Iditarod National Historic Trail Headquarters

The Iditarod Headquarters is located North of Anchorage, between Wasilla and Knik. The Trail originally was a mail and supply route from the coastal towns of Seward and Knik to the interior mining camps, including the town of Nome far up in northwest Alaska. Today's sled dog race begun on the first Saturday in March, known simply as the Iditarod, is run in commemoration of those distant days. Today in the summers you can hike the trail, or snowmachine (if you don't have a dog team) in the winter.

In 1908 a three-person Alaska Road Commission crew supported by dog teams and led by W.L. Goodwin scouted the Seward to Nome Trail. When gold was discovered nine months later in late December, in the Iditarod Mining District, Goodwin and the Road Commission crew worked through the winter to open the entire route before March travelers arrived. Often the mid-winter temperatures reached 50 below and the crew worked on. Ten years later the gold stampede was waning and more direct routes were being used for mail service. In 1925 when an outbreak of diphtheria struck in Nome there was not enough serum to inoculate everyone. Anchorage answered the call for help and shipped the needed serum via train to the town of Nenana. From there Alaska mushers and their dog sled teams relayed the serum 674 miles to Nome in less than five and one-half days!

Libby Riddles was the first woman to win the Iditarod Sled Dog Race.

Martin Buser (below) holds the record of winning the Iditarod five times.

And Susan Butcher along with her dog Granite hold the women's record for most wins with four to their credit.

The monument is for Joe Redington, Sr. said to be the Father of the Iditarod.

In the early 1970's Alaskans led by Joe Redington Sr. and Dorothy Paige reopened the trail from Anchorage to Nome. Dog mushing in Alaska and around the world was once again revived through their efforts and the Iditarod Trail Dog Sled Race. The trail was named a National Historic Trail in 1978.



The Last Great Race covering 1,100 miles!

BBYN, Karen and Don