Iditarod National Historic Trail

Bystanders wave to participants of the annual Iditarod race.

Skiers at the Eagle River Nature Center.

Cross Pass on the Iditarod Trail.

A century after its development, a variation of the original Iditarod Trail between Seward and Nome remains open to the public, along with many miles of connecting trails that make up the 2,400-mile trail system.

The Iditarod National Historic Trail offers a wide variety of summer and winter recreation opportunities and challenges from paved bike paths to remote, unmarked routes that wind through brushy mountain ranges and rolling tundra.

Between Seward and Knik, you can explore the trail by foot, car or rail. Summer and winter backcountry hiking, biking, running, skiing, snowshoeing and camping options abound on marked and maintained sections of the trail in the Chugach National Forest on the Kenai Peninsula or in Chugach State Park just outside of Anchorage.

Auto access to the Kenai Peninsula (one hour south of Anchorage) follows segments of the trail along one of the most scenic drives in America, the Seward Highway National Scenic Byway. Also on the peninsula, the main route of the trail follows the Alaska Railroad, which offers a wide variety of passenger service and tour options. Summer visitors can also ride with sled dog teams in Seward or pan for gold in Girdwood.

In the roadless wildlands north of Knik, summer and winter recreation options on the trail become more challenging. In summer, much of the trail reverts to wetlands and waterways. Visitors proficient in water travel can follow the rivers used by early gold seekers and explore miles of placid sandbars, lonely hills and bug-infested swamps.

Other remote segments of the trail in the Alaska Range offer a rugged alpine alternative for the savvy backpacker who uses air-charters for drop-off and pick-up at remote airstrips or lakes. In Nome, bird watching, gold-panning, and auto- and bike-touring are all options along the Norton Sound segments of the trail.

Winter overland travel by snowmobile, ski or dogsled are the most popular winter uses of the trail. Every February and March, professional and recreational racers put their minds, muscles and machines to work in epic long-distance winter races that link Alaska's largest and smallest communities. Small towns and villages along the trail, such as McGrath, Galena and Unalakleet, offer a gateway to following these races, with regularly scheduled air transportation, food, fuel and limited lodging.

A number of museums in communities along the trail display historic photography, equipment and artifacts that depict the toils and rewards of life along the trail.