Alaskan Mushing

You're speeding through Alaskan forest, sitting on a sled that's being pulled by some of Alaska's most powerful creatures. This is dog sledding—and it's not only an Alaskan tradition, but also a state obsession, one that's celebrated every March with the running of the 1,150-mile Iditarod Sled Dog Race from Anchorage to Nome. Taking a dogsledding excursion is a chance to see what the fuss is all about. You'll meet Iditarod racers and their dogs and hear what it's like to run this brutal race. And often, you'll experience the thrill of dogsledding first-hand.

This is an outing you can do from Anchorage, Denali, Fairbanks, Girdwood, and Juneau. Options vary, but usually include touring the kennels of these champion dogs, seeing how they're trained, and cuddling their puppies. Many Iditarod racers and champions have tours, so you'll hear a first-person account of what it's like to travel through some of Alaska's harshest terrain. Most of these tours are great for kids, but they're geared for all ages.

The freezing wind burns my cheeks, makes my eyes water, and leaves white beads of ice on my beard. Aside from the ever-blowing wind, the only sound is the soft tapping of dogs’ paws on snow. I watch their furry bodies arch and jump, again and again, leaping across the white landscape that made them. They are beautiful, these unstoppable dogs, undaunted by winter or distance.

Travelers are born from the challenges they face, and in Alaska, the forever snow and empty miles gave us the dogsleds we ride for fun. Not so long ago, the Alaskan postmen used dogsleds to carry the mail—and this very trail that I’m traveling was once his route. It must have been a lonely ride, pounding out the slow miles of snowy track—but today, right now, it is a gift, to enter the white wonderland unseen by cars and trucks and most people.