Willow Alaska: Summer Dog Sledding & Iditarod Trails

5.00

(328 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

Honestly, I didn’t expect the dogs to be so loud — not barking angry, just this wild chorus of yips and tails thumping against fences as soon as we pulled up in Willow. There’s something about being greeted by a pack of Alaskan huskies that makes you forget you’re here for a “summer dog sledding” adventure. Our guide, Jen (who knows every dog’s backstory like family gossip), handed us rain boots with a grin and introduced us to the team. I tried to remember all their names but only managed three — one was called Rocket and he really lived up to it.

The carts look kind of odd at first — like sturdy wheelbarrows with seats — but once the dogs are harnessed up and we rolled out onto the private training trails, it actually felt… peaceful? Just the creak of wheels, paws on packed earth, spruce needles brushing my arm now and then. No motors or other people around. Jen pointed out some birch trees they use for winter training markers; apparently these are the same trails they prep for the Iditarod. There was this moment where everything went quiet except for panting dogs and wind in the leaves — I still think about that silence sometimes.

After our run (maybe a mile or two? Time got weird), we wandered over to meet more of the dogs off-leash. They’re total goofballs when not working — one kept nudging my hand for more scratches while another stole someone’s water bottle. Then we walked through the woods to this hand-built pavilion with a view of Denali poking through clouds (well, sort of — Alaska weather has its own plans). Jen showed us their actual race sled and let me try standing on it; turns out it’s way harder than it looks on TV. Cookies appeared at some point too — homemade chocolate chip, still warm enough to melt a little in your hand.