Chichagof Island, part of the Alexander Archipelago, is a pristine wilderness area and home to the Tlingit people. As a small local community of around 1,000 native islanders in Hoonah, the Alaskan village is a unique opportunity to gain insight into their traditional way of living in symbiosis with nature and wildlife.

 
When you arrive by cruise ship, Icy Strait Point in Alaska is the access point to Chichagof Island and Hoonah. The port began to serve as a cruise ship stop in 1996. Nevertheless, it is still a simple cruise destination with only two landings, the Ocean Landing and the Wilderness Landing. The port of call is a favourite destination on many cruises between Seward and Vancouver or Seattle due to its natural scenic beauty and abundant wildlife.

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As an unparalleled Alaskan cruise port, Icy Strait Point is still being developed and is gradually expanding to meet the demands from cruise travellers for Alaskan nature experiences. Intriguing things to do in Icy Strait Point include a variety of wildlife-spotting and kayaking tours and shore excursions, as well as visiting the restored salmon cannery museum facilities.

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Icy Strait Point is a newer cruise destination, owned by the local Tlingit people through the Huna Totem Corporation. Huna is a Tlingit tribe. The local community (the Huna Totem Corporation) owns the island. The locals operate all activities around the small cruise port, which are planned according to the cruise ship arrivals to Icy Strait Point.

Cruise ships dock at two piers, with only a few ships arriving at Icy Strait Point every day in the season. Great nature experiences await cruise passengers just off the ship. Whale-watching tours depart right from the port and if booked in advance with immediate departure, no time will be wasted during the typical 6-hour stay at the spectacular port of call.

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Activities and facilities at Icy Strait Point within a short walking distance include, in addition to whale-watching and other wildlife tours departing from the excursion docks, an adventure centre, a kayak rental centre, ATV, ziplining, and gondola options, a nature trail loop in the temperate rainforest adjacent to the beach, restaurants with seafood and other Alaskan dishes, retail shops, a dance theatre, and a salmon cannery museum displaying the production facilities of former times.

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Also, the world’s largest zip-rider experience begins just next to the pier area! The views are absolutely scenic! Icy Strait Point is a unique port of call due to its location: the lush rainforest meets the sea, bald eagles soar in the air just above your head, and orcas and whales are often within sight.

The cruise ship docks comprise the Wilderness Landing and Ocean Landing, which are both close to the Skyglider Gondola.

Photo: Travel In Culture

Photo: Travel In Culture

Visiting the Cannery Museum close to the cruise ship dock is a highly recommended thing to do at Icy Strait Point. The Hoonah Packing Company began operation in 1912, but that is history now as it was shut down in 1953. Nevertheless, restored cannery facilities are now part of the Cannery Museum and make history come alive, displaying how salmon were processed and canned at the time.

Photo: Travel In Culture

Photo: Travel In Culture

In addition to the free museum with a 1930s cannery line on display, there are local restaurants and numerous native-owned arts and crafts shops selling Ulu knives, hand-carved jewellery, and other local products in the Cannery Museum complex buildings.

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Hoonah, Alaska | Photo: Travel In Culture

Hoonah is the largest native Tlingit village in Alaska, although relatively small and calm. It is located along the Inside Passage of Icy Strait – just a few kilometres south of Icy Strait Point. In Hoonah, there are excellent opportunities to gain insight into the local Alaskan culture. The authentic local character has been preserved, and the village has avoided over-tourism despite the increasing number of cruise passengers visiting.

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Traditional craft disciplines and their original way of life include making tools and products related to their cultural heritage, processing natural products, and fishing. Visitors may also buy local art or souvenirs in a small shop.

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With a little luck, you can see how the natives perform traditional crafts, e.g. there is a carving hut where local Tlingits show how they carve a long canoe out of a tree and carry out decorative carvings or make the finishing touch of a totem pole. Around Hoonah, there are a few totem pole sites. Generally, in the traditional culture, the natives used art and symbols to communicate, which is still upheld in the Tlingit culture.

Tlingit culture on Chichagof Island | Photo: Travel In Culture

Hoonah has a harbour with lively traffic in and out to other parts of Alaska – and you may have a chance to spot some marine life here. There is also an eagle’s nest in Hoonah, and if you keep alert, there are good chances to spot an eagle above Hoonah or the forested mountainside!

Hoonah, Alaska | Photo: Travel In Culture

The natural beauty of Chichagof Island makes it an attractive place to explore the Alaskan wildlife.

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Icy Strait Point offers a dozen tours, including whale-watching tours. Watching humpback whales and orcas is nearly guaranteed on these excursions. Also, deep-sea fishing excursions are popular, and fishing for halibut and trout is also a beloved activity, as well as the Silver and Pink salmon fishing in the streams during July – September.

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Wildlife is abundant on Chichagof Island. In particular, the prevalence of brown bears is higher here than anywhere else in the world – around 1-2 brown bears per square mile! That is also why the island has been nicknamed ‘Bear Island’. In addition to whales, orcas, and brown bears, there is an excellent chance to watch other wildlife: Dall porpoises, sea otters, seals, sea lions, dolphins, bald eagles, and an impressive variety of rainforest birds.

As one of the prettiest and most pristine ports of call worldwide, Icy Strait Point is a fabulous place to explore Alaskan coastal nature.

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To get the most out of your stay, plan and reserve beforehand if you want to do one of the tours or activities for the first part of the day so you can do it immediately after disembarking. You could allow 2-3 hours for this if you want to explore on your own afterwards. It could be one of the whale-watching tours departing from Icy Strait Point, a wilderness (bear) tour, an Alaskan native dance performance… or one of the numerous other activities offered on the day your cruise ship arrives. You could also take a gondola ride, try the zipliner for gorgeous views, go for an adventure experience on the forested mountainside, kayak along Chichagof Island or walk the nature trail loop!

Once back, visit the Cannery Museum and the craft shops in the building complex to get an idea of the island’s history and native culture. It is also the perfect place to buy local souvenirs and perhaps have a bite of the local food (perhaps freshly caught seafood).

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With still 2 hours left, an excellent way to discover the local culture is to walk to Hoonah, accessible just a few kilometres from the ship dock. You can easily explore the native Tlingit village from Icy Strait Point on foot. Along the way, you will pass the picturesque Three Rocks, a historic Old Bear Clan Cemetery, the harbour, and a carving hut where you may view the creation of some traditional craft. You may also be lucky to spot some marine life, such as orcas, porpoises, or even humpback whales, from the coast or the harbour!

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Finally, return along the pier on wooden stilts and the beach at Icy Strait Point, where you may catch sight of a beautiful starfish in the water. You will now have made the most of your Icy Strait Point visit – your 6 hours have flown!

For more inspiration for what to do on a day trip from Anchorage towards Seward, you may want to read Where to Stay in Anchorage & What to Do Before a Cruise and Skagway White Pass Train Tour

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