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Suggest a Feature →Juneau, Alaska
The capital city you can only reach by sea or air. Glaciers, bears, and bald eagles.
Coast Guard Sector Juneau covers the Inside Passage — the labyrinthine waterway system threading through Southeast Alaska's islands and fjords. The SAR environment is some of the most complex in North America: tidal currents, unpredictable weather, and fishing vessel traffic that operates year-round in severe conditions.
Juneau is Alaska's capital city — accessible only by air or sea, wedged between Gastineau Channel and the Tongass National Forest on one of the most dramatic urban settings in the world. Mendenhall Glacier calves icebergs 12 miles from downtown. Bald eagles are as common as pigeons. The Inside Passage begins at the city doorstep.
The rain is legendary — Juneau averages 90+ inches of precipitation annually. The mountains trap clouds continuously, and extended clear stretches are a gift. But the fjord landscape, the wildlife, the salmon fishing, and the sense of being genuinely somewhere different make Juneau memorable.
Must Eat
The spots worth eating at before you PCS out.
Tracy's King Crab Shack
"A street stand serving king crab legs. Non-negotiable."
A small shack near the cruise ship docks serving Alaskan king crab legs — simple, direct, and exceptional. The crab is local, the preparation is minimal (steamed, with butter), and the experience of eating king crab in Juneau with a harbor view is one of Alaska's genuine pleasures. Seasonal.
This is not tourist-trap food — it's genuinely exceptional local product at a fair price for Alaska.
Deckhand Dave's
"A fish and chips cart run by an actual fisherman."
Dave sells halibut and salmon fish and chips from a cart near the docks — caught by Dave himself, battered and fried on the spot. One of those perfect street food experiences that couldn't exist anywhere else: a commercial fisherman selling his catch directly to customers in one of the world's great fishing ports.
Twisted Fish Company
"The downtown Juneau dining standard. Good salmon and halibut year-round."
A waterfront restaurant in the downtown core serving local seafood — king crab, halibut, and wild salmon prepared well in an attractive space with harbor views. A reliable choice for a proper sit-down meal that delivers on the local product.
Outdoor
Get outside. The land around military installations is usually the best reason to be there.
Mendenhall Glacier
"A 13-mile glacier calving into a lake 12 miles from downtown. Staggering."
The Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center sits at the lake where the glacier terminates — watching icebergs calve and drift across a lake that didn't exist 40 years ago is both spectacular and sobering. The East Glacier Loop trail gives access to the glacier face. The ice caves (seasonal) are extraordinary.
Kayaking Favorite Channel
"Orca pods, humpback whales, and Steller sea lions in the Inside Passage."
Sea kayaking around Douglas Island and in Favorite Channel provides access to wildlife concentrations that most people see only from cruise ships: humpback whales, orca pods on summer visits, Steller sea lions, and harbor seals. ATV rentals, kayak clubs, and guided tours operate out of Juneau.
Salmon Fishing
"Five species of Pacific salmon run in and around Juneau."
King, silver, sockeye, pink, and chum salmon all run in the rivers and streams around Juneau throughout summer. The Steep Creek Trail near the Visitor Center has king salmon visible in the creek in July. The Mendenhall River and Auke Creek have accessible bank fishing.
Culture & History
Places with stories. Most military towns sit on deep history — dig in.
Alaska State Museum
"The best single collection covering Alaska's Indigenous cultures and history."
The state museum in downtown Juneau holds the premier collection of Alaska Native art and artifacts — Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian objects from Southeast Alaska alongside Yup'ik and Athabascan materials from the Interior. The natural history wing and the Alaska history galleries are genuinely excellent.
Red Dog Saloon
"A Gold Rush saloon with sawdust floors and live music. Actually historic."
The Red Dog is a genuine piece of Juneau's Gold Rush character — not a themed reproduction but a bar that has operated in various locations since the 1890s. Sawdust on the floors, a working piano, and miners' and fishermen's memorabilia on the walls. Go once and understand Juneau.
Family
Stuff to do with the kids. Rated by people who have brought actual children.
Eaglecrest Ski Area
"Alaska's closest ski area to a state capital. 30 miles of runs."
On Douglas Island across the channel, Eaglecrest is a 640-acre ski area with 30 trails operated by the City and Borough of Juneau. Season runs December through April. Not a destination ski resort, but a legitimate ski area with excellent terrain and very reasonable prices.
Macaulay Salmon Hatchery
"Touch salmon in the fish ladder. A working hatchery with educational programs."
A working state hatchery three miles from downtown where returning salmon can be viewed in the fish ladder and holding tanks. The touch tank has live marine animals. An excellent, inexpensive, and genuinely interesting educational stop for children who have never seen Pacific salmon up close.
Day Trips
When you need to remember there's a world outside the gate.
"The bear island. One brown bear per square mile."
An island 15 miles from Juneau accessible by kayak or floatplane with the highest density of brown bears in North America and the largest concentration of nesting bald eagles. Pack Creek on the east coast of the island is famous for bear viewing in July and August (permit required).
"The gold rush gateway. An absurdly atmospheric historic town."
A 90-minute ferry or floatplane north, Skagway is a Gold Rush-era town where 30,000 stampeders once camped before attempting the Chilkoot Pass. The National Historic District preserves the original buildings. The White Pass & Yukon Route railway is one of the great scenic train trips in North America.
"The bald eagle capital. 3,000+ eagles concentrate here in November."
A 90-minute ferry from Juneau, Haines sits at the mouth of the Chilkat River valley. In November, the largest concentration of bald eagles in the world gathers here for a late salmon run — 3,000+ birds in the trees along a 4-mile stretch of river. Outside eagle season, excellent hiking and a strong arts community.
Buy a quality rain jacket before arriving. Not an excuse for a jacket — a proper waterproof shell with taped seams. Juneau averages 230 days of rain annually. This is the non-negotiable gear purchase.
The Alaska Marine Highway ferry connects Juneau to Sitka, Haines, Skagway, Ketchikan, and eventually Bellingham, Washington. Getting on the ferry and exploring the Inside Passage is one of the great Alaska experiences.
Berry picking in late summer is exceptional — blueberries and salmonberries in the clearings above the forest line, huckleberries along hiking trails. Free food and the most Alaskan possible activity.
The Legislature is in session January through April, bringing a small influx of political activity to what is otherwise a very quiet capital city. State employees and legislators fill the downtown during session.
Juneau's weather is genuinely challenging — 90+ inches of rain annually, frequent cloud cover, and the psychological weight of extended dark winters. Service members who need sunshine or open driving space struggle here: there are only 50 miles of road accessible from the city, and the nearest highway connection to the rest of Alaska doesn't exist. The setting is spectacular, the wildlife access is extraordinary, and the fishing is world-class. But the isolation is real and affects some people more than they expect.
This guide is built by people who've been stationed here. If there's a spot we got wrong or a gem we missed, tell us.