A highlight for many visitors, this chapel lies 22 miles north of Juneau off of the Glacier Highway. As Juneau’s expensive waterfront homes peter out, the Shrine of St. Therese appears on your left. It’s in a stunning setting, on an island with crashing surf, mountain views, and a rugged coastline, where you can look for humpback whales and sea lions. Take the trail from the parking lot back to a caretaker’s headquarters, a small stone labyrinth, and—out on a small spit of land jutting 100 yards into Lynn Canal—a church built of rounded river rocks. Stroll around the church, admire the statues and gardens, and enter the “labyrinth,” a series of concentric circles built for prayer walks. There’s also a log church, built in the 1930s, and the flower gardens are as beautiful as the towering spruce trees and beach wildflowers. Whether you’re religious or not, it’s easy to feel at peace on these sacred acres. You can even cast a line off the spit and admire the mountains rising across Lynn Canal—the water’s deep enough you may even catch a salmon or halibut.
There are rooms available for rent, as well as a gift shop. The trails are handicap accessible.
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