Juneau: Arrival, information and getting around
The ferry terminal is fourteen miles northwest of downtown at Auke Bay; ferries often arrive at unearthly hours, so getting into town can be a problem. Apart from taking a $30 taxi ride, the only transport is with the MGT shuttle (tel 907/789-5460 between 6pm and 8pm only, ) which meets ferries and drops off at the airport and downtown (both $5). Alternatively, walk a mile and a half to Mendenhall Loop Road and catch the Capital Transit bus #3 or #4 (tel 907/789-6901; $1.50). It's part of the town bus service , which runs hourly from 7am until 11pm (limited service on Sun). The ferry dock is not to be confused with the cruise-ship terminal , right downtown. Alaska Airlines land daily at Juneau's airport , nine miles out towards the ferry terminal; grab a $20 cab, or pick up Capital Transit buses into town from Mallard Street, behind the nearby Nugget Mall: for details and schedules see the Juneau Visitors Information Desk at the airport on the ground floor, which is open for all arrivals.The main visitor center (May-Sept Mon-Fri 8.30am-5pm, Sat & Sun 9am-5pm; Oct-April Mon-Fri 9am-5pm; tel 907/586-2201 or 1-888/581-2201, ) is at 134 Third St, and when a cruise ship's in there are information booths at Marine Park on the waterfront, and by the cruise-ship dock. The Tongass National Forest visitor center at 101 Egan Drive (Mon-Fri 8am-5pm; tel 907/586-8751) has exhibits and videos on the region's ecology and is the place to book forest cabins.
Popular hikes from Juneau include the undemanding Perseverance Trail and, over the bridge on Douglas Island, the Treadwell Mine Historic Trail. Mountain Gears, 210 N Franklin St (tel 907/586-4327), rents out mountain bikes and offers customized area tours. Alaska Discovery (tel 907/780-6226 or 1-800/586-1911) or Auk Ta Shaa (tel 907/586-8687 or 1-800/820-2628) organizes sea-kayaking trips amid wondrous scenery from around $100 per day.
Copyright Rough Guides Ltd as trustee for its authors. Published by Rough Guides. All rights reserved. The Rough Guides name is a trademark of Rough Guides Ltd.
Copyright © 2006 United States.biz
