Mendenhall Lake Kayak Tour
Description
Be one of the lucky few to experience the majestic Mendenhall Glacier up close, as you travel by kayak, under a very limited U.S. Forest Service permit. Journey across Mendenhall Lake in your stable two-person kayak, navigating the iceberg studded pristine water that is truly one of the jewels of the Tongass National Forest. Your knowledgeable guide will explain the breathtaking nature surrounding you, pointing out native wildlife and fascinating you with the history and ecology of the spectacular Mendenhall Glacier. Venture within a safe distance of the massive, awe-inspiring face of the glacier and skirt the base of the beautiful and powerful Nugget Falls. After paddling back across the lake and taking in the last views of this extraordinary glacier, refuel with a snack of Alaskan-style fare and reminisce about the experience that is sure to be a highlight of your Alaska vacation.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Be one of the lucky few to experience the majestic Mendenhall Glacier up close, as you travel by kayak, under a very limited U.S. Forest Service permit. Upon arrival at Mendenhall Lake, your experienced, friendly guide will help outfit you with life jackets and rain gear before instructing you on proper kayaking techniques. Then, you will board the two-person kayaks with a traveling companion or a new friend and set off on your Alaskan adventure. Journey across Mendenhall Lake in your stable two-person kayak, navigating the iceberg studded pristine water that is truly one of the jewels of the Tongass National Forest. Your knowledgeable guide will explain the breathtaking nature surrounding you, pointing out native wildlife and fascinating you with the history and ecology of the spectacular Mendenhall Glacier. Venture within a safe distance of the massive, awe-inspiring face of the glacier and skirt the base of the beautiful and powerful Nugget Falls. After paddling back across the lake and taking in the last views of this extraordinary glacier, refuel with a snack of Alaskan-style fare and reminisce about the experience that is sure to be a highlight of your Alaska vacation. Never paddled before? Don’t worry; your experienced guide will group you into similar abilities so you can travel at a comfortable pace while ensuring that your adventure is safe and enjoyable. Don’t miss this opportunity to experience the Mendenhall Glacier as only a select few lucky adventurers can.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- Gloves and an extra pair of socks are recommended
- Minimum weight: 40lbs
- Maximum weight: Subject to waist size required to fit in the kayak cockpit. Cockpits are 16.5" X 10"
- Guests taller than 6' 3" will not be able to steer with foot pedals and will have to steer with the oar instead. Guests can still participate, it is just a guideline to take note of.
- Children 12 and under must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Children 13 to 17 must have a signed parental consent form to participate without a parent or guardian.
Reviews(51)
First of all, this is a physically demanding experience. If you have never kayaked or canoed before, it might not be a fun time. That being said, ATA made our time on the lake fantastic. Rain gear and all equipment was provided. Kayaks were in great shape. Our guide, Edwin, did an awesome job telling us stories of the area and about his life in general (very funny 10/10). He also took some awesome pictures for us while out on the water. We do wish the experience were a little longer so we could relax and enjoy the amazing scenery more. Overall though, a fantastic trip!
The best tour we did on our cruise. What an amazing experience. How many people can say they've been to the Mendenhall Glacier. You can only get there by kayak/canoe or plane. That's it. But let me make one point, this is about a 5 mile tour in a tandem kayak. It was tiring heading back as you were with the wind. We had an absolute beautiful day, a little cool because you are in glacier water, but the sun was shining that day at about 55 - 60 degrees. Awesome experience, but be prepared to work.
Lovely kayaking tour. We especially enjoyed the company and knowledge of our experienced guide, Joseph. -1 point for not providing a wireless audio system for the guide to use.
Mitch took us on an awesome tour of Lake Mendenhall. We saw many harbor seals and eagles along with other wildlife. It was peaceful and idyllic.
Awesome kayak tour. Jessie was great, loved her witty commentary and extensive knowledge of the area during our shuttle ride to and from the lake. She even pointed out all the bald eagles that we passed! Joseph was an amazing guide. He had great anecdotes and insights about the history of the glacier, lake, and Nugget Falls. He made sure to get us lots of photos to commemorate this unforgettable adventure.
Joe did a great job keeping spirits high and bright during our kayak in the rain. Great equipment and colorful colors. The local info and suggestions were great
So much fun!! Maddy was a fantastic guide, combining skill and knowledge and humor to give us an experience that will last a lifetime.
This tour blew me away and I’m still in awe of how incredible our guide, Mikaela, was during this experience. She went out of her way to make sure we felt safe and took the time to take pictures of my group. The area was beautiful and even another guide, Sophia, went out her way to welcome us back in once done. Overall this trip was well worth it!!
Overall we had a good experience. All the team was super helpful. The scenery was beautiful. Wish that our guide, who was super sweet, would have given some background or commentary on the tour so we had some history of things. Maybe had a microphone so we could hear her. I would not recommend this trip for anyone over 6’4. My son was able to kayak but my husband who is 6’7 was not able too. Also another suggestion is to provide gloves for rowers :-).
Michael is an excellent guide / he made the experience even more enjoyable with lots of interesting information - unforgettable experience
