Stop 4 of 17 · Southcentral
Eagle River
The Eagle River Nature Center sits on the trail at the north end of the Crow Pass traverse, in a valley Army explorers on the Iditarod once called a miniature Yosemite.
What to See
- The Eagle River Nature Center, nine miles of trails including a piece of the historic trail, open year round at the end of Eagle River Road
- A public use cabin and three yurts on the Crow Pass trail, reserved through the Nature Center
- Spawning salmon in late summer
Ways to Travel Here
- Hike or BackpackFinish the Crow Pass traverse at the Eagle River Nature Center, or walk its trails.
- DriveDrive Eagle River Road to its end and the Nature Center.
No matter what the time of year, be prepared. Check local conditions before you venture out.
History of Eagle River
The Eagle River , Peters Creek, and Eklutna Lake areas were the hunting areas of the Athabascan Natives from the Eklutna and Matanuska villages. They hunted sheep, goat, and moose in the mountains. Fish were caught in the latter part of May in surrounding rivers. The first known records of the villages are in the 1910 census. The families were traced back to 1896 (goldrush days) by the Traditional Tribal Office of Eklutna village. 1919 Eagle River open to entry. Railroad in place and in use along Knik Arm. Eagle River John, a red-headed Finlander, credited for being first non-native settler. He was a moonshiner who went back and forth to Anchorage by skiff to sell his illegal whiskey
Southcentral, Seward to Knik
- SewardMile 0
Mile 0 of the historic trail: a tripod and the historic Iditarod Trail monument stand on the shoreline of Resurrection Bay beside the Alaska SeaLife Center.
- Moose PassRailroad community
A railroad community in the Kenai Mountains near the Johnson Pass Trail, a 23-mile segment of the historic trail system.
- GirdwoodTrail town
Founded in 1906 as a place to rest and resupply before crossing the Chugach Mountains, Girdwood keeps some of the most easily reached and historically intact segments of the trail.
- Eagle RiverTrail valley
The Eagle River Nature Center sits on the trail at the north end of the Crow Pass traverse, in a valley Army explorers on the Iditarod once called a miniature Yosemite.
- AnchorageConnecting trail · Ceremonial Start
A blank spot on the map when the trail opened in 1910, Anchorage became a stop on its main route after 1915, and every March the Ceremonial Start of the sled dog race runs through it.
- EklutnaDena’ina village
A Dena’ina Athabaskan village site established in 1650 and once the winter crossing of the Knik River on the historic trail.
- WasillaRace headquarters
Home of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Headquarters, with a replica public shelter cabin, and near Reflections Lake, the old ice crossing of the Knik River.
- KnikGold-rush outfitting town
The last major outfitting town before the goldfields, home to 1,500 people at its peak, until Anchorage and the railroad passed it by.