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Juneau, Alaska, enjoys a majestic setting in a narrow fjord with Mount Juneau and Mount Roberts towering above it. To the east is the vast expanse of glacial ice known as the Juneau Icefield, and to the west are the wilderness islands of the Inside Passage.

Because of the natural beauty that surrounds the city—as well as its gold-rush-era buildings and many shops—this state capital is a popular tourist destination. In fact, Juneau is visited by more cruise ships than any other port in Alaska.

Must See or Do

Sights—Mendenhall Glacier, Nugget Falls and the visitors center; the view of Juneau from the top of Mount Roberts Tramway; a flight over the Juneau Icefield; a floatplane excursion past glaciers; bears at Pack Creek Brown Bear Preserve on Admiralty Island; whale-watching; seeing the glacier calve at Tracy Arm Fjord.

Museums—Relics from gold-rush days at the Juneau-Douglas City Museum; maps of the mine tunnels and gold-mining equipment at the Last Chance Mining Museum.

Memorable Meals—An authentic salmon feast at Gold Creek Salmon Bake or at the Taku Glacier Lodge Flight and Feast; king crab legs and rich crab bisque at Tracy's King Crab Shack; barbecued king-salmon burgers at Twisted Fish Co. Alaskan Grill.

Late Night—Live local music at the Alaskan Hotel & Bar; views of the water and floatplanes at Hangar on the Wharf; an old-timey sing-along at the Red Dog Saloon; The Island Pub in Douglas.

Walks—Exploring Mendenhall Glacier trails; following the miners' path up Perseverance Trail; exploring the Douglas Treadwell Mine ruins near Sandy Beach in Savikko Park; hiking along the alpine trails at the top of the Mount Roberts Tramway; exploring historic downtown Juneau from the docks to South Franklin Street and up the hill past St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox church.

Especially for Kids—Sitting in a child-sized eagle nest at the Mount Robert's Nature Center, accessed by the Mount Rogers tramway; playing in the colorful maze and play-structure at Twin Lakes Park; participating in a Junior Ranger program at the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center; touching tide pool creatures at the Macaulay Salmon Hatchery; dogsledding on a glacier; spotting seals sleeping on icebergs in Tracy Arm Fjord.

Geography

Downtown Juneau hugs Gastineau Channel, where cruise ships dock. Juneau also includes Douglas, across the channel on Douglas Island; Thane; the Lemon Creek area; Mendenhall Valley; Mendenhall Glacier; Auke Bay; and what locals call "out the road."

The downtown historic district, encompassing a few blocks, is the lively center of the city. Egan Drive, also known as Thane Road and Glacier Highway, runs along the water, and Franklin, Seward and Main streets comprise the downtown shopping districts with restaurants, bars and hotels.

City and state buildings, museums and churches are within walking distance from the docks. South Franklin, Willoughby and Main streets, originally built along the shoreline, are flat, but the sidewalks by some streets continue as staircases, testimony to why Juneau is nicknamed the "Little San Francisco of the North."

History

Prior to the discovery of gold in Juneau in 1880, the largest Alaska Native settlement in the area was Auk Village near Auke Bay. Juneau, called Dzantik'i Heeni by the Tlingits (meaning "where the flatfish gather") was a fish camp and summer home. People didn't live there year-round because of the horrendous frigid Taku winds barreling down the mountain passes from the Juneau Icefield.

In 1880, Chief Cowee from the Auk Tribe led pioneers Joe Juneau and Richard Harris to a gold deposit, which started the famed Alaska gold rush. Hard-rock mining at the Alaska-Juneau mine in Juneau and the Treadwell mine in Douglas quickly replaced placer mining—gold panning—and became the most important industry in Juneau. (These two world-class mines, largest of their kind at the time, operated until a cave-in and flood at the Treadwell in 1917 and a worker shortage during World War II at the Alaska-Juneau. Juneau's streets along Egan Drive and parts of South Franklin are built with gold tailings, the leftover dirt from mining.)

In 1906, Juneau was named the capital of Alaska, still a U.S. territoryat the time. It officially became the state capital on 3 January 1959, when Alaska achieved statehood. Southeast Alaska grew and prospered with its fishing, mining and logging industries.

The Tlingit culture retains a strong influence on the economy and arts, and some natives continue to practice a traditional way of life in outlying villages. As a tourist mecca, Juneau is one of the most-visited cities in Alaska, especially during the summer months.

Potpourri

Land area around Juneau is increasing at a rate of about 0.7 in/1.8 cm per year, which is faster than rising global sea levels. With the decreasing weight of melting glaciers, the land is bouncing back. One nearby island is now 18 ft/6 m higher than it was when Capt. Vancouver sailed by it more than 200 years ago, and the Amalga Meadow area of Juneau has risen more than 5 ft/1.5 m since 1948.

Located smack in the middle of a rain forest, Juneau receives an average of 62 in/157 cm of precipitation a year, 24 in/61 cm more than famously wet Seattle. Autumn is the wettest season.

Juneau is the only U.S. state capital not accessible by road. The city is serviced by air and water, but the highway only stretches 45 mi/72 km along the coastline.

You can't judge a bear by its color. Black bears actually come in a range of colors, including a rare blue-gray variation called the glacier bear. Many black bears are brown—not to be confused with brown bears, which are also brown. So how do you tell the difference? Size matters. Black bears tend to be the size of a very large dog, weighing up to 400 lbs/180 kg. Brown bears are usually much larger, closer to pony size, and can weigh 500-1,000 lbs/230-450 kg.

Talking or singing as you walk through the woods is the best way to let bears know you're coming.

Location

Cruise ships dock at one of six berths along the waterfront from the city center to the southeast. To aid tourists, the ship berths are labeled A-F.

The Seadrome Dock and Intermediate Vessel Float handle smaller boats, so if more than four large ships are in port—as is often the case in midsummer—then the fifth ship anchors in the channel and tenders passengers in smaller crafts to the terminals.

Tourists disembarking at the farthest berth, the AJ Dock, can either walk 20 minutes to the town center or catch a shuttle. Starting at the Franklin Dock, a seawalk leads visitors past many tourist amenities, including welcome signs and maps, historic statues, covered waiting areas, picnic tables, information and tour-company kiosks, shops, food vendors, the Mount Roberts Tramway and a colorful visitors center.

Downtown Juneau is within easy walking distance, but you'll need transportation (taxi, tour coach or local bus) to reach outlying attractions such as the Mendenhall Glacier. Tour buses load in a lot beside the visitor center. There is also a taxi-loading zone; the visitor center can provide a list of cab companies.

Shore Excursions

So many different tours are offered in Juneau; the hard part is deciding among them. The more adventurous should consider helicopter or floatplane tours of glaciers and fjords, glacier-trekking or dogsledding on a glacier. Those who prefer the water to the air might consider whale-watching, fishing for salmon or halibut, or sea kayaking near seals, sea lions and whales. You can also enjoy a placid float down the Mendenhall River or a Mendenhall Lake canoe or kayak adventure.

You can tour the glacier by bus and then feast on salmon, or marvel at spawning Alaska salmon at a local hatchery. Hikes in the rain forest and rain forest gardens are a great way to explore, and two ziplines through the rain forest provide additional adventure. Other options include exploring the historic sites of downtown Juneau. Because most ships are in port eight hours or more, you can sometimes choose more than one tour.

If you have a bit more time, explore nearby Tracy Arm Fjord or Glacier Bay, home to 16 tidewater glaciers. Around Juneau, many outstanding wilderness lodges beckon sportfishing and whale-watching enthusiasts and ecotourists. Spend a day watching brown bears at Pack Creek on Admiralty Island. Fly to Yakutat for world-class fly-fishing and steelhead fishing or to surf Alaska's lost coast. Take a memorable fast-ferry day trip up Lynn Canal to Haines or historic Skagway. Ferries also go to Sitka, Petersburg, Wrangell and other southeast communities, but you'll need two to three days. https://dot.alaska.gov/amhs/route.shtml.