Mendenhall Glacier Master Planning

The 6,000 acre Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area (MGRA) is a national and international destination visited by nearly 600,000 people in 2016. The MGRA contains the Mendenhall Glacier which is surrounded by abundant wildlife and outstanding recreation facilities. Demands to experience and use this area are exceeding its existing capacity resulting in a diminished visitor experience. Additionally, the main attraction, the glacier, is quickly receding and may no longer be visible from the visitor center in the near future. Corvus Design led the planning, public involvement, and NEPA effort while managing over a dozen specialist sub-consultants. The completed plan will guide the MGRA for the next twenty years, within a vision of fifty years to provide long-term continuity with an understanding that the MGRA landscape and visitor demands are changing. The plan focuses on making innovative facility recommendations within the MGRA that will also guide future short-term planning efforts for the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center Unit and its subsequent facility planning and permitting.

Location: Juneau

Client: USDA Forest Service

Components: Master Planning, Public Engagement, Recreation Planning, Environmental