
If you go to Photo Point in any other way, it will likely be $50+ for transportation.
How to get to Photo Point on your own
The cheapest way to do Photo Point on your own is to take the public bus.
Not everyone wants to take the bus to Photo Point, though!
That’s because taking the bus to Photo Point requires around an extra 3 miles of walking, on top of the walking you will do around the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center, which includes the Photo Point Trail.
The bus stop near Photo Point is 1.5 miles away from the start of the Photo Point Trail.
And then, you will also need time and patience in waiting for the bus too.
But the biggest reason to take the bus is the cost savings!
It’s $2 per ride and you want to have that ready in dollar bills, as no change will be given.
If you don’t have dollar bills, ask the guest services desk if they can break change for you! (They did this for me on a Princess cruise ship so I would expect other cruise lines to be the same.)
Confirm current bus fares in Juneau here.
Use google maps for bus timings using the public transit icon. If you’re planning in the off-season, the Juneau bus schedule might not show up on google maps.
What to wear hiking the Photo Point Trail
You will be fine to be generally prepared for walking in the rain when you do the Photo Point Trail.
Since you’ll be walking on a paved path, you won’t have much of a situation where you need to prepare for potentially hiking in the mud.
No matter what you’re doing (hiking or not), it’s a good idea to prepare for rain in Juneau.
This includes waterproof shoes and general rain gear.
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.
Rain gear can include a proper rain jacket and rain pants, or if you want to keep it simple (and cheap), I think it’s fine to opt to wear a $5 poncho from Walmart for the Photo Point Trail! Or, get a better poncho that is better quality and you can use over and over again no problem!
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 Photo Point Trail:
- google maps
- alltrails
- tripadvisor
- US Forest Service (general info)
Download the Mendenhall Glacier national forest brochure at fs.usda.gov.
More walks 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:
- Nugget Falls Trail
- West Glacier Trail
- Gold Creek Flume Trail
- Goldbelt Tram to totem poles, Father Brown Cross, or Gastineau Peak
- Mount Roberts Trail to Goldbelt Tram
- Easy walking in Juneau
More easy walks: Ketchikan | Skagway | Icy Strait Point | Sitka | Victoria | Vancouver
More walking: Hiking in Alaska cruise ports
More for your cruise ship visit: All things Juneau on the blog
HAPPY WALKING THE PHOTO POINT TRAIL!
I did the Photo Point Trail on May 4, 2023. Your experience may vary!
Side note!
Top Alaska activities you must consider!
- Easy-going day with a must-see: Mendenhall Glacier trolley tour
- The epic dog sledding is a visit to a sled dog camp on a glacier, and the cheaper version can be a fun remote yukon sled dog camp
- You'll spend most of your time during your cruise in Southeast Alaska, and this is the location of the "largest intact temperate rainforest in the world," according to the US Forest Service. And so... you need to consider a e-bike and rainforest hike ecotour that includes a visit to Tongass National Forest!
- More fun e-biking in Alaska: e-biking and gold panning tour
- Classic must-do in Alaska: Premier whale watching
- A better way to see the most popular glacier to see during an Alaska cruise: glacier ice adventure (the glacier is getting further and further back - see it while you still can!)
- Post cruise: Downtown Vancouver luggage storage (near the cruise port)
/end side note
More Alaska cruise travel planning tips you need to know!
Juneau | Ketchikan | Skagway | Icy Strait Point | Sitka | Seward | Victoria | 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!