1978 - Iditarod NHT
It is fitting that Alaska's primier dogsled trail - the Iditarod - was among the first NHTs established by law. Each year, parts of the Alaskan route hosts the Iditarod Dogsled Race in late winter for 11 days over 1,100 miles. The mushers race their teams across the harsh Alaskan widerness against time and the elements. In many places, dog sledding still serves as the most effective method of transportation carrying people, goods and supplies across frozen terrain. Senator Earnest Gruening (D-AK) participated in the discussions leading to the 1968 Trails Act. He wondered if trails like the Iditarod could be included in this new national system of trails. This trail had deep prehistoric roots, for it is believed that people have been negotiating trails across "The Great Land" for approximately 15,000 years. For centuries this trail served as a trade route for the native Ingalik and Tanaina peoples. The present day Iditarod follows the trail of the last great Klondike gold rush. In 1909 gold was discovered on the shores of the Iditarod river. As word got out, the boom town of Iditarod sprung up to meet the demands of the many gold seekers. Today only a few buildings remain of the classic Alaskan gold town of Iditarod but it's name lives on in Alaskan lore. This NHT is administered by the Bureau of Land Management with the help of the Iditarod National Historic Trail Alliance. Many trail sections are maintained by dedicated trail volunteers.
(Scherer, Glenn, 2002, "America's National Trails: Journeys Across Land and Time, Guilford, CT: Falcon Press,
pp. 54-56)