MEET THE CHECKPOINTS

Population 296,197. The race begins on the 1st Saturday in March at 10:00 am on 4th Avenue. "At the Ceremonial Start, an Iditarider gets to ride in the sled basket. An Iditarider is a person who won a bid in an auction for this privilege. Each team has an Iditarider in their sled. The teams also have a dragsled. A drag sled is a second sled attached to the back of the first sled. The driver of the dragsled is experienced in mushing. The reason for the dragsled is help slow down the team. The dogs are so excited and there are so many people along the trail that using only 12 dogs, and having a dragsled makes it a safer run for all involved." (Cited from Gypsy on Iditarod.com)

Population 2,156. The race Re-Start begins at 2 pm on Willow Lake at Parks Highway Mile Marker 70. "The mushers and teams are preparing for a long race and are very focused. While the fans come to watch the start, they do not mingle among the teams, talk to the mushers or pet the dogs. Instead of an Iditarider, the sleds have a sled bag full of supplies for their journey. And there is no drag sled. The mushers can have up to 16 dogs at the restart. Most mushers do start with 16. Once they leave the restart line, they’re off on their great adventure to Nome." (Cited from Gypsy on Iditarod.com)

Population 8. A roadhouse checkpoint on the Yentna River. "Not many teams stop here because it’s so early in the race. We did though! They are known for their Spaghetti dinner." (Anna's Iditarod notes)

Population 30. It is located near the confluence of the Yentna and the Skwentna Rivers. "A little lodge hosts this checkpoint. When each musher walks inside they are given a hot washcloth for their hands and face. Luxury!" (Anna's Iditarod notes)

Population 2. In the heart of snow country, this checkpoint on the eastern fringe of the Alaska Range. "This is the gateway to the Alaska Range. Mushers and volunteers keep warm in heated tents. The only building is an outhouse." (Anna's Iditarod notes)

Population 2. The highest point on the Iditarod Trail as it passes over the Alaska Range. Pass elevation is 3,160 feet. "High up in the mountains, this checkpoint is hosted by a wilderness lodge. Mushers sleep in a room full of bunkbeds. It sort of felt like a sleepover at summer camp." (Anna's Idirtarod notes)

Population 0. This checkpoint is near the remains of one of the old roadhouses serving the historic Iditarod Trail mail carriers. "Rohn is made up of one tiny little shelter cabin. Mushers sleep in heated tents. Within 50 yards of leaving Rohn the trail turns really treacherous and crosses glair ice and exposed rocks. It’s notoriously hard to see where to go!" (Anna's Iditarod notes)

Population 101. An Athabascan village located 40 air miles east of McGrath. "This is the first native village on the Iditarod trail. Many of the people I met at this checkpoint were community members that have been volunteering for Iditarod for years!" (Anna's Iditarod notes) 

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Population 341. At the confluence of the Kuskokwim and Takotna Rivers, McGrath has a small, full-service airport, stores, a restaurant and is the hub of the Iditarod School District. "McGrath feels like a little town bustling with an airstrip and a grocery store! This is the first point in the race where some mushers decide to take their 24-hour rest." (Anna's Iditarod notes)

Population 49. An Athabascan village situated on the banks of the Takotna River. "Takotna is where I took my 24 hour rest. This checkpoint is known for its pie and hot food which was a big bonus for me as the musher. It was a really popular spot for other mushers to take their 24 hour rest and it felt like a busy place! Mushers sleep in the community church. Each musher gets a pew for themself!" (Anna's Iditarod notes)

Population 0. A ghost town named for a nearby creek that supported placer mining. The name is a reference to the biblical Ophir thought to be the source of King Solomon’s gold. The route splits to the south in odd years to Iditarod.

Population 0. Now a ghost town -- once a bustling community of over 10,000. Official halfway point on the southern route. 

Population 83. The name is an Ingalik name meaning “village of dog people,” and when Iditarod hits town that is especially true

Population 79. First checkpoint on the famous Yukon River, where the church bell signals the arrival of the first musher.

Population 189. Last village until Kaltag,122 miles up the trail on the Yukon River. 

Population 0. Tent checkpoint on the Yukon 

Population 205. The Iditarod Trail leaves the Yukon River here to continue overland across Old Woman Pass to the Bering Sea. The northern and southern routes reunite here.

Population 692. Situated on the coast of Norton Sound, just north of Unalakleet River. The Iditarod Trail is now entering the gateway to the Bering Sea and from here on the mushers can expect sudden storms and an ample supply of wind. "Unalakleet is the first city on the coast. This checkpoint felt like a party! The community center was packed with people from Iditarod and from the village communing, storytelling and eating. Fans can send mushers a whole pizza at this checkpoint! Any leftovers get snatched up by the surrounding kiddos. I slept in a bed for the first time and had a room to myself. Waking up felt like swimming up from the bottom of the ocean." (Anna's Iditarod notes)

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Population 258. One look down the street at the snowdrifts tells you this is one of the windiest stretches of the trail. From here the trail travels a short distance overland before going onto the ice of Norton Bay, one of the most treacherous segments of the trail. "This tiny village is located out on the tip of a narrow spit of land. It's notoriously cold and windy. A place of apprehension for mushers as they anticipate the next leg of the race crossing 50 miles of sea ice." (Anna's Iditarod notes)

Population 347. Koyuk marks the end of the long, treacherous sea ice travel across Norton Sound. "The lights of Koyuk can be seen for hours and hours as the teams run towards this village across the desolate flat sea ice. It felt like I was hallucinating and we might never arrive. I was so tired and cold at this checkpoint. I slept hard for a single hour in a dark warm room. I don't remember much else." (Anna's Iditarod notes)

Population 332. The trial turns inland slightly near this Eskimo village to head over the Kwiktalik Mountains where mushers descend Little McKinley toward Golovin Bay. "Elim was one of my favorite villages. It's high above the ocean with beautiful views. The folks here were incredibly friendly. We spent a sunny afternoon here. I would have liked to stay longer." (Anna's Iditarod notes)

Population 171. Back on the coast at Golovin, an Eskimo village, mushers face a short ice run over Golovin Bay. The rest of the race is over land. 

Population 199. In this village on Fish River, an 8-hour layover is mandatory here to allow the dogs to rest for the last push to Nome, 77 miles away. "White Mountain is the final stop. Every team is required to rest for exactly 8 hours here. I remember being in disbelief that we had really made it this far. THe sleeping area was located in the community center which was up a steep hill from where the dogs slept. My legs felt like lead as I hucked my gear and sleeping bag up to the building for one last nap." (Anna's Iditarod notes)

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Population 0. The last checkpoint before Nome is just 22 miles away, the trail turns inland for a short distance before mushers drop back onto the shores of the Bering Sea and travel the beaches until they reach Front Street in Nome. "Most teams don't stop here since it's so close to the end. SAfety is so small that when my team arrived I thought it was just a gathering of tourists and a helicopter viewing operation. I didn't even stop my team. A whole group of volunteers came running after us for our final checkpoint sign-in." (Anna's Iditarod notes)

Population 3,695. The race ends under the burled arch on Front Street. Originally called Anvil City, after a nearby gold-rich creek, it was once home to 30,000 miners. "A siren sounds each time a musher approaches town and no matter the time, the community comes out to line Front Stree and cheer the musher to the finish." (Anna's Iditarod notes)