Top 4 Waterfalls around Juneau

The path to the waterfall is well-maintained and well-signposted. You can't miss it.

Mendenhall Waterfall, also known as "Nugget Falls," is located on beautiful Mendenhall Lake. From there, you also have a good view of the Mendenhall Glacier. You can easily get to the starting point from Juneau by bus or car. However, Juneau itself can only be reached by plane or boat.

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.

Whether you're walking or running, this thundering, enormous waterfall is a worthy destination. It also draws understandable crowds, but the flat, beach-like area around it makes it pretty easy to dodge walkers.

The Salmon Creek Trail starts with a brief, steep uphill along a road, eventually transitioning to a narrow track that roughly follows Salmon Creek upstream. Watch for lovely cascades as the creek tumbles downhill through the forest, and for an old water pipeline leading down from the reservoir.

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.

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.

This trail is the easiest, most direct route to get close to Nugget Falls; it is paved, and considered ADA accessible. The ADA-accessible/paved trail ends short of the falls, but walkers can continue toward the base of the falls along a relatively level, rocky beach. Even from a distance, you'll hear the rumble and feel the spray of water tumbling down this waterfall, which is an impressive 377 feet (115 m) high.