The Juneau Alaska rain forest is a vast and amazingly beautiful region that includes countless waterfalls, glaciers, islands, fjords, and lush forests.
Officially know as the Tongass National Forest, the region surrounding Juneau and adjacent islands is populated with some of the most dense vegetation anywhere in North America.
If you are visiting Juneau on an Alaska cruise, there are many ways to experience the Juneau rainforest.
Perhaps the most thrilling is to participate in a zip line shore expedition, in which, as a part of a small group, you are taken into the rainforest, and you climb high up into the canopy, high above the forest floor.
One on a platform over a hundred feet up, you are harnessed in and attached to a long cable. You then "zip" through the lush treetops. It is a thrilling, breathtaking, and utterly unforgettable experience.
The Tongass National Forest, which surrounds Juneau, is absolutely enormous, covering a staggering 17 million acres.
The vegetation in the Tongass is lush, green, and kept moist by a seemingly ever-present mist.
If you are looking for a low-cost way to experience the Tongass during your Alaskan cruise, you can take the Mt. Roberts Tramway, which departs right near the cruise docks.
ANother option is to hop a bus to the Mendenhall glacier. The visitor center at Mendenhall is the hub for a number of trails into the nearby rainforest, including some that also afford stunning views from above the glacier.
So when on your Alaska cruise, make sure to check out the Juneau rain forest. Whether you take a relaxed stroll or a thrilling zip line ride, you will no doubt have an experience you will never forget.
