ALASKA | CRUISES

Super-long zip-line zooms above Hoonah

By Rosemary McClure, Times Staff Writer
07:10 AM PDT, May 22, 2007

Paris has the Eiffel Tower; New York, the Statue of Liberty. Now Hoonah, Alaska (population 865; click link for map), has a claim to fame too: North America's longest and highest zip-line tour.

Hoonah, a Tlingit Indian community in southeast Alaska, is about 40 air miles west of Juneau. It is a port of call for Celebrity, Princess, Holland-America and Royal Caribbean, ships making their way through the Inside Passage.

The new zip-line, which opened May 14, is at Icy Strait Point, (907) 523-3670, a little more than a mile outside town. Icy Strait Point operates a renovated salmon cannery that offers shore excursions, shopping and a museum.

Icy Strait's Zip-Rider is more than a mile in length and begins 1,330 feet above sea level. It takes riders from a mountaintop to the beach, traveling at speeds of up to 60 mph. Riders reach the bottom in 90 seconds.

"Wildlife sightings — Sitka black-tailed deer and Alaska coast brown bear — along the way are common," said John Dybdahl, president of Icy Strait Point.

Zip-Rider tours are $85 per person and are only available to those weighing between 90 and 275 pounds. Cruise ship passengers can reserve a tour during their cruise or when they arrive at Icy Strait Point. Independent travelers can sign up at Icy Strait Point.

Where am I?

Should we take offense, order a drink, or what? That depends, of course, on where you think these words turned up.


National World War II Museum

The National World War II Museum in New Orleans dedicates its latest building.

My Trips

Subscribe to the Daily Deal blog Daily Travel & DealBlog

Water parks vie to open first U.S. looping water slide
The race is on to see which water park debuts America's first looping water slide — a gravi...
Read more »

SIGN UP Newsletter_icons

Taking restless Southern California on vacation

Los Angeles Times e-mail newsletter, delivered every Thursday


Expedia
  • Departing from:
    Depart:
  • Going to:
    Return:

Subscribe to this section    

Subscribe to
Save and share