Almost everyone has heard of the Mendenhall Glacier or seen pictures of its stunning blue and white ice. Just 13 miles from Juneau, Mendenhall Lake fronts Mendenhall glacier at its terminus. The ice from the glacier extends 150-220 feet under the water. Nugget Falls rushes into the lake just in front of the glacier and huge blue icebergs are often seen floating on the lake. Tourists can boat around the icebergs to the glacier in kayaks or hike one of the many trails to get a close up view of one of the most photographed glaciers in the world.
The 12 mile long Mendenhall Glacier is one of 38 glaciers flowing from the Juneau Ice Field. This icefield covers more than 1,500 square miles and runs all the way from the Taku River up to the town of Skagway – a distance of approximately 90 miles. Even though the ice field is thousands of years old, scientists estimate that the ice in the Mendenhall Glacier only takes about 200 years to move to its terminus or end. Remember you can find all kinds of information on Animals of Alaska, Utah, even stops like the Mendenhall glacier on our outdoors website at KSLTV.com.
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