The best waterfall hikes and walks in Juneau City and Borough

The animals are generally very shy. Nevertheless, signs regularly warn against bear encounters, which are not uncommon.

The Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center near Juneau brings you up close to the rugged beauty of Alaska. Here you can not only admire the impressive glacier and the turquoise glacial water, but also gain exciting insights into the geology and ecosystem of this region. The center itself offers exhibitions that illustrate the history and development of the glacier and a fascinating view of the retreating ice. The area around the center is criss-crossed by easily accessible trails such as the Photo Point Trail and the popular Nugget Falls Trail, which takes you to the roaring Nugget Falls. For nature lovers, the Steep Creek Trail is a highlight - especially during salmon season, when bears gather at the stream. From elevated walkways you can observe the animals without disturbing their peace. In winter, a completely different scene awaits you, when nature freezes in silent beauty. Take the time to explore the short Trail of Time, which tells the history of the glacier on information boards and lets you delve deep into the formation of this unique landscape. The Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center is more than just a visitor center - it is an experience that shows you the power and fragility of nature first hand.

The East Glacier Trail actually forms a loop, but for mountain bikers it makes the best sense to come up this side, then turn back when you hit the top of a long staircase that's really a drag to carry your bike up or down. Expect to ride a mix of singletrack and hardened doubletrack here, and to dodge hikers and even guided hiking groups, especially during cruise ship days.

Your reward for reaching to the end of the Perseverance Trail is a chance to explore the old mining ruins in Silverbow Basin — all that's left of what amounted to a major industrial site in the early 1900s. Use great caution: The ruins are unmaintained and unstable and (hopefully) needless to say, you should do any off-trail exploring at a walk.

You can probably guess how Gold Creek got its name. But the history behind Ebner Falls — this picturesque waterfall in Gold Creek, which you can see from an overlook on the trail — is a little more obscure. It may have been named for one of the early miners in this area. You'll also find one of the more precarious sections of trail here, as it narrows to a footpath to skirt around a cliff.

The last part of the trek to the summit of 3,576-foot (1,090 m) Mount Juneau is too steep to keep up a running pace. But it's not technical, and it's well worth tagging the summit to enjoy its stunning, expansive views over the lands and waters around the city of Juneau.

If you follow the ridgeline east of Mount Juneau, you can eventually descend to the Silver Bow Basin that houses the Granite Creek Trail, and walk back to the trailhead on old mining roads. This ridgewalk should only be tackled by expert hikers who are prepared to handle off-trail navigation, wildlife encounters, steep terrain, occasional scrambling, and snowfields that may linger well into the summer. However, in exchange for your preparation and efforts, you'll enjoy stupendous views that seemingly never end, and a chance of seeing mountain goats — among all the other wildlife that inhabit this area.

The maintained Granite Creek Trail ends after a couple of lovely waterfalls, although you can follow faint footpaths to explore the alpine bowl you find yourself in. You might see mountain goats and other wildlife on this trail, plus plentiful blueberries in the fall. Heads up: There is extreme avalanche hazard on this trail during the winter, and extensive snow fields (left by avalanches) may linger well into the summer.