Visiting the Awesome DIPAC Macaulay Salmon Hatchery in Juneau

We’re always looking for fun, inexpensive things to do when we’re traveling in Alaska, and the DIPAC Macaulay Salmon Hatchery just outside of downtown Juneau is a great activity. We don’t visit a lot of hatcheries because they usually smell like fish and there’s not a lot to do, but the DIPAC Juneau Salmon Hatchery is kind of amazing and fascinating.

We’ve got the full scoop on visiting the DIPAC Macaulay Salmon Hatchery and how to add it to your own visit to Juneau, even if you don’t have your own vehicle when you’re in town. If you have any questions about visiting the Juneau hatchery or any other salmon-oriented things in Southeast Alaska, please leave a comment or send us a note. We’re always happy to share more and help you plan a cool trip in AK.

Highlights of the Juneau Salmon Hatchery

Since fishing is such a big part of visiting Alaska for so many people, getting to visit the DIPAC Macaulay Salmon Hatchery can be a really interesting and enlightening place to visit. Alaska has it written into its constitution that there are to be no farmed salmon produced in the state, so hatcheries like this one allow the state to manage the salmon populations, raising fish to be released into the wild to live out thier natural lives before returning here to spawn. These fish live out in the ocean and then make their way back to Juneau to the DIPAC Macaulay Salmon Hatchery after several years, and it keeps the salmon population healthy and supports continued fishing.

If you’ve visiting Juneau during the peak of the salmon run, you’ll be stunned by the number of fish returning. Hundreds of thousands of fish fighting their way up the fish ladder, crowding the shallows just off shore waiting their turn to come back to where they first hatched. It’s amazing. I’ve been to many hatcheries and fish ladders and I’ve never seen anything like the amazing runs here at the Juneau salmon hatchery.

Within the hatchery, there are quite a few exhibits explaining this whole life cycle as well as the ecosystems of Alaska’s streams and the ocean habitat. It’s a great place for kids and adults to learn more about how the salmon cycle goes and all about life in the seas. The touch tanks are great for seeing tidal life up close, and the smelt tanks for seeing the progress of the fish as they grow. You really do get a holistic view of how salmon are integral to the Alaskan wildlife and way of life.

Tips for a Great Visit to the DIPAC Macaulay Salmon Hatchery

The best time of year to visit the DIPAC Macaulay Salmon Hatchery is in July and August when the salmon runs are at their peak. King, chum and silver salmon all return here, but the chum (dog) salmon run is the biggest. This occurs at the end of July and into August. It’s crazy how many fish you’ll see! If you’re visiting the Juneau salmon hatchery with kids, they’ll love the hands on exhibits and chatting with the staff. You’ve got plenty of people ready and willing to talk all about the science of fish and the wildlife that the salmon population sustains.

In each of the areas open to visitors there are different topics covered, so be sure to go through the whole hatchery. For a really interesting spot, stop by the large shelf zone aquarium to see all the different types of fish that live just offshore in the waters of Juneau. Beautiful king salmon, rockfish and even an enormous wolf eel are all present, as well as anemones, urchins, sea stars, crabs and more. It’s a really cool insight into what’s just below the surface of the water.

I’m not a big souvenir person, but there is also a gift shop here at the DIPAC Macaulay Salmon Hatchery. Books, salmon t-shirts, art and even ecosystem science kits are all available for purchase, with proceeds benefitting conservation efforts. You’ll also be able to sample different salmon product and purchase them here too.

Need to Know for the Juneau Salmon Hatchery

Most of the DIPAC Macaulay Salmon Hatchery is under cover or indoors, so you don’t have to worry about being out in the elements. The fish ladder viewing area and the fish sorting pens are all outside, but a lot of it is under cover. Dress warmly though, as you never know what the weather in Juneau is going to do.

For sure bring a camera when you come to the salmon hatchery. If you’re here during one of the salmon runs you’re going to want to get photos of these amazing phenomena. While you can get very close to the salmon when they’re in the upper part of the fish ladder, a telephoto lens is nice to have for getting pictures of the scene happening down at the entry point of the fish ladder. Seals, eagles and salmon make for a great Alaskan snapshot and this is a really cool place to see them all together, and in great numbers.

Parking at the DIPAC Macaulay Salmon Hatchery

There is plenty of parking at the DIPAC Macaulay Salmon Hatchery in Juneau. It’s in a unique spot though, so plug it into your map program so that you know how to actually access the parking area. The hatchery is just off the Glacier Highway and it’s visible when you drive by, but it’s tricky to get to from the road. If you are visiting as part of a cruise, many tours will stop here, sometimes planned and sometimes not. We actually got to visit when we went shore fishing with Chum Fun Charters. It was the perfect addition to a day of salmon fishing.