Summer Information For Juneau In Alaska






Jul 20, 08

Juneau
Alaska

The Beauty and Culture that is Alaska

Juneau, Alaska's capital city, has a rich history that includes the gold rush, which came to the area in 1880. Joe Juneau and Richard Harris made a name for themselves when they struck it rich at Gold Creek. At one point, 20,000 tons of ore were coming out of the Alaska-Juneau and Treadwell mines each day.

But many came to this area before the miners. The Tlingit and Haida Indians were the first settlers here. The Native influence is seen in the numerous totem poles in Juneau.

In the late 1800s, Russian fur traders arrived. Their influence can still be seen as well, especially in some of the architecture. The St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church, built in1894, is one of the oldest churches in southeast Alaska.

Recreation at Its Finest

Located in southeast Alaska's Inside Passage, Juneau provides visitors with endless recreational opportunities. Here at the foot of Mount Roberts and Mount Juneau lies the door to the spectacular scenery that is Alaska.

The region offers world-class kayaking, dog sledding, rafting, hiking and mountain biking. An abundance of waterways makes this area prefect for water sports. Mendenhall River offers rafting, or kayak on Mendenhall Lake at the foot of Mendenhall Glacier.

The tramway takes visitors from downtown to the top of Mount Roberts to enjoy breathtaking vistas and numerous trails. A favorite trek in the area is Perseverance Trail. It takes you through the Silverbow Basin and along Gold Creek, where you can try your luck panning for gold. And Mendenhall Glacier, only 13miles from downtown, has 12 miles of trails of its own, just beckoning to be explored.

Glaciers are one of the regions main attractions. Glacier Bay National Park, is easily within reach. The park's more than three million acres give visitors an experience not soon to be forgotten. Travel from rain forest to glaciers.

Fantastic Fishing

Fish for Alaska king, Chinook, silver and coho salmon or Alaska halibut. You might want to get some help though, because fish weighing more than 100 pounds have been taken from these waters.

The Gastineau Salmon Hatchery provides fishing opportunities as well, and it produces more than 160 million eggs each year.

If shellfish is to your liking, try your hand at catching dungeness, tanner or Alaska king crab.

Wildlife viewing is understandably a popular pastime in Alaska. Admiralty Island National Monument, a preserve for the brownbear, has one of the largest and most accessible brown bear populations in the world.

The waters around Juneau afford sightings of sea lions, baldeagles, dall porpoise, orcas and humpback whales. Icy Straight is great for whale watching.

Arts and Entertainment

The Alaska State Museum houses a collection of Native Alaskan artifacts that chronicles the state's history, as well as Indian, Athabascan, Eskimo and Aleut culture.

Summertime brings many events to Juneau to entertain and delight visitors. The Juneau Jazz and Classics Festival, Gold Rush Daysand the Golden Salmon Derby are just a few of this capital city's summer attractions.

Whitefish Mountain Resort