Hoonah Lay Day
/We woke to sunshine—finally—and decided to embrace our inner tourists for a day of cruise ship-style fun at Icy Strait Point.
First up: a surprise boat tour... sort of. On our way up the dock, Karen admired a sleek whale-watching vessel named Tail Chaser. As luck would have it, the captain strolled by, invited us aboard, and gave us a quick tour. Purpose-built and spotless, it looked like a great ride—though we had other plans for the day.
We hopped the $10 shuttle bus for the 1.5-mile ride to Icy Strait Point. The driver gave a friendly overview of local highlights, and it quickly became clear: Hoonah has changed. Norwegian Cruise Line now boasts two berths here, and a free connector gondola links both docks to the main attractions. There’s even a zipline that drops dramatically down the mountain—sadly, fully booked. Next time!
the $10 bus pass makes getting to and from Icy point strait and hoonah a breeze
the free gondola between the two terminals and associated attractions
the free gondola passes through the woods. You can also walk a path.
Six at a time zoom down the zip line
THE END OF THE ZIP LINE REMINDS THE RIDERS HOW TO KEEP ALL THEIR PARTS ATTACHED
THE oRCA mONUMENT nORWEIGAN cRUISE LINES BUILT TO CELIBRATE ALL THE MONEY THEY INVESTED IN iCY sTRAIT pOINT
no shortage of places to shop for souvenirs
it look authentic, but icy strait point is only inspired by the past
i find it amazing how icy point strait and hoonah can absorn 10,000 cruise boat passenegers
Instead, we opted for the SkyPeak Gondola, a 1,500-foot ascent up Hoonah Mountain. At $50 per person, it’s a bit steep (pun intended), but well worth it for the views. We lucked out with perfect timing—no lines, no sharing our gondola car. Even with clouds rolling in, the views were spectacular.
the sky peak gondola provides a beautiful view
it’s a steep view back down to the two cruise ship berths at icy strait point
We grabbed lunch at Duck Point Smokehouse and were pleasantly surprised. Grilled halibut sandwiches, friendly staff, and sweeping views of the channel—definitely worth the stop.
the duckhouse resturant exceeded our expectations
Throughout the day, we met loads of cruise ship passengers on the gondola and around the village. Everyone was curious about our boat and fascinated by the idea of traveling Alaska “on our own.” Not everyone seemed to fully grasp it, but they were all friendly and enthusiastic.
it was not crowded on the day/time we visited, but look at the cue they built for the gondola
Rain returned just as we caught the bus back to the harbor, but we squeezed in one more treat: dinner at The Fisherman’s Daughter. It’s a walk-up spot with both indoor and outdoor seating. We split salmon tacos, “The Burger,” and a massive pile of tater tots. All delicious, and honestly better than expected.
A fun mix of small-town charm, cruise ship polish, and unexpected conversations. Not a bad lay day at all.