Northern Route  (Even Years)

 

 

 

Checkpoints	Distance between Checkpoints*	Distance from Anchorage	Distance to Nome
Total Distance			975
Anchorage to Campbell Airstrip	11	11	964
Willow to Yentna Station	42	53	922
Yentna Station to Skwentna	30	83	892
Skwentna to Finger Lake	40	123	852
Finger Lake to Rainy Pass	30	153	822
Rainy Pass to Rohn	35	188	787
Rohn to Nikolai	75	263	712
Nikolai to McGrath	48	311	664
McGrath to Takotna	18	329	646
Takotna to Ophir	23	352	623
Ophir to Cripple	73	425	550
Cripple to Ruby	70	495	480
Ruby to Galena	50	545	430
Galena to Nulato	37	582	393
Nulato to Kaltag	47	629	346
Kaltag to Unalakleet	85	714	261
Unalakleet to Shaktoolik	40	754	221
Shaktoolik to Koyuk	50	804	171
Koyuk to Elim	48	852	123
Elim to Golovin	28	880	95
Golovin to White Mountain	18	898	77
White Mountain to Safety	55	953	22
Safety to Nome	22	975	0

 

 

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Southern Route  (Odd Years)

 

Due to the route changes over the past few years, this route was used for 2018 and 2019.

 

Checkpoints	Distance between Checkpoints*	Distance from Anchorage	Distance to Nome
Total Distance			998
Anchorage to Campbell Airstrip	11	11	987
Willow to Yentna Station	42	53	945
Yentna Station to Skwentna	30	83	915
Skwentna to Finger Lake	40	123	875
Finger Lake to Rainy Pass	30	153	845
Rainy Pass to Rohn	35	188	810
Rohn to Nikolai	75	263	735
Nikolai to McGrath	48	311	687
McGrath to Takotna	18	329	669
Takotna to Ophir	23	352	646
Ophir to Iditarod	80	432	566
Iditarod to Shageluk	55	487	511
Shageluk to Anvik	25	512	486
Anvik to Grayling	18	530	468
Grayling to Eagle Island	62	592	406
Eagle Island to Kaltag	60	652	346
Kaltag to Unalakleet	85	737	261
Unalakleet to Shaktoolik	40	777	221
Shaktoolik to Koyuk	50	827	171
Koyuk to Elim	48	875	123
Elim to Golovin	28	903	95
Golovin to White Mountain	18	921	77
White Mountain to Safety	55	976	22
Safety to Nome	22	998	0

 

 

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OFFICIAL RACE MAP 2021 GOLD TRAIL LOOP

2021 Iditarod trail route may change, based on circumstances.

Gold Trail Loop Details

Read this list of Gold Trail Loop details, so you can follow your favorite musher throughout the race without missing a beat! Race Standings and GPS will list checkpoint names with N for traveling North up the trail and S for traveling South on the return. This naming convention will help differentiate checkpoints since mushers will be going through each twice. Read the list of updated trail miles below.

• No Ceremonial Start in Anchorage this year.
• Restart at Deshka Landing, which is 5 miles from the usual Restart Willow Community Center location. (No spectators admitted)
• Yentna will not be an official checkpoint but the trail will go by that area
• Takonta will not be an official checkpoint but the trail will go by that area.
• Loop from Iditarod around Flat and back to Iditarod. Flat is not a checkpoint.

Three mandatory layovers:

• 24-hour at any official checkpoint between the Skwentna to Iditarod stretch, including Skwentna or Iditarod. Must be taken before going on to Flat for the return.
• 8-hour at any official checkpoint between the Rohn to Rohn stretch, including either Rohn stops. On a normal route, this would have been taken between the Shageluk to Kaltag stretch.
• 8-hour at Skwentna on the return trip. On a normal route, this would have been taken in White Mountain.

 

Checkpoints	Distance between Checkpoints	Distance from Anchorage	Distance back to Deshka Landing
Deshka Landing N to SkwentnaN	67	83	785
Skwentna N to Finger Lake N	40	123	745
Finger Lake N to Rainy Pass N	30	153	715
Rainy Pass N to Rohn N	35	188	680
Rohn N to Nikolai N	75	263	605
Nikolai N to McGrath N	48	311	557
McGrath N to Ophir N	41	352	516
Ophir N to Iditarod N	80	432	436
Loop around Flat was removed due to snow conditions.	20	442  (Flat)	416
Iditarod S to Ophir S	80	432	336
Ophir S to McGrath S	41	352	295
McGrath S to Nikolai S	48	311	247
Nikolai S to Rohn S	75	263	172
Rohn S to Rainy Pass S	35	188	137
Rainy Pass S to Finger Lake S	30	153	107
Finger Lake S to Skwentna S	40	123	67
Skwentna S to Deshka Landing S	67	83	0
Total Distance			832 (updated without Flat loop)

Please note: Distances on each year’s race map are estimations as the actual trail placement can vary from year to year based on conditions and can affect the actual mileage.

 

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Fairbanks Route (2017)

 

 

Checkpoints	Distance between Checkpoints*	Cumulative	Distance to Nome
Anchorage to Campbell Airstrip	11	11	968
Fairbanks to Nenana	60	71	908
Nenana to Manley	90	161	818
Manley to Tanana	66	227	752
Tanana to Ruby	119	346	633
Ruby to Galena	50	396	583
Galena to Huslia	82	478	501
Huslia to Koyukuk	86	564	415
Koyukuk to Nulato	22	586	393
Nulato to Kaltag	47	633	346
Kaltag to Unalakleet	85	718	261
Unalakleet to Shaktoolik	40	758	221
Shaktoolik to Koyuk	50	808	171
Koyuk to Elim	48	856	123
Elim to Golovin	28	884	95
Golovin to White Mountain	18	902	77
White Mountain to Safety	55	957	22
Safety to Nome	22	979	0
Total Distance			979