Things to Do in Auke Bay, Juneau
Explore Auke Bay - Salt-crusted harbor with small-town pulse, where clanging rigging and espresso steam set the soundtrack.
Explore ActivitiesDiscover Auke Bay
Salt and diesel hit you first, long before the boats come into view; gulls pinwheel overhead and a ribbon of smoked salmon drifts from the processing shed behind DeHart’s Marina. This is Juneau’s working waterfront, where university students, commercial fishers, and cruise-ship day-trippers crowd the same weather-beaten planks. The choreography is pure maritime: crab pots stacked like giant orange chess pieces, otters rolling belly-up between pilings, seaplanes rumbling off toward glaciers you can taste on the breeze. Even on drizzly mornings the bay throws back a clean light that ricochets off the snow-capped Chilkats; at dusk the sky turns an almost metallic pink and the still water mirrors every shade. Locals treat the harbor like their backyard, walking dogs past charter kiosks and grabbing coffee in rubber boots that still drip from the last skiff run. The whole place feels worn-in, not polished—nets drying in front yards, kids skipping stones by the boat launch, the occasional sea lion barking under the wooden ramps.
Why Visit Auke Bay?
Atmosphere
Salt-crusted harbor with small-town pulse, where clanging rigging and espresso steam set the soundtrack.
Price Level
$$
Safety
excellent
Perfect For
Auke Bay is ideal for these types of travelers
Top Attractions in Auke Bay
Don't miss these Auke Bay highlights
Auke Bay Harbor
Masts clink in rows and diesel mingles with kelp at low tide. Harbor seals pop up beside the charter boats, sniffing for salmon scraps.
Tip: Be on the far end of the main float at 5 pm when the day boats unload—watch fishers hose down decks while eagles scrap over leftover herring.
Alaska State Ferry Terminal
Steel gangways rattle underfoot; inside the terminal, frybread grease wrestles with coffee in the air. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame Lynn Canal and its drifting ice.
Tip: Claim a window seat in the upstairs lounge at least 30 minutes before departure—the best glacier views arrive before the ferry casts off.
Auke Lake Trail
Spruce needles pad the path and glacier runoff chills the air above the shallow lake. Kayakers glide by, paddles flashing silver beneath the clouds.
Tip: Leave from the University of Alaska Southeast trailhead on Loop Road at dawn; the lake lies flat as glass and loons call instead of dogs.
Wayne C. Henderson Ice Arena
Sticks crack and blades scrape under fluorescent lights; outside, breath fogs and the faint stink of hockey gloves lingers.
Tip: Public skate sessions open at 1 pm on weekends—rent skates for pocket change and share the ice with local teens practicing slap shots.
Where to Eat in Auke Bay
Taste the best of Auke Bay's culinary scene
Sandbar & Grill
Waterfront seafood bar
Specialty: Halibut tacos with chipotle slaw and a side of crunchy fireweed pickles
Tracy's King Crab Shack Auke Bay
Crab shack kiosk
Specialty: Dungeness crab bisque served in a sourdough bread bowl
Heritage Coffee Roasting Co.
Local roaster café
Specialty: Dark-roast drip coffee and a still-warm rhubarb-custard turnover
The Rookery Café
Breakfast bistro
Specialty: Smoked-salmon Benedict on house-made biscuit with dill hollandaise
Getting Around Auke Bay
Glacier Highway (Egan Drive) slices straight through Auke Bay; Capital Transit bus 3/4 stops at the ferry terminal and UAS every 30 minutes on weekdays, hourly on weekends. A single fare is cheaper than downtown Juneau and transfers stay valid for 90 minutes. If you’re ferry-hopping or kayaking, most outfitters will loan bike racks or run shuttles back to the harbor. Parking is easy on the gravel lots next to the boat launch, but overnight RV spots are gone by 6 pm in summer.
Where to Stay in Auke Bay
Recommended accommodations in the area
Auke Lake B&B
Mid-range
$120-150
Juneau Hotel Auke Bay Annex
Budget
$90-110
Alaska’s Capital Inn
Boutique
$200-250
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