The small capital of Alaska, with just over 30 thousand inhabitants, is one of the most interesting places to visit in the great northern state. As I will explain later, is not well connected to the rest of the state and it is natural to wonder why it was built in this area, which at first glance seems almost not to be a part of the geographical territory of Alaska.
The reason is a very simple one: gold. In the nineteenth century, the prospector Joe Juneau discovered a gold vein in this area, and consequently, a mining village was born. In 1881, the town was given the name of the discoverer by popular vote.
Today, Juneau is an almost obligatory stop on cruises along the Atlantic Ocean Inside Passage, but above all, it is an excellent base for excursions in search of whales, glaciers and other wonders that this rugged territory has to offer.
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Can You Drive to Juneau Alaska? How to get there
How many other state capitals don’t even have a road connecting them to the outside world? Excluding those that are located on some islands, there are very few cases similar to Juneau. To get to Juneau, therefore, you can’t just hop in the car and set the sat-nav. Let’s see what the possibilities are.
- By plane: the fastest way to get to Juneau is by plane. This is true both if you choose the Alaskan capital as your destination from another state, and if you are already in Alaska and decide to come here from Anchorage or Fairbanks.
- By ship: in a territory where the sea is predominant, ships are certainly the most appropriate means of transport to use. The capital can be reached by cruise ships or by the public ferry service, managed by the Alaska Marine Highway. You can arrive by boat from Washington State, Canada and other parts of Alaska. Please read the article on how to plan a trip to Alaska for additional details.
- By car: it’s true, I mentioned that no road leads to Juneau, but no one is stopping you from boarding your car on a ferry, especially if this is an intermediate stop on a longer road trip. The ports of Skagway and Haines are connected by land to the main road network of western Canada and, from there, eastern Alaska. Ferries between Juneau and both of these ports are daily (the crossing is 4h 30 mins between Juneau and Haines and 30 minutes between Haines and Skagway).
Best Time to Visit Juneau
As I mentioned in the article on when to go to Alaska, the southern coast, and in particular the Inside Passage area where Juneau is located, is the mildest area in the state. Here there are no excessive temperature changes, like the ones that characterize the inland area, so the differences between summer and winter are limited. The hottest months are June, July, and August, with average highs of 62-64° F and lows of 46-50°. The months of May and September are slightly cooler, 10-15 degrees lower than in full summer.
April and October are the intermediate months between summer and winter: nighttime lows are close to 32° F, but usually slightly higher, while the highs are almost always below 50° F. The entire period between November and March sees minimums below 32° F and maximums slightly above 32° F.
Don’t worry though: even in January, the coldest month, there is an average of 34° F during the day and 26° F at night. As you can see, compared to other areas of Alaska, the climate is less severe. Thanks to the sea in winter you won’t freeze too much, but in summer you won’t run into very high peaks of heat.
Juneau is one of the rainiest cities in Alaska. While its location is favorable in terms of temperatures, if you travel here you’ll have a high chance of having to break out your umbrella. Over 6.5 feet of snow falls between October and April, but the bulk of precipitation is from summer and fall rain. August, September and October have 20 to 24 days of rain each, and the rest of the year it hardly ever gets below 17.
Attractions in town
From an architectural point of view, Alaska is a very young state: the oldest buildings that can be found are little more than a century old. At the same time, there is a lack of those masterpieces of modern and contemporary architecture, those skyscrapers with record heights and unmistakable characters that distinguish the great cities of North America. On the other hand, those who visit Alaska do so primarily to discover its unspoiled nature. This does not mean, however, that the state lacks fascinating cities, if looked at in the right way.
This is the case of Juneau, where the indigenous culture blends with that of the U.S. settlers. Walking through its historic center, you’ll find numerous totem poles (a very tall one, 45 feet, is placed in front of the government building in 4th Main Street) and 143 buildings that can be defined as historic, or pre-1904. The most lively neighborhood is South Franklin. As with any seaside town, the port area is crucial and today the docks are bustling with stores, bars and restaurants thanks to the growing number of cruise ships that dock here every year.
The Mount Roberts Tramway departs from South Franklin: this is the cable car that climbs from the seashore to an altitude of 1800 feet, offering a spectacular view of the city and the portion of the Inside Passage it is a part of. As the cable car is operated by the Alaska Native Corporation, at the top there is a workshop where native artisans create traditional artifacts and a small room where a film about Tlingit culture is shown.
Museums of Juneau
- Alaska State Museum. This is the most important museum in the city. It contains 32,000 indigenous artifacts, works of art and exhibits of various kinds. For those who go to Alaska for the first time, it is the ideal starting point to discover the past of this place (there are baskets that are thousands of years old), but also to be amazed by standing before unthinkable objects: some examples are a belt made of 200 caribou mandibles, hunting headgear with ivory carvings and fringe in eared seal whiskers, and a Kaagwaantaan dancer’s headgear, considered among the most beautiful fir-root headgear in the world. There is also a section devoted to the Russian period and the more recent history under the United States. (Address: 395 Whittier Street. Ticket: $12, free for ages 18 and under. Updated hours and prices on the official website).
- Juneau-Douglas City Museum. This tells the story of the two men who started the gold rush in this area in 1880. It was one of the largest and most intense gold rushes in American history, starting with ships crammed with hopeful prospectors only a month after the lode was discovered. (Address: 155 S.Seward Street. Ticket: $6, free for ages 12 and under. Updated hours and prices on the official website).
- Wickersham State Historic Site. This historic site consists of an 1898 house, purchased in 1928 by Judge James Wickersham: a person who played a fundamental role in the transformation of Alaska into a Territory, a preliminary step for the birth of the present State of Alaska. (Address: 213, 7th Street).
- Last Chance Mining Museum. As you might guess from the name, this museum is about a gold mine and is in fact located outside of town, where the air compressor (among the largest in the world) of the Alaska Juneau Gold Mining Company, which operated here from 1912 to 1944, was located. Today you can see old locomotives and railroad cars there, but it’s worth a visit mostly for the setting. (Address: 1001, Basin Road. Ticket: $5. Updated hours and prices on the official website).
Attractions around Juneau
Juneau is small and can be visited in a short amount of time, but one of the main reasons to stop here is its surroundings, which are full of things to see and experiences to enjoy. In addition to the many nature attractions offered by the Inside Passage region, there are also some interesting activities in the immediate vicinity of the city.
Trekking on Mount Roberts
The mountain that shelters Juneau from behind is famous for the cable car that ascends its slopes almost halfway up its elevation, offering visitors one of the best views of the city. The cable car terminus is also the starting point of numerous trails, which hikers can use to explore the entire mountain. It’s possible to walk for hours along these trails that go through the forest and past waterfalls, with a high chance of encountering marmots, snow goats, and larger animals like bears. The most famous trail is the 4.5-mile-long Mount Roberts Trailhead, which starts in the city at the end of 6th Street.
Glacier Gardens Rainforest Adventure
Despite being one of the city’s main roads, the Juneau Veteran’s Memorial Highway (called the Glacier Highway in the first section) is a dead end, but well worth the back and forth. From downtown it heads north along the Gastineau and Favorite Channel, crossing Mendenhall Valley and touching on some interesting places such as the Glacier Gardens Rainforest Adventure: a botanical garden where you can walk a 2-mile loop trail through the picturesque rain forest, interspersed with flower gardens.
Glacier Garden Rainforest Tour
Shrine of St. Theresa
Continuing on the road to the north, one also encounters the National Shrine of Saint Therese, an interesting Catholic spiritual place dedicated to Saint Therese of Lisieux, who is also the patron saint of Alaska. Built not far from the city, it is a complex of small houses surrounded by lush gardens, among which a stone chapel stands out. If you’re looking for a special place to stop while driving along the long coastal road, this is certainly a good option.
Mendenhall Glacier
This glacier is one of the main attractions not only of the Juneau area but of all Alaska. The visitor’s center is reached by following the road north, and offers illustrative films and panoramic windows on the glacier, which is about 11.8 miles long and 1 mile wide.
Unfortunately, due to climate change, the glacier is retreating by 490 feet per year (in the 1940s it was retreating by only 9 feet per year). A small 0.3-mile trail leads to a great vantage point from where you can take unforgettable photos. Other longer trails such as the Trail of Time (0.4 miles) and the East Glacier Loop (3.5 miles) cross the rainforest and bring you closer to other areas of the glacier.
You can also hike the lake by kayak or traditional Tlingit canoes. For those who can afford it, there are helicopter tours that land on the glacier itself. Here are some of the main trips you can take.
- Mendenhall Glacier Ice Adventure Tour
- Round-Trip Mendenhall Glacier Shuttle Service
- Mendenhall Glacier canoeing and hiking trip
Check out all Mendenhall Glacier excursions
Whale Watching from Juneau
Juneau is one of the best bases for venturing out to sea in search of whales, which come in large numbers to feed in the Inside Passage, especially in summer. Below you will find some of the best tours for spotting these magnificent cetaceans.
Where to stay in Juneau
- Alaska’s Capital Inn: built in 1906, this B&B already has over a century of history and retains period furnishings. But fear not, it was renovated in the early 2000s and offers all amenities, starting with an outdoor heated pool. More than the building, however, it is the position that counts: being in the hilly area of the historic center, you have a truly impressive view of the sea.
- Pearson’s Pond Luxury Inn & Adventure Spa: if instead of staying overnight in the center you prefer to be a few minutes from Nugget Falls and Mendenhall Glacier, this hotel is ideal. You’ll sleep in a log house by a pond, warming up in front of the fireplace or in the hot tubs. You’ll have access to canoe or mountain bike tours, and relax with a massage when you return.
- The Driftwood Hotel: this is an ideal lodging for those who want to stay downtown, and prefer economy over luxury. If you’re making a short stop in Juneau, perhaps traveling by ferry and sleeping in town for just a night or two, and want a simple but comfortable setting within walking distance of the harbor, this is the hotel for you.
