PATHWAYS OF KNOWLEDGE.
Native travel routes and winter technologies form the foundations of the later trail.
DISCOVER / THE STORY
THE TRAIL
REMEMBERS.
Native pathways. Winter lifelines. Stories that still connect Alaska.
Follow the story
A LIVING HISTORY
THE STORY BEGINS
BEFORE THE GOLD.
Alaska Native peoples established the travel routes and winter knowledge on which the later Iditarod Trail depended.
During the gold rush, a growing trail network carried people, supplies and mail between coastal ports, communities and interior mining districts.
CHAPTERS OF THE TRAIL
A ROUTE TAKES SHAPE.
Walter Goodwin and his crew blaze a route from Seward toward Nome for the Alaska Road Commission.
A JOURNEY OF URGENCY.
Dog teams carry diphtheria serum to Nome, using part of the Iditarod Trail during the historic serum relay.
A NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL.
Congress designates the Iditarod National Historic Trail, recognizing its place in America’s history.
STILL CONNECTING US.
The Alliance advances knowledge, appreciation and enjoyment of the trail through education, research and stewardship.
KEEP EXPLORING
HISTORY HAS
MANY VOICES.
Read the full historical overview, hear oral histories, or bring the trail’s story into your classroom.
Read the full historical overviewExplore education resources