Dog sled adventure vacations, Northwest U.S.

Dogsledding allows people of all ages and physical conditions to experience the wild stillness of the Northwest’s backcountry. The excitement of being pulled by a powerful team of sled dogs is a wilderness adventure like no other.

When the dogs hear the command to go, “Hike!” they’re off at a run, taking passengers flying over the snow. As the dogs settle into a trot, the flurry of paws on packed snow and the gliding swish of sled runners accompanies the dogs’ panting.

From the Pacific Northwest of Alaska, Oregon and Washington to the inland Northwest of Montana, Wyoming and Idaho, there are a variety of sled dog tours available.

Alaska Dog Sled Tours

The best place in the Northwest to find dog sled tours is Alaska, home of the famed Iditarod race and a state where dog sleds are still used as transportation:

• WildRide Sled Dog Rodeo in Anchorage offers tours, rides, performances by sled dog teams, history and photos with one of the stars of Disney’s “Eight Below.”
• Dream a Dream Iditarod Farm has 2- to 3-hour, all-day and multi-day dog sled tours out of Willow, in south-central Alaska, with some trips going to Denali National Park.
• Ididaride Sled Dog Tours in Seward features 2-mile rides, tours of a racing kennel and meeting Huskies.
• Sun Dog Kennel in Talkeetna, in the heart of Iditarod country, offers tours of this kennel of champions and sled dog rides.
• Denali Dog Sled Expeditions takes multi-hour to multi-day trips into Denali National Park, instructing guests in driving a team of sled dogs.
• Chena Sled Dog Kennel, at Chena Hot Springs Resort outside Fairbanks, has guided rides near the resort, kennel tours and an educational visitor center.

Montana Dog Sled Tours

Big Sky Country is a popular place for dogsledding:

• Rainbow Ranch Lodge and Spirit of the North Sled Dog Adventures in Big Sky offer guided part-day and multi-day rides and tours.
• Rollin’ Boulder Outfitters, in Big Timber, has guided sled dog tours.
• Absaroka Dogsled Treks at Chico Hot Springs Resort in the Paradise Valley instructs guests in mushing for 2-hour to full-day rides accompanied by guides into the Gallatin National Forest.
• Klondike Dreams Sled Dog Rides in West Yellowstone offers 2-hour guided rides and kennel tours.

Wyoming Dog Sled Tours

The wilderness of Wyoming near Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks is a great place for dogsledding:

Jackson Hole Iditarod Sled Dog Tours, run by a professional dog musher and racer, offers guided and self-driven half-day and full-day rides through the Bridger-Teton National Forest.
Continental Divide Dog Sled Adventures, in Dubois, has full-day, overnight and extended day guided trips through the greater Yellowstone area.
Washaki Outfitting Dog Sled Tours, also in Dubois, offers rides through northwest Wyoming.

Idaho Dog Sled Tours

Dogsledding in Idaho can be found in the south-central and north part of the state:

Sun Valley Sled Dog Adventures has guided 1-1/2-hour to overnight trips into the foothills of the Pioneer Mountains near Ketchum.
True North Expeditions operates out of Schweitzer Mountain Resort in Sandpoint, northern Idaho, offering 1-hour and custom guided tours.

Oregon Dog Sled Tours

Southern Oregon’s Cascade Mountains are a scenic spot for dogsledding:

Briar’s Patch Sled Dogs, in Ft. Klamath, has customized rides from ½ hour to all day in the Upper Klamath Basin with Iditarod racer Liz Parrish.
Oregon Trail of Dreams Sled Dog Rides, near Mt. Bachelor, has 1-hour and half-day guided trips with veteran mushers in the meadows around Mt. Bachelor.

Washington Dog Sled Tours

The Cascade Mountains of Washington offer a good location for sled dog tours:

Near Leavenworth, in north central Washington, SierraBlu Kennels offers dog sled rides through the snowy, majestic valleys of Leavenworth.
Travel to the Northwest U.S.A. for dogsledding adventure vacations in Alaska, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. This exhilarating winter outdoor activity can be enjoyed by those who are physically fit and people who are physically disabled.