Free gondola, paid gondola
The two berths are a short distance apart, and which one you land at decides whether you start at the top or the bottom of the free gondola that links them. If you'd rather walk, a trail runs from the beach on the original dock side through the woods between the two.
The second gondola, up the mountain, is a separate ticket - $50 in 2023 - so don't confuse the free transfer ride with the summit one.
Hoonah is the real town, and it's close
Icy Strait Point is a purpose-built site, but Hoonah, the Tlingit village whose corporation owns it, is about 1.5 miles away. A shuttle leaves from a stop to the left of the ticket booth and takes about five minutes; in 2023 it was $5 round trip, with no one-way tickets sold. Coming back, it picks up in front of the Icy Strait Brewery.
Walking takes 20-30 minutes on a path beside the same road. Hoonah is a small working fishing town rather than a shopping street, which is exactly the reason to go: a coastal walk, a halibut taco and a look at everyday Southeast Alaska make a cheap afternoon on a day when the big excursions are sold out.