Forest Service warns of large calving event near Mendenhall Glacier

JUNEAU, Alaska (KTUU) - Officials are advising the public to stay away from the face of the Mendenhall Glacier due to a calving event.

The Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area is still open Tuesday, according to Paul Robbins Jr., USDA Forest Service public affairs officer, but the Forest Service says they are expecting a substantial portion of the glacier to collapse soon.

Robbins says that in addition to the significant calving activity from the glacier in recent weeks, they’ve also noticed a large crack in the ice, showing signs of a larger collapse. They expect the ice falling would create a significant disturbance across the lake as it falls.

Robbins says people should avoid recreating near the glacier face during this time.

This area has experienced extreme flooding in recent years, however, Robbins does not expect any major flooding from this event.

The Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center is just over four miles northeast of Juneau International Airport, while the face of the glacier face is another mile and a half further across Mendenhall Lake.

This story has been updated to correct that the Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area is open, despite the public warning to stay away from the face of the glacier. A previous version stated that the area was closed.

See a spelling or grammar error? Report it to web@ktuu.com

Copyright 2025 KTUU. All rights reserved.