Icy Strait Point - Mile 990

Opening its doors for the first time in 2003, Icy Strait Point is unique among Alaska cruise ports–ship visits are limited to one at a time, and the facility–a renovated cannery next to a Tlingit native village is surrounded by wilderness. If you’ve cruised Alaska before, you know how congested the other towns can get with four or five ships in port at once, so making a visit here is a welcome change.

Passengers come ashore by lighter to the cannery dock where there is a museum, cafe/restaurant, and numerous shops. Cannery life was a major cultural and economic element in coastal Alaska and this is an excellent chance to get a close look. There are walking trails around the site and additionally there is a shuttle bus to nearby Hoonah, the largest Tlingit village in Alaska. The facility is owned by a native corporation and the richness of Tlingit culture is a strong element throughout.

Icy Strait Point is located in Port Federick, just across Icy Strait from the entrance to Glacier Bay.

A Cruise ship and a zipline at a cannery?

What would the old-timers have said???

In addition to the crab station, there's another cafe style restaurant inside the old cannery. A short walk along the shore to the west takes you to the Landing Zone Restaurant, where you can get a bite and watch the zipline passengers zinging in for a landing.

Icy Strait Point is owned and operated by the Tlingit tribe, and native dancers often are able to give a performance when a ship is in. The Heritage Center Native Theater is located within the cannery complex.

Fishing is still an important part of the local economy - this is the Hoonah Cold Storage, on the opposite end of town from Icy Strait Point.

Right: part of the rainforest trail from the cannery to the Landing Zone Restaurant and zipline ride exit. It's a gorgeous walk.