The Mendenhall Ice Caves are located 21 kilometers from downtown Juneau, the capital city of Alaska. The caves on the Mendenhall Glacier offer a visual feast. The caves, which are located in the passages where the water is formed as it flows from the glacier, are decorated with ice blue colors. Although it is extremely dangerous to walk around the caves, thousands of people flock to see these sights.
Surrounded by mountains, the Mendenhall Glacier has a height of 67 meters and a width of 2.5 meters. Due to the warming of the glacier, caves have emerged as a result of slips and ruptures from the glacier. The caves, which reveal fascinating images, are one of the most beautiful places where the water cycle in nature can be seen in action.
Due to the continuation of warming, ruptures and slips continue in the caves. For this reason, it has become a dangerous place. However, it is heavily visited by nature lovers in order to see the incredible images that emerge. Due to the extreme cold of the Alaska Region, glacier meltdowns in the region are not very large compared to other glaciers. However, these glaciers retreat and melt an average of 10-15 meters annually.
The Mendenhall Glacier has shrunk noticeably since scientific investigations made 250 years ago. Since those years, the glacier has retreated about 800 meters. The glacier is located behind a small lake and is called Aak’wtaaksit, which means.
Ice caves vary in length and size. Small tunnels formed along water passages can expand and lengthen as they continue. Sometimes, these caves may disappear with the cessation of the flow of water. While intensely bright ice blue dominates inside the caves, it emerges in different colors over time due to external effects.
Inside the Caves feels more like an aquarium than a freezing underground cavern. The blue color reflects all over the land, creating an atmosphere of another world. The caves, which have a somewhat difficult access due to their structure, are so beautiful that they will make you forget all the difficulties after seeing them.
Getting to the Mendenhall Ice Caves is pretty easy. Located just 10 miles from the Juneau glacier range, tours are offered to the caves throughout the year. It is possible to take canoe tours along Lake Mendenhall by renting a canoe from Juneau. When visited in winter, there is a walk on the frozen lake. At the same time, glacier climbing and cave tours are included in the tour, which is organized in the company of guides.
