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McGrath

A musher gives one of his dogs a reassuring pat

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McGrath lies almost halfway between Anchorage and Fairbanks where Interior Alaska merges into Southwest Alaska. This small bush community of 317 residents is inaccessible by road but its location on the Kuskokwim River and as a stopping point along the Iditarod Trail has made it an important transportation and supply center throughout its colorful history.

McGrath comes alive every March when the community serves as one of 26 checkpoints during the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. In Alaska’s most popular sporting event, more than 50 mushers race 16-dog teams along a 1,100-mile route from Wasilla to Nome, stopping over in McGrath. The trail is also the scene of the famous Iron Dog snowmobile race and the Iditarod Trail Invitational, a human powered event that ends in McGrath and has been called “the world's toughest winter endurance race.”

McGrath also serves as a staging area into the southern unit of the Innoko National Wildlife Refuge located to the west. The 4.6-million-acre refuge was established as two units in 1980 to protect the vast Interior wetlands that are crucial for waterfowl nesting, resting, staging and molting. The southern unit is the largest by far, at 3.85 million acres, and surrounds the Innoko River. Most visitors explore the area by floating down the Innoko, Iditarod, or Dishna rivers and begin by checking in with the Innoko Refuge headquarters (888-601-7970) in McGrath.

Originally a seasonal Athabascan village, McGrath became a permanent settlement in 1904; McGrath enjoyed its heyday from 1911 to 1920 after gold was discovered at Ganes Creek and in the Ophir gold districts. Since the town is the northernmost point on the Kuskokwim River accessible by large riverboats, McGrath quickly became the regional supply center. The Iditarod Trail, which passes through McGrath, also boosted its growth as hundreds of miners walked and mushed over the trail on their way to the gold fields until 1925.

McGrath

McGrath is located 221 miles northwest of Anchorage and 269 miles southwest of Fairbanks on the Kuskokwim River and accessed by scheduled air service out of Anchorage and air charter from smaller communities as well as river travel from May to October.

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McGrath

Nearby Parks

Innoko National Wildlife Refuge

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Attractions

Iditarod International Sled Dog Race +

Staged in March, the Iditarod International Sled Dog Race is a 1,100-mile run from Willow to Nome with McGrath serving as one of the important stopovers for mushers and staging points. The town comes alive during Iditarod week when the contestings passing through almost daily.
Iditarod National Historic Trail +

This national historic trail extended from just north of Seward, passed through Iditarod and McGrath and then ended in Nome. The trail was 1,150 miles long and reached its peak in usage in the early 1900s when freight shippers, mail haulers, miners and passengers relied on dogsleds to reach the gold rushes of Interior Alaska. The demand for accommodations quickly resulted in a string of roadhouses and dog barns along the trail at a convenient day's journey apart, roughly 20 miles.
Iron Dog Snowmachine Race +

The Iditarod National Historic Trail is also used for the Iron Dog Snowmachine Race with McGrath serving as an important stopover for food and fuel. Staged in mid February, the Iron Dog starts in Big Lake, arrives at the halfway point of Nome and finishes in Fairbanks. At 2,000 miles, the Iron Dog is the world's longest snowmobile Race.
McGrath Museum +

The McGrath Museum is dedicated to the rich history of the town and explores with permanent displays on mining and the Iditarod National Historic Trail as well as traveling exhibits.