Shrine of Saint Therese, Juneau, Alaska, Adventures of Nicole

Shrine of St. Therese in Juneau, Alaska

Updated December 2025, Shrine of St. Therese, Juneau: Alaska’s Sveti Stefan was originally written in January 2016

Trade out an island full of orange roofs in Sveti Stefan gleaming under the Adriatic sun, attached to land by a narrow isthmus of land for a little ball of trees connected to the mainland by a causeway.

Exchange the backdrop of the Dinaric Alps for the Chilkat Mountains.

Swap the Adriatic Sea for Lynn Canal…

And you have the Shrine of St. Therese, just outside Juneau, Alaska

You can watch sea lions play around on the rocks around the island and birds landing on the water while you make your way out to the trees.

Once you enter inside, it’s an emerald green surprise.

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Shrine of St Therese, Juneau, Alaska, Adventures of Nicole

The small chapel in the middle of the island was built in the 1930s and dedicated to Saint Therese of Lisieux.

There are trails that lead through the mossy greens all around the island.

There is even a trail that leads down to the beach.

And from here you can walk around the beach to get a closer-up look at Lynn Canal and maybe even some sea lions if they come out of the water.

How to get to the Shrine of St. Therese, Juneau

Head north from Juneau on the Glacier Highway for about 22 miles, just past Auke Bay. A visit to the shrine is a perfect addition if you plan to head north from the city of Juneau toward Mendenhall Glacier.