Icy Strait Point (Hoonah), Alaska

Great day at Icy Strait Point. Saw many whales & sea lions with Hoonah Travel Adventures. Rode the free aerial tram between the two piers and hiked the trail back to the original port. Tip - try the miniature donuts available at the stand outside the main building.

Have been to Icy Straight Point several times. Take a walk around the gravel walkway you will discover a entrance to a piece of Boreal Forest and when you step into it you will know there is something special about it. On one trip they gave us two little pieces of cedar an a coin. While walking around there is a native guarding a fire if you make a wish an burn your cedar it might come true. The old cannery was neat an you can get a can fill it with whatever trinkets toys that on this big table an pay 16.00 they seal the can and you mail it from there to your kids.grandkids or yourself. You will need a can opener to get in. There is a restaurant with a 6 ft log or two burning an good food. Fishing is great from the shore where u will find me. There is a village about one an a half mile walk through the forest if you care. The cannery has artisans in it also. An killer whales come by all the time. Hope this helps

We liked this little port. It didn’t seem too commercial. It’s little, but if you are doing an excursion, you’ll have enough time to see it all. We did a 2-hr whale and mammal boat ride and saw Orcas, Humpbacks, Harbor Seals, & otters

This review is specifically for the Ziprider at Icy Straight Point. I reviewed ISP separately yesterday. Ok, if you aren't afraid of heights, you MUST do the Ziprider. I reserved my ticket through the NCL website a couple months before cruising. I dont know how many "walk-in" tickets they sell, but I guess it is possible they could be fully booked if you wait. Anyways, sign your waiver form (you know the one that says if you get slung into the forest, it's your fault), and put your belongings in a free locker there if you need to. Then when your time is called, they take you through the village of Hoonah and up the mountain in a school bus. When you get to the top, you have to walk about 200 yards the rest of the way as a group to the drop zone. It's not reassuring as you pass the piles of fresh bear droppings in the road (seriously). Anyways, dont worry about the bears, worry about being dropped off the mountain. 😁 Woah, some whales just surfaced off the balcony as I'm typing this. Anyways, you watch others go as you wait your turn, then you are past the point of no return. They strap 6 riders into their respective seats, and do the countdown. The initial drop out the gate gives you butterflies, but from then on, its all about hollering and enjoying the ride. I had my phone strapped to me and recorded all the way. What a way to spend 90 seconds in Alaska!! You'll love it! 🍹🍹👍✈

This was my fifth cruise to Alaska and my first visit to this port. This is by far my favorite Alaskan port! We took the Hoonah Sightseeing and Tribal Dance excursion. We made a bathroom stop beside a wonderful playground that the children loved. The Tribal dance was wonderful and my granddaughter went on stage to dance at the end of the presentation! I was impressed that the dancers were all high school students except for the drummer. They are passing on their culture to the next generation! I appreciate that the port is owned and operated by the Tlingit tribe. It is nice to know that the funds spent are supporting them. Our other group could not get a fishing excursion at the last minute, so they bought fishing poles and fished off of the pier in Hoonah. They caught 3 halibut, many sculpin and flounder and a starfish😂. They had a great time! Be sure to book your shore excursions early for this port. They fill up quickly, especially if there are two ships in port at the same time.

Visited: Jun 22, 2019

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