Juneau, Alaska, is surrounded by beautiful mountains and one of the best ways to take in the city and the surrounding area is to gain some elevation.
Luckily, you don’t have to plan an all-day hike to get up there thanks to the Mount Roberts Tramway.
Below, I’ll give you a full breakdown of what to expect if you choose to experience the Mount Roberts Tramway.
Table of Contents
What is the Mount Roberts Tramway?
The Mount Roberts Tramway is an aerial tram that zips you up 1,800 feet to some of the best views of Juneau, Douglas Island, and the Gastineau Channel.
It’s one of the most visited tourist attractions in the area.
Home to a restaurant and quality gift shop, the tram is also a gateway to some great hiking trails.
Tickets for adults are $45 and $30 for ages three through 12. (You can purchase them online or in person.)
The daily ticket is good for the entire day so you could literally spend your entire day just riding up and down this thing (please don’t do that).
The tram usually opens at 8 AM and closes at 9 PM.
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Where is the Mount Roberts Tramway?
You’ll find Mount Roberts Tramway right by the Juneau Cruise Ship Terminal Area.
The Tramway is a popular meeting destination for various tours so if you book any kind of tour requiring a shuttle bus pick up, there’s a good chance you’ll end up here.
That makes this site a really convenient attraction to add on to the beginning or end of your scheduled activity.
It’s also located right next to the famous Tracy’s King Crab Shack so if you are wanting to check that off your list, it doesn’t get any more convenient.
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Pre-visit tips
Since this is just a tram ride there’s not a whole lot you need to do to prepare for your visit but I would recommend you to consider two things.
Weather
Juneau can be a very cloudy and rainy place and when the low-lying clouds roll in, you might lose out on your view entirely from up on the Mount Roberts Tramway.
So you have to think about whether or not it will be worth it to go up there when it’s super cloudy.
It’s a tricky decision because the clouds can move out pretty quickly and views can open up even when it’s pretty cloudy.
Plus, those clouds can create some very dramatic views that would arguably be more stunning than a clear day.
Because the daily pass allows you multiple rides, you could always head back down and then try to come up later on in the day when the weather changes.
Activities
You also want to think about the type of activities you’d like to do up there.
Some of the hiking trails can take you a couple of miles up on the mountain which means you could be spending a couple of hours on a round-trip hike. So you want to bring water, snacks, and possibly bear spray.
They also have a nature center along with a restaurant so you might want to think about whether or not you’d like to eat up there.
Visiting the Mount Roberts Tramway
Inside the bottom lobby of the Mount Roberts Tramway you’ll find a bathroom and also a café in case you need a little bit of a jolt before heading up on the tram way.
That may or may not be a good idea for some people.
We purchased our tickets at the time of our visit and there was virtually no line for tickets or for boarding. During peak afternoon hours on a beautiful day, though, I’m sure it gets busier.
We loaded into the gondola and it was nice to see that an attendant is inside one of the cable cars at all times.
Nothing worse than getting stuck in one of these things without any idea of what’s going on while you dangle hundreds of feet in the air.
Your capsule is entirely enclosed although there are a couple of small windows in the front and back that open with a gap of only a few inches. You can sit or stand as they have some benches inside.
Because of the low-lying clouds we only had views for a short amount of time so we were trying to take them in as much as we could.
The clouds drifting through the spruce trees were pretty mesmerizing.
We soared through the clouds for a little bit until they completely engulfed us as we arrived at the top.
It took us about seven minutes to get up to the top.
At no point did we ever not feel safe inside the gondola nor did it ever bounce around or act funny like these things can sometimes do.
So if you are a bit on the fence about doing this due to a fear of heights, I think you’ll probably be fine.
Once we got up to the top, it was pretty evident that we wouldn’t be spending much time at the overlooks but I’m sure they have some pretty nice views for you to admire on a clear day. Or at least that’s what they tell me.
This view right here is about as good as it got for us. And believe me, it didn’t last too long.
Since we didn’t really have any views to check out, we decided to just explore some of the surroundings.
Initially, we wanted to do a hike but we had to switch around our plans for various reasons.
Plus with the record levels of recent rain, the trails were very muddy and I’m pretty sure we would not have had views on the hike anyway.
However, we did wander down the trail a little ways and it was a really cool experience because I’m always down to explore a foggy rain forest.
Plus, you never know what you’re going to come across like these carvings in the trees.
We made our way over to the nature center but unfortunately it was closed for renovations. With the views also closed for the moment, we didn’t really have whole lot to do up on the mountain except to wander.
The good news is that there are some indoor activities you can enjoy like the special film Seeing Daylight they put on at the 120-seat Chilkat Theatre.
It’s all about the native Tlingit culture and their indigenous ways of life and plays every 30 minutes or on demand if you are visiting during off hours.
Dining
Eventually, we decided we wanted to try out the restaurant “Timberline” to see what was all about.
Since we were visiting later on in the day and during a cloudy time, we basically had the restaurant to ourselves.
They serve some specialty drinks up there and we tried out the “glacier margarita.” Very strong and sweet with a pretty blue color.
For food we went with the popcorn shrimp and french fries.
The shrimp was super crispy on the outside and very soft and mushy on the inside which was just not my thing.
But the fries? Those were amazing.
I probably just should’ve just ordered a burger, though, because that is what they are known for.
The restaurant should have some pretty amazing views and they even have an outdoor deck where you can really soak up the views (or fog).
Goldbelt Tram Gift Store
Later on we decided to take a visit to the Goldbelt Tram Gift Store.
It’s actually a really nice gift shop up there and they have a lot of 100% indigenous designed home and apparel products that looked really cool.
If you are into porcelain bowls, you’ll have a wide selection to choose from but they have a little bit of everything.
Trails
One of the main reasons you would want to ride the tram is to get access to the trails up here.
You’ll trek through a mossy rainforest and then make your way up on the ridge overlooking the Juneau area. You might even spot some deer or goats. Of course, you could also spot a bear.
The higher you go, the more difficult and overgrown the terrain may be. So just remember you can venture partially down these trails without getting in over your head.
You’ve got a few different options when it comes to hikes.
The hike that we wanted to do called the Mount Roberts Tramway to Gastineau Peak starts from near the upper Mount Roberts Tramway station. From there it’s a 3.9 mi round-trip hike with about 1,889 ft elevation gain.
Another more strenuous option is to begin at the Mount Roberts Trail trailhead down at sea level and then head your way all the way up at the top. You can then utilize the tram to get you down a little bit quicker. In that case, you only pay $15.
If you’re planning to make it up to one of the peaks, you may have to navigate through snow or ice so crampons might be necessary. This could be the case even in June or possibly July.
Also, there is an area at the upper station where you can clean the mud from your boots.
Final word
The tramway is a great way to get some good views of Juneau, Alaska.
However, with the way the weather is out here those views may not always be possible.
Thankfully, there are other things you can do here like hiking through a beautiful rainforest, shopping, enjoying a meal, or watching a film on the local culture.
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Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned travel expert covering destinations along with TSA, airline, and hotel policies. Since 2014, his content has been featured in publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, and CNBC. Read my bio.
