WILLOW DOGSLED FIELD GUIDE
Mush to the Mountains: Run Your Own Dog Team to Hatcher Pass
A two-night, three-day dog-sled expedition from Willow to Hatcher Pass that teaches novices to drive their own team and includes instruction, guiding, food, lodging and the gear needed for the trail.
Mush to the Mountains: Run Your Own Dog Team to Hatcher Pass.
Mush your own team through Alaska’s snowy backcountry — across frozen lakes, through timbered trails and up to a lodge on Hatcher Pass — on a compact, instructional expedition that turns beginners into confident drivers while camping and staying in cabins beneath the northern lights.
Highlights
Outing Highlights
Learn to drive from experienced mushers
The expedition includes expert instruction from Iditatrod dog mushers and guided time on the trail, designed to take participants from novice to competent team drivers over three days.
Historic trails, frozen lakes and mountain approaches
The route threads over frozen lakes, through woods and along historic gold rush trails en route to Hatcher Pass, offering remote-wilderness travel and expansive mountain views.
Cabins, hot tub or sauna and night skies
Evenings are spent at a lodge on Hatcher Pass caring for the dogs, settling into cabins and enjoying dinner and a soak in a hot tub or sauna beneath the northern lights.
What the day feels like
What the three-day expedition feels like
You arrive ready to learn, spend the first day mastering sled handling and dog care, then run across frozen lakes and up mountain trails to a remote lodge where you tend the team and sleep in cabins. A second day pushes onto historic gold rush routes with views of Denali and the Alaska Range before returning on day three — after morning dog care and a final run — having graduated from novice to a confident musher.
Suitability
Who it's for
Who this expedition suits — and who should think twice.
Practical planner
Details to review before reserving
This is a two-night, three-day expedition that runs from Willow to Hatcher Pass.
The experience includes expert instruction, guiding, food, lodging and all the gear to be comfortable on the trail.
Review cancellation policies before reserving.
Frequently asked questions
Planning Your Outing
How long is the expedition?
The tour is two nights and three days.
Where does the trip meet and run?
The expedition runs from Willow to Hatcher Pass.
Do I need prior mushing experience?
No prior experience is required; participants receive instruction and start the tour as novices, progressing to competent drivers.
What is included in the trip cost?
Instruction, guiding, food, lodging and all the gear to be comfortable on the trail are included.
What will we do on each day?
Day one covers sled driving and dog handling before heading onto the trail to the lodge; day two travels more remote historic gold rush trails with views of Denali and the Alaska Range; day three starts with morning dog care and finishes the return run.
What are evenings like on the trip?
Evenings are spent at a lodge on Hatcher Pass in cabins, with dinner and the option to soak in a hot tub or sauna beneath the northern lights.