Port Icy Strait is located outside the town of Hoonah, the largest village of Tlingit natives in Alaska. Opened in 2004, it is privately owned and totally supports the Hoonah community.

Located on Chichagof Island in Tongass National Forest – the largest national forest in the U.S. – it is home to more brown bears than humans. Eagles soar, whales roam, halibut and salmon spawn.

A restored Hoonah Packing Company canning factory offers a museum with a salmon canning line display, local arts and crafts shops for browsing and restaurants for delicious seafood. I was impressed with the small bookstore that channels all funds to the local school system. I did my part and bought a book about the 1964 Valdez Earthquake.

Icy Strait hosts the world’s largest zipline – 5330 feet – and it was busy the entire time we were there. If I were twenty years younger, I might have tried it, but Wayne, Kathy and I chose the gondolas which have been added since our 2018 visit. A short one gets you part-way up the mountain, another all the way to the top for an amazing view.

Nature trails and shuttle rides are offered through the dense, misty rainforest of green, moss-covered trees past hidden waterfalls and vegetation down to the shore where eagles could be spotted in their nests atop tall trees.

We were pleasantly surprised with how much Icy Strait had changed from our earlier visit. The gondola ride was so amazing, we went a second round.