Juneau Historic Gold Panning and Salmon Bake Combo Excursion

Description

• Round-trip transportation from your Juneau cruise ship terminal!
  
• English-speaking certified guide!
• Experience gold panning in the same creek as Joe Juneau in the town named after him!
  
• Have the gold panning and mining history explained to you by a prospector excursion guide!
  
• You get to keep all the gold you pan!
  
• Enjoy an all-you-can-eat Alaska salmon bake buffet!
  
• Escape the cruise ship shore excursion crowds and enjoy the unique sights of Juneau and Alaska!
  

In 1880, two prospectors named Joe Juneau and Richard Harris stumbled upon Gold Creek, which was nothing more than a Tlingit Indian fishing camp at the time. They made friends with the local chief and when the chief showed them gold flakes he had found in the nearby creek, the prospectors wasted no time in staking their claim on Gold Creek. Within a month, other prospectors had arrived and almost overnight, the town of Juneau materialized. This led to one of the largest gold deposits ever found.

A costumed prospector will meet you at the pier and drive you up the valley along Gold Creek to Last Chance Basin, which sits in the shadows of the remains of the AJ (Alaska-Juneau) gold mine. The AJ operated for approximately 40 years and was the world's largest hard-rock mining operation between 1920 to the 1930s. On this Gold Panning and Salmon Bake cruise excursion, you will hear about Joe Juneau and Richard Harris in their search for gold during your hands-on experience panning for gold in Gold Creek. You will also hear some of the other colorful histories of Juneau on this Gold Creek and Salmon Bake Shore Excursion from Juneau, Alaska.

Next, transfer to the original Juneau salmon bake, which features Alaskan-caught wild salmon grilled over an open alder wood fire. There is also chicken Parmesan, cheesy au gratin potatoes, baked beans with reindeer sausage, wild-rice pilaf, a variety of salads, cornbread, lemonade, coffee, tea, hot apple cider, and hot chocolate, as well as blueberry cake for dessert. Beer, wine, and soda are available for purchase.

For entertainment, there is a local musician, toasting marshmallows over a crackling campfire, or you can take a walk to view the beautiful Salmon Creek waterfall. You may see a few remnants of the historic Wagner Mine. Explore at your leisure, and then hop on one of the transfer buses provided when you are ready to go back to the Juneau cruise ship pier.

What is included?

• Pickup and drop off right at the main cruise ship pier in Juneau 
  
• English-speaking and trained Juneau Historic Gold Mining and Panning Adventure Shore Excursion prospector guide
  
• Hands-on gold panning in Gold Creek
  
• History of the gold panning and later mining in Juneau
  
• Keep any gold you pan on this Juneau shore excursion
  
• A souvenir gold claim certificate
  
• All-you-can-eat Alaska salmon bake with all the fixings
  
• The opportunity to roast marshmallows and listen to local music
  

Excursion Notes

• Excursion prices shown include all taxes and fees.
  
• Guests must be able to navigate the banks of the creek and walk on gravel at the salmon bake.
  
• Beer, wine, and sodas are available for purchase at the Salmon Bake.
  
• Restrooms are located at the Salmon Bake.
• Please pay attention to the restrictions and requirements for this excursion, no refund will be granted if the requirements are not met
  
• We recommend wearing layers with the top layer being waterproof. 
• Please wear sensible walking/hiking shoes that may get wet.
  
• We suggest you have cash on hand for refreshments, excursion staff gratuities, shopping, etc.

Where we meet

For this Juneau Historic Gold Panning and Salmon Bake Combo Shore Excursion, you will meet your local excursion guide right in the Juneau cruise pier area. All necessary details will be printed on your Electronic Shore Excursion Ticket.

Excursion Restrictions

• This excursion is not wheelchair accessible.
• Children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult.
• Children ages 13-17 must have a signed parental consent form to participate in the absence of a parent or guardian.
• Pregnant women up to 10 weeks should check with their doctor before booking this excursion. Women 10 weeks or over should not participate in this excursion.
• This Juneau Historic Gold Panning and Salmon Bake Combo Excursion may involve risks. We suggest you check with your elected person of choice to see if these possible risks might affect you.

Excursion FAQ

Cancellation

• Your ship arrives into port late and you cannot make it in time to the meeting location (we will verify with the tour operator).
• Your ship skips/misses the port.
• Weather conditions or equipment failure prevents the operator from running the excursion.
• A medical problem prevents you from safely participating in the excursion (we will verify with the excursion operator and the guest may send doctor's note). This applies to individuals only and not the remainder of the group.
  
• Cancellations/deposit refund requests that do not comply with the above may not be subject to refund.
• Refunds may be subject to a service charge fee as determined by the payment processor, please refer to Terms and Conditions for more information.