Icy Strait Point is in Hoonah, Alaska. The port town is owned by the people of Hoonah, population, 931. You are able to walk right off the boat, directly into the small town. There are two gondola systems. One is free, it takes you to the paid one. It was a fun ride. The next one is an excursion charge and takes you to the top of the mountain.

When we arrived, I opened the curtains to look outside. It looked like we were in the middle of the sea, the fog covered everything in a thick, grey, wet blanket of chilly air. We bundled up and disembarked. We were sadly asked to leave our coffees behind as no outside beverages could be taken off the ship. You can see my reaction to this on our Youtube channel. Im not as nice before my first cup of coffee.

As we walked into the port, it felt more like a designated area for entertainment more then a town. The theme was rustic and very well done. We walked around the foggy shoreline, trying to see off in the distance. We found the large barn like structure where you trade in your excursion tickets for wrist bands. We needed a wrist band for the paid gondola and one for the people doing the zipline.

We rode up the free gondola up to the next level. If you’ve ever been to Disney World, it is the same as the skyliner there. Our family was the only ones in our gondola and the ride up was really pretty. We passed the ropes course and pretty scenery before we arrived at the top. We moved on to the gondola that went all the way to the top. This is one is more intense as it climbs to the top, I am scared of heights and really enjoyed it still. Down at the bottom, there was no visibility. The fog was so dense. As the gondola climbed up the steep mountainside, all of a sudden we were engulfed in clouds. You could see nothing. Then the clouds broke free and you could see the line of clouds below as we moved into gorgeous blue sunny skies. It was an experience like no other. At the bottom it was cold, windy and damp. At the top, sunny and even warm.

Hiking at Icy Strait Point

This was a huge tip for us and we really appreciated it, so passing it on. At the top level there is an area where you can hike. It is a guided only hike as the wildlife is too dangerous to go alone. Please bring cash to tip your guide. Our guide was amazing. He was native to Hoonah. He shared with us his native tribal dance and blanket.

The hike itself was very easy and short. Most if it is on a boardwalk and as George pointed out, don’t fall off, it’s basically quicksand on both sides. You won’t die but you will get really messy.

After the hike, it was time for Ela and Jered to zipline. Ela’s mission this year has been to defeat her fears. I was so proud of her for doing this. She was SO nervous. They had the absolute best time. It’s a one time ride, but they would have ridden over and over again. They start off at the top and strap you in. If you watch our Youtube on Icy Strait Point, the whole experience is on there. Ela said as you fly down the mountain, you can see the line of clouds below, glistening in the sun. As you descend, you fly through the clouds. Both Jered and Ela had the best time.

We enjoyed exploring the free part of Icy Strait Point. There is shopping, a museum on the history of Hoonah, some places to eat and get drinks and a shuttle to take you into Hoonah. There are also several excursions you can book for Icy Strait Point as well. We had planned to go back to the ship to eat lunch but ended up eating at the restaurant right when you walk in. It was so good! I had elk chili and throughly enjoyed it. We had been told the whale watching is epic off of Hoonah so we spent the afternoon on a boat, whale watching. It was so much fun. We saw, heard and even felt the splashes from so many whales. The scenery was gorgeous, the boat spacious and the wildlife sighting plentiful. I would highly recommend it. After whale watching we wanted to visit downtown Hoonah but had run out of time to walk. We had heard the walk was beautiful and short. There was one last shuttle bus running. By shuttle bus, i mean a very very old school bus. We were the only ones on the bus, besides the driver and another women who worked at Icy Strait Point. We started chatting and found out the driver was married to the women, whose father was George , our tour guide from earlier. We had the best time learning about Hoonah’s history as they both had grown up there. Then his father got on the bus and showed us pictures of bears he had just seen and told us ever more history. It ended up being a great time and we were so happy we had done it.

Icy Strait Point gets a bad rap in the cruise groups. If you ask my kids, it was their all time favorite port. We had low expectations and just took our time. We enjoyed talking to the people who lived and worked there and learning about life in Hoonah. There is not a lot to do if you are looking for entertainment, but if you’re willing to go outside the normal and look for some fun, you will definitely find it there.

Happy adventures!