Photo Point Trail to see Mendenhall Glacier (from Juneau cruise port)

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’ve done the Photo Point Trail twice, when I arrived in Juneau on a Princess cruise ship and a Cunard cruise ship.

I was most recently at Photo Point in June 2025.

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!

 

There are partner websites that are included below.

 

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.

 

 

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 effort, 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.

 

One of the most basic ways to get to the Mendenhall Glacier visitor center is by taking the Blue Bus glacier express shuttle.

There are also people who rent cars in Juneau to go to the visitor center and other places. You can look up the cost of a car rental in Juneau through a search for car rental deals.

See more about how to see the Mendenhall Glacier on your own.

 

Blue Bus glacier express shuttle to Mendenhall Glacier visitor center: Check for availability

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.

 

 

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.

 

👆 The stairs down from the Mendenhall Glacier visitor center. Straight ahead on the ground is Photo Point. Across the lake is the glacier.

 

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.)

 

 

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!

 

 

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 $80+ 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 mostly 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.

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.

 

 

Pictures above are from when I did Photo Point Trail on May 4, 2023. Your experience may vary!

 

 

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 | Seattle | 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!