Stop 5 of 17 · Southcentral
Eklutna
A Dena’ina Athabaskan village site established in 1650 and once the winter crossing of the Knik River on the historic trail.
What to See
- Eklutna Historic Park: a museum, a Russian Orthodox church from the 1840s and the painted spirit houses of the graveyard, open May 15 to September 15
Ways to Travel Here
- DriveTake Eklutna Village Road in Chugiak to Eklutna Historic Park (May 15 to September 15).
No matter what the time of year, be prepared. Check local conditions before you venture out.
History of Eklutna
Eklutna is located at the head of the Knik Arm of Cook Inlet, at the mouth of the Eklutna River, 25 miles northeast of Anchorage. The area encompasses 6 sq. miles of land and 4 sq. miles of water. The Eklutna area was the site of many Athabascan Indian villages as long as 800 years ago. Today's residents are descendants of the Tanaina tribe. A railroad station was built in 1918, and Russian Orthodox missionaries arrived in the 1840s. Brightly colored "spirit houses" in the Russian Slavic style now lend character to Eklutna. The Eklutna Power House supplies hydroelectric power to Anchorage. 12.6% of the population are Alaska Natives. A federally recognized tribe is located in the community. It is an Athabascan village with a subsistence lifestyle. The Russian Orthodox religion is prevalent. During the April 1990 U.S. Census, there were 139 total housing units, and 16 of these were vacant. 195 jobs were estimated to be in the community. The official unemployment rate at that time was 3.5%. 29.1% of all adults were not in the work force. The median household income was $66,946, and 8% of residents were living below the poverty level. The majority of homes are fully plumbed, with a community well water system and individual septic tanks. Chugach Electric Association purchases power from the federally owned Eklutna Hydro Facility. Eklutna residents are employed in a variety of occupations in Anchorage, Eagle River, and the Mat-Su valley. They are actively developing tourism opportunities. The Alaska Railroad has a siding here which is one of the few that is accessible by road.
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.