[4] In the summer the population can swell to over 1,300 depending on fishing, boating, hiking and hunting conditions.

[7] The clans comprising the Huna Tlingit originally settled what is now Glacier Bay National Park as well as Icy Strait, Cross Sound, and the outer coast north to Sea Otter Creek.

Tlingit oral tradition recounts these events as well as the clans' ultimate resettlement in Xunaa.

The Reverend and Mrs. John McFarland assumed responsibility for the school in 1884, and by 1885 219 Tlingit students were enrolled: 69 boys, 76 girls and 74 adults.

The cannery ceased operating in 1954, but continued to see use by commercial fishermen for storing and repairing their boats and gear.

[14] The communities of Whitestone Logging Camp (which was being dismantled in early 2011) and Game Creek just south of the city limits.

Other incorporated communities nearby on Chichagof Island include Tenakee Springs to the south and Pelican to the west.

The road would save the Alaska Department of Transportation ferry costs in summer snow-free months, by connecting these areas to Hoonah.

[4] Tongass National Forest borders the area and has an unpaved road system of over 300 miles (480 km).

Recreation areas include Game Creek, Kennel Creek, and Freshwater Bay which has a small boat harbor, all to the east; and Whitestone boat landing and False Bay recreation area to the southeast.

Hoonah is the principal village for the Huna Tlingit who originally settled Glacier Bay, Icy Strait, Cross Sound, and the Outer Coast.

The former Hoonah Air Force Station, once a White Alice Communications System facility during the Cold War, which closed in the mid-1970s, is now the start point of a zip-line, one of the longest in the world, which ends at the cannery site.

Hunters, hikers, campers, boaters and fishers all visit Hoonah as tourists throughout the year.

The Alaska Marine Highway serves Hoonah with the M/V LeConte with recent gaps in coverage due to state funding and needed repair work.

[22][23][24] The ferry service has traditionally offered residents a slower but more dependable and cheaper option to travel to and from Hoonah to Juneau.

The Alaska Department of Transportation built a new ferry facility that opened in early 2001 in Hoonah.

The facility operates as part of the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (or SEARHC).

[25] It is open Monday through Friday for primary care and acute concerns, and offers assistance after hours in emergency situations.

Because no roads lead in or out of Hoonah, individuals in need of dire medical attention are often airlifted to Juneau or Sitka via air ambulance or Coast Guard helicopter.