The Most Common Question Asked About the Trail
Why does the trail go one way in even years (northern) and the other way in odd years (southern)?
Both sections of trail are a part of the Iditarod National Historical Trail which was used in early years for all winter travel. Dog sleds delivered the mail, the preacher, the groceries, and hauled out gold and furs all the way to Anchorage or Fairbanks.
During the early years of the Iditarod Race, the mushers only traveled the northern trail. After several years, the Iditarod Board of Directors realized that the smaller villages were being heavily impacted by the race coming through their village year after year. It was decided to use both sections of the trail.
This decision had a three fold effect. The northern villages of Ruby, Galena and Nulato only had to deal with the large group of mushers, press, and volunteers every other year. The second effect was that the race was able to pass through the actual ghost town of Iditarod. Lastly, the villages of Shageluk, Anvik, and Grayling were able to participate in the race.
- View Printable Map of Northern and Southern Route (1200 x 866 pixels, Download, print and use!)
Don Bowers’ Trail Notes
To read Don Bower’s notes on each leg of the race, click on any of the checkpoints listed in the tables below.
Northern Route
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 |
*PLEASE NOTE: THESE DISTANCES ARE ESTIMATIONS AS THE ACTUAL TRAIL PLACEMENT CAN VARY FROM YEAR TO YEAR BASED ON CONDITIONS AND CAN AFFECT THE ACTUAL MILEAGE
Southern Route
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 |
*PLEASE NOTE: THESE DISTANCES ARE ESTIMATIONS AS THE ACTUAL TRAIL PLACEMENT CAN VARY FROM YEAR TO YEAR BASED ON CONDITIONS AND CAN AFFECT THE ACTUAL MILEAGE
Fairbanks Route
Checkpoints | Distance between Checkpoints* | Distance from Fairbanks | 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 |
*PLEASE NOTE: THESE DISTANCES ARE ESTIMATIONS AS THE ACTUAL TRAIL PLACEMENT CAN VARY FROM YEAR TO YEAR BASED ON CONDITIONS AND CAN AFFECT THE ACTUAL MILEAGE