Trek The USA: Mount Roberts Tramway in Juneau

One of the top attractions in Juneau aside from the whale watching and the Mendenhall Glacier is the Mount Roberts Tramway. It's also the closest and most accessible. You'll find tickets very easily on the docks or through cruise ship companies or at the terminal at 490 S Franklin Street between the C and D dock. Walk up tickets are $33 for an all day pass with discounts for children. Trams are ADA accessible.

For the more adventurous, you can hike up and take the tram down for $10 or a receipt for $10 or more at the restaurant or gift shop. The trailhead is located at 1001 Basin road, about a half mile from the docks. The actual hike is about 2.5 miles to the tram. It's fairly easy to moderate but can be slippery and muddy when rainy. It's a nice hike up where you can have a drink or snack and ride the tram down.

Once you're at the top, well, you're not at the top but at the tram station, there's a few trails you can take including to the peak as well as the popular Father Brown's Cross that overlooks the valley. The Timberline Atop Mount Roberts is a full service restaurant and bar. It's moderately priced which is nice since most places like this usually have sky high prices. There's also a coffee and snack stand for people needing a quick bite. There's also a gift shop for all your shopping needs.

The Chilkat theater hosts frequent events like films and live performances. Nearby the main building is the Nature Center which can help you identify the many animals and birds you may see on the mountain.

The views are great... when the weather is nice. If it's raining, foggy or cloudy, don't fret. The weather changes quite often so spending an hour or two might lead to a break in the weather. That's also the advantage of getting the full day pass as you can go back up later in the day or evening.

I ended up hiking up. It was rainy of course but was still a nice hike. It took about two hours but I was going pretty slow. I continued out to Father Brown's Cross and then headed to the main building. After using the nice bathroom and chatting with some friendly staff, I had some beers and reindeer stew in the Timberline restaurant. I showed my receipt and was able to ride down on the tram. A very quick ride but still fun and better than hiking down.

Although it's a tad pricey, it's definitely worth the trip up. For more information, check out their website. http://mountrobertstramway.com/