America’s Last Great Gold Rush Trail
The Iditarod National Historic Trail commemorates a 2,400 mile system of winter trails that first connected ancient Native Alaskan villages, opened up Alaska for the last great American gold rush, and now plays a vital role for travel and recreation in modern day Alaska.
Over 1,500 miles of the historic winter trail system are open today for public use across state and federal lands. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), under the National Trails Act, is the designated Trail Administrator, and works to coordinate efforts by federal and state agencies on behalf of the entire Trail. BLM maintains about 150 miles of the Trail, including four public shelter cabins. The remainder of Trail is managed primarily by the State of Alaska, or crosses private Native lands on public easements.
Historic Iditarod Centennial BeginsJanuary 2008 marks the 100th anniversary of efforts to open the now famous overland route from Seward to Nome. To commemorate this epic achievement January 2008 to October 2012 has been designated as the official Iditarod National Historic Trail Centennial. More…
Governor's Proclamation of the Iditarod Centennial
Governor Sarah Palin has proclaimed 2008-2012 as the official centennial of the Iditarod National Historic Trail. You can read the entire Proclamation here.
New Poster on Iditarod Trail History Available
A new, two-sided color poster now available provides a look at the various modes of transportation on the historic Iditarod Trail. Produced by the Public Education Group of the Alaska Anthropological Association and its sponsoring agencies, including BLM Alaska, the poster is now available at no charge to individuals and institutions.
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