Juneau Economic Development Council
Juneau Recreation

Recreation

Juneau is situated in the Tongass National Forest and stretches along the shores of Alaska's Inside Passage and is home to glaciers, mountains, islands, waterfalls, and wildlife. Juneau residents enjoy unique access to outdoor recreational opportunities. Juneau has 50 major trails for hiking, and the Eaglecrest Ski area has 31 alpine runs and 8 km of Nordic trails. Other outdoor recreation options include kayaking, boating, hunting, rock climbing, ice climbing, zip lining, hang gliding, river rafting, camping, wildlife viewing, scuba diving, and fishing. The City of Juneau sponsors both indoor recreational and outdoor activities throughout the year.

For these reasons, Juneau has been nationally recognized as a "best place" to live and work. Here are some other recognitions.

  • August 2009 - Juneau was named the fifth-best city to raise an outdoor kid by the outdoors magazine Backpacker. Juneau earned extra points for having the highest percentage of Boy Scouts in the West and an "unrivaled cornucopia: Glacier Bay National Park (ice, bears), Tongass National Forest (trees, bears), and Admiralty Island (fish, bears) total nearly 40 million acres."

  • July 2008 - Juneau was listed as number six in the 10 Best Outdoorsy Places to Retire by U.S. News and World Report: "Retirees who love the outdoors get more than just enjoyment out of hiking, bird-watching, and kayaking. They also get exercise that improves their quality of life. Juneau, Alaska, provides a jumping-off point for hiking, rafting, kayaking, and rock climbing."

  • April 2008 - Alaskan Brewing Company was named number 5 in the medium companies group in Outside magazine's "Best Places to Work" list. The magazine conducted extensive surveys - based on benefits, compensation, job satisfaction, environmental initiatives and community outreach programs - designed to identify, recognize and honor the best employers in the country.

  • June 2004 - Juneau was listed as the best place to live in the Pacific Northwest by CNN Money Magazine: "With a population of some 30,000, Juneau, Alaska isn't a big city. But as the state capital, it straddles the urban and wilderness worlds. Ferries along the Alaska Marine Highway give access to other Inside Passage communities and beyond."