Tucked into the eastern shore of Port Frederick on northeast Chichagof Island, Hoonah is Alaska's largest Tlingit village and a friendly, full-service stop just off Icy Strait, with the Icy Strait Point cruise destination a short way west.
Hoonah sits inside Port Frederick, a deep, well-sheltered fjord opening north onto Icy Strait. The City of Hoonah Boat Harbor is a modern, protected facility with roughly 230 berths, a transient dock, and a separate downtown city dock; visitors find power, fresh water, restrooms with showers, laundry, and Wi-Fi. A fuel dock supplies gasoline and diesel, and a marine industrial center offers a large travel-lift, tidal grid, repairs, and storage, making this one of the better refit and resupply ports in the upper Inside Passage.
Ashore, Hoonah is the ancestral home of the Huna Tlingit and the largest Tlingit community in Alaska, with groceries, restaurants, and small-town services within walking distance of the harbor. A few miles west, the Huna Totem Corporation's Icy Strait Point develops the historic Hoonah cannery into a popular cruise-ship destination with shops, restaurants, cultural programs, whale-watching, and a well-known zipline.
Approach notes, hazards to watch for, and what's available once you're tied up.
Hoonah is reached from Icy Strait by turning south into Port Frederick, a deep deglaciated fjord that runs about 20 miles south-southwest. The fairway is generally deep and clean, but the harbor entrance lies along the eastern shore and should be approached with attention to the breakwater, charted rocks, and shoaling near the shoreline; the inner harbor and city dock carry roughly 15 feet at mean lower low water, so deeper-draft vessels should mind the tide.
Most cruisers use the well-protected marina rather than anchoring off the town. Anchorage is available in coves and the upper reaches of Port Frederick, where depths are often deep (frequently 70 feet or more) until close inshore; pick a spot tucked out of the long fjord fetch, sound carefully, and consult current NOAA charts.
Wind protection summary and tide planning at a glance. Full per-direction and 7-day detail with Plus.
Live readings from the nearest OpenWeather station and WorldTides; refreshed every few minutes.
Source: OpenWeather One Call API + WorldTides.
A curated photo + map walkthrough showing approach, mooring options, and points of interest.
A guided walkthrough of Hoonah with approach photos, depth notes, and points of interest — written by members who have been here recently.
Member-uploaded images of this anchorage.
Real first-hand reports and questions answered by members who have actually been here.
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