Trail
Updates
The following information was obtained from Juneau Trails,
90 Short Walks, and personal knowledge.
 Perseverance Trail
To access the trail from downtown Juneau, take Gold Street
to Basin Road and follow it to the end. The trail features
old mining ruins, marmots, warblers, wild flowers, and
views of Ebner falls. Avalanche dangers exist during the
winter and early spring. Be aware of the right side of
the trail, which is very steep and hazardous. This trail
is excellent for biking and jogging, and within easy walking
distance of downtown.
 Granite Creek Trail
Begin on the Perseverance Trail at the end of Basin Road.
The trailhead is located to the left about 2 miles from
the beginning of Perseverance Trail. The trail features
wild flowers and berries, Alpine lakes, spectacular water
falls ,and ends at a beautiful basin. Avoid the trail in
winter because of extreme avalanche danger.
Mt. Juneau Trail
The trailhead is located to the left about 1 mile from
the beginning of Perseverance Trail. Special features include
opportunities to see hoary marmots, spruce grouse, and
wild flowers. Many lives have been lost on this mountain
because of carelessness. DO NOT STRAY FROM THE TRAIL OR
ATTEMPT TO CLIMB MT. JUNEAU BY AN UNESTABLISHED ROUTE.
Avalanche danger may persist until late spring, and large
snow banks may be present on the steep sections of this
trail.
Dan Moller Trail
The trail is located on Douglas Island. Keep left after
crossing the Juneau-Douglas Bridge, and take the first
right onto Cordova Street. Turn left onto Pioneer Avenue
and look to the right for the trailhead. The trail features
wild flowers, wildlife, good views and access to surrounding
ridges. Trail is available for cross-country skiing and
snow machining in the winter (requires 12 inches of snow
cover). The trail is planked most of the way. Take caution,
as these planks can be slippery. Be aware of avalanche
dangers.
Treadwell Ditch Trail
The trailhead may be reached by driving to Eaglecrest
Ski Area on North Douglas Island. The trail starts at a
2-car pull-off about .25 miles from the beginning of the
Eaglecrest parking lot. The trail can also be accessed
from Bonnie Brae Subdivision, and Dan Moller Trail. The
first ½ mile of trail is extremely slippery. Most
of the trail is in good shape and provides suitable tread
for jogging. The trail features historical mining remains,
porcupines, deer, muskeg meadows, and views of Gastineau
Channel.
Treadwell Historic Trail
Trail starts at Sandy Beach south of town of Douglas or
limited parking at end of St. Ann’s Ave. Accessible
gravel trail past ruins of Treadwell Mine site. Caution:
Stay on trail. Entire area is honeycombed with tunnels,
pits & other diggings from the mining days. Artifacts
on the ground must be left in place.
False Outer Point
The trail is located at 12.4 mile on North Douglas Hwy.
This trail has been recently planked and is also used by
commercial tour companies. Don’t let this discourage
you from using the trail, as it is a very beautiful location
and one of the best places in Juneau to explore the inter-tidal
zone. The trail features old-growth forest, muskeg meadows,
deer, and a chance to view marine life.
Mt. Roberts Trail
The trail begins on Basin Rd., just beyond the wooden trestle bridge. The trail features views of Lynn
Canal, bears, marmots, spruce grouse, and wild flowers.
The Mt. Roberts Tramway brings thousands of people up this
mountain each year. Hikers can pay five dollars for a ride
down on the tram. The lower portion of the trail was recently improved, with the Sixth Street entrance now closed due to unstable slopes.
Salmon Creek Trail
When driving north from Juneau, turn right just past the
cement abutment at mile 2.5 Egan Drive. This turn-off is
located before the Salmon Creek exit. The first part of
the trail has been made into a road and is very easy going
after you climb the first hill. Be very cautious on the
section of trail leading from the road to the dam as people
have fallen and injured themselves on the last part of
the trail. This trail features a scenic reservoir and large
dam.
East Glacier Trail
The trailhead is located across from the parking lot,
where the tour buses park. The East Glacier trail begins
to the left just past a small “kettle” pond
near sign #4. The trail features porcupine and woodland
birds including thrushes, warblers, and wrens. The trail
provides excellent views of the Mendenhall Glacier. Construction
work is taking place during the summer 1998, so it may
be a good idea to call the Forest Service to see if the
trail is open.
West Glacier Trail
To access the trail, take the Montana Creek Road from
the Mendenhall Loop Road, and follow the signs to the campground.
Go past the campground entrance and Skaters Cabin to the
parking area at the end of the road. The trail features
some spectacular views of the glacier and Mendenhall Lake,
and provides access to the glacier for experienced climbers.
This trail is more difficult and requires some scrambling
over rocks that can be slippery when wet.
Mt. McGinnis Trail
This unmarked route begins at the end of the West Glacier
Trail and can be difficult to find. On the way back it
is can also be difficult to find the transition route to
the West Glacier trail. Hikers need to get their bearings
and establish some land marks when you depart the West
Glacier trail. Avalanche dangers may continue until early
summer. The trail features mountain goats, bears, alpine
wild flowers, and spectacular views of the glacier.
Montana Creek
The trail can be accessed from the back loop about a mile
past the turn off to Montana Creek road, going towards
Auke Bay. It is also possible to drive to the end of Montana
Creek road (about 3 miles). There are high concentrations
of bears in the area in late summer. Salmon spawn in the
creek and it is also possible to catch trout. The trail
connects with the Windfall Lake trail, which emerges at
mile 27 Glacier Highway. From this location, with patience,
tired travelers can hitch a ride back to town.
Kaxdigoowu Heen Dei
Access the trail from Glacier Highway just past the Brother
Hood Bridge. This is trail is constructed like a bike path.
There is access to fishing holes in Montana Creek, and
an equestrian trail for horses. This trail is heavily used
and you can expect to find a lot of people on the trail.
The start of the trail crosses through a meadow with some
beautiful wild flowers, including Siberian Irises, which
grow only in a few places in Juneau.
Airport Dike Trail
Turn left off Egan Drive by the Nugget Mall and McDonalds
intersection traffic light. Follow Glacier Hwy just past
the turn off to the airport until you see Berners Avenue
on the left. Continue on this road to Radcliffe street
and follow the road past the sewage treatment plant. The
trail is well maintained and easy to follow. It is a favorite
trail for people to walk their dogs. The trail is in the
Mendenhall Wetlands State Game Refuge. There are all different
types of birds to see and excellent interpretive signs
on the trail.
Auke Nu-Trail
The trailhead is located at 12.3 mile glacier Highway
(past the Auke Bay Post Office). The Auke Nu Trail was
built to access the John Muir Cabin, which can be reserved
through the Juneau Ranger District in the valley (586-8800),
or at the USFS interpretive center downtown (586-8751).
This trail also provides access to Spaulding Meadows, which
is one of the best places in Juneau for Nordic skiing during
the winter. The trail features views of the Chilkat Mountains,
Admiralty Island, Gastineau Channel, and Mts. Stroller
White and McGinnis.
Spaulding Meadows
The trailhead is located at 12.3 mile glacier Highway
(past the Auke Bay Post Office). The trail features blueberries
and huckleberries, and sub-alpine muskeg meadows. The trail
is extremely muddy during the warm seasons, but it becomes
an important Nordic ski route in winter. The eastern part
of Spaulding Meadows is open to snowmobiles, but access
is restricted to the Lake Creek Snowmobile route. Potential
snow machine enthusiast should take care to know their
boundaries, so as not to interfere with Nordic skiers.
Contact the USFS for more information at 586-8800.
Amalga (Eagle Glacier) Trail
The trailhead is on the left at mile 28.4 of the Glacier
Highway, just past Eagle River. Take caution on the this
trail to avoid surprising the black bears and brown bears
that use the trail. Other animals include beavers, wolverine,
geese, and mountain goats. There is a forest service cabin,
which can be reserved through the Juneau Ranger District
in the valley (586-8800), or at the USFS interpretive center
downtown (586-8751). The end of the trail brings hikers
to an alpine lake with excellent views of the glacier and
lake. There is also a water fall where the lake flows into
Eagle river.
Herbert Glacier Trail
The trail begins at mile 28 of the Glacier Highway just
past the Herbert River Bridge. There is a small gravel
parking lot on the right. This trail provides an excellent
opportunity to examine post glacial plant succession.
Just past the trail’s midpoint there is a small
beaver pond to the left. Under no circumstances should
you approach the face of the glacier, because of the
danger of falling ice. Look for mountain goats on the
surrounding cliffs.
Windfall Lake Trail
When driving from downtown Juneau, turn right off Glacier
Highway just before Herbert River (mile 27). Follow the
dirt road to the trailhead. The trail features great blue
herons, swans, gees and other waterfowl. Bears are also
present. There is good fishing for Dolly Varden and cutthroat
trout in Windfall Lake. A new cabin is being constructed
at Windfall Lake, and there is an opportunity for volunteers
to work on the cabin. Contact Trail Mix at 790-6406 for
more information.
Peterson Lake Trail
The trailhead begins at mile 24.5 Glacier Highway. Parking
is limited so be careful not to park on private property.
The trail climbs up a series of steps and then joins the
old trail. The trail is not too difficult, but trail planking
may be slippery in some places. The trail passes through
dense forest and ends at a lake. There is a boat at the
lake and a USFS cabin available for public use (Call 586-8800
for info). Dolly Varden trout may be caught in the lake.
Point Bridget
The trailhead is marked by a sign and located near 39
mile Glacier Highway on the left side of the road. This
is one of the easiest trails to hike in the area and offers
a large variety of ecosystems. It is also an excellent
cross-country skiing trail in the winter. Upon reaching
the first cabin, hikers can access the beach by taking
the trail that goes in front of the cabin. The view at
the beach is one of the highlights of this trip. Alaska
State Parks has two cabins that can be used by the public
(call 465-4563 for information).
|
