Glacier Gardens
7600 Glacier Highway, Juneau, Alaska
Juneau’s Glacier Gardens makes the journey through Alaska’s temperate rainforest fun, easy, and accessible. Aboard one of their rainforest vehicles, you’ll ride through the property’s verdant botanical gardens and the lush greenery of Tongass National Forest, climbing Thunder Mountain for views of Alaska’s capital city. Always guided, it’s an immersive look at the wildest flora of the Last Frontier.
Glacier Gardens’ greenery ranges from manicured gardens and babbling creeks to waterfalls, misty forests, and the slopes of Thunder Mountain. There’s only one way to experience it: via a guided, 1-hour tour. You’ll be taken across the grounds via “rainforest vehicle,” your guide detailing all there is to know and love about this temperate corner of Alaska. If you have extra time to spare, stroll around the lower gardens and pop into the visitor center, which contains a small gift shop and café.
The on-site café offers pre-prepared hot food, snacks, pastries, bottled drinks, and an espresso bar.
The gardens’ open season is typically May to October.
Groups of 15 or more should call in advance to obtain a reservation.
Glacier Gardens is about six miles (10 kilometers) from downtown Juneau—if you’re arriving via cruise ship or simply don’t have a rental car, book a rideshare service (like Lyft or Uber) or taxi to get there. If you do have wheels, it’s about a 15-minute drive from downtown Juneau via Egan Drive (AK-7) and Glacier Highway (AK-11).
Glacier Gardens is typically only open from May through October. During that window, they’re usually open every day of the week during business hours, barring inclement weather. It’s advised that you call a day in advance to make sure they’re operating during your desired time. Tours are typically offered hourly starting at 9:15am.
Alaskan bald eagles are known to frequent (and nest in)Glacier Gardens; there’s even a video stream of an active bald eagle’s nest inside the visitor’s center atrium. You might also spot thrushes, kingfishers, kinglets, herons, cranes, gulls, woodpeckers, sandpipers, and more.
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