Stop 7 of 17 · Southcentral
Knik
The last major outfitting town before the goldfields, home to 1,500 people at its peak, until Anchorage and the railroad passed it by.
What to See
- The Knik Museum and Alaska Sled Dog Mushers Hall of Fame, in an old pool hall and roadhouse at mile 13.9 Knik-Goose Bay Road
- A short walk on the historic trail near the museum
Ways to Travel Here
- Hike or BackpackWalk the piece of the historic trail beside the Knik Museum.
- Mush a Dog TeamSee the Alaska Sled Dog Mushers Hall of Fame at the Knik Museum.
- DriveDrive Knik-Goose Bay Road to mile 13.9.
No matter what the time of year, be prepared. Check local conditions before you venture out.
History of Knik
Knik is a Tanaina Indian village name meaning "fire," which originally applied to several villages at the head of Cook Inlet. The primary village was listed as "Kinik" in the 1880 U.S. Census. Knik developed during the 1898-1916 gold rush, and in 1903, Palmer's Store was constructed. A housing development was constructed around Settler's Bay Lodge, including a golf course and stables."
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.