The Last Great Race on Earth
Iditarod 2027
The 55th running of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race — ~1,000 miles from Anchorage to Nome. Here's when it starts, where to watch, the Southern-route trail, and where to stay along the way.
Ceremonial Start
Saturday, March 6, 2027
Anchorage
Restart
Sunday, March 7, 2027
Willow
Trail
~1,000 miles
Anchorage → Nome
2027 Route
Southern
odd years
How to watch
The race in three acts
Act 1
Ceremonial Start
Saturday, March 6, 2027
4th Avenue, downtown Anchorage
Teams parade through downtown Anchorage in front of the crowds. Festive, free, and the most accessible way to see the dogs up close. Fans can often bid to ride in a sled for the parade leg.
Events in this region →Act 2
The Restart
Sunday, March 7, 2027
Willow Lake (≈ 80 mi north of Anchorage)
The real race clock starts in Willow. Teams leave two minutes apart and hit the trail at full speed — the best spot to feel how fast a championship dog team actually moves.
Events in this region →Act 3
The Finish in Nome
~8–10 days later
the Burled Arch on Front Street
The winner runs under the Burled Arch on Front Street, often in the small hours of the morning. Finish week turns Nome into Alaska's biggest party — book a room a year ahead.
Events in this region →Follow the trail
~1,000 miles from Anchorage to Nome
The 2027 race runs the Southern route. Here's the trail broken into three legs — tap through to what's happening in each region around race time.
Anchorage
Ceremonial start
The Interior
Range & rivers
Nome
Burled-arch finish
The Start — Southcentral
The ceremonial start runs down 4th Avenue in Anchorage; the official restart drops the teams onto Willow Lake the next day. Free, family-friendly, and the easiest leg to see in person.
Anchorage • Willow • Yentna • Skwentna • Finger Lake
The Interior — Across the Range
Over Rainy Pass and down into the Kuskokwim country: McGrath, Takotna, Ophir, then the 2027 Southern route through the Iditarod ghost town, Shageluk, Anvik and Grayling before rejoining at Kaltag.
Rainy Pass • Nikolai • McGrath • Ophir • Iditarod (ghost town) • Shageluk • Grayling • Kaltag
The Bering Coast & Finish — Western Alaska
Onto the sea ice at Unalakleet and up the wind-blasted Bering Sea coast to the burled arch in Nome. Finish week is the biggest event on the western Alaska calendar.
Unalakleet • Shaktoolik • Koyuk • Elim • White Mountain • Safety • Nome
On the calendar
Iditarod & sled-dog events
Iditarod 2027 Mushers' Banquet & Bib Draw
Pre-race dinner, auction, and the official bib draw where mushers pick their starting order — Dena'ina Center, Anchorage.
Iditarod 2027 Ceremonial Start
The festive send-off down 4th Avenue in downtown Anchorage — teams and dogs up close. Free to watch.
Iditarod 2027 Official Restart — Willow
The real race begins — teams leave Willow Lake and head for Nome. Free to watch.
During the race
Follow it live
Once the teams leave Willow, every musher carries a GPS tracker. The official Iditarod Insider feed carries the live leaderboard, checkpoint in/out times, and GPS positions all the way to Nome. We'll surface the standings right here during race week.
Plan your trip
Race-week tours & lodging
Want a guided experience — dog-yard visits, restart transport, or a Nome finish-week package? Anchorage-based operators run the most options. Book lodging early: Anchorage fills for start weekend and Nome books out a year ahead for the finish.
Things to Do in Alaska
Tours, adventures & once-in-a-lifetime experiences
Denali National Park Day Tour
$299+Full-day tour to Denali with wildlife spotting, mountain views, and a guided nature walk.
Glacier & Wildlife Cruise
$179+Cruise Prince William Sound to see glaciers calving, whales, sea otters, and bald eagles.
Alaska Railroad Scenic Train
$149+Ride the Alaska Railroad through mountain passes with panoramic dome car views.
Flightseeing Tour: Glaciers & Denali
$299+Small-plane flight over glaciers, Ruth Gorge, and Denali's south face.
Along the trail
Where to eat & stay
For Alaska businesses
Get featured during Iditarod week
Run a lodge, restaurant, or tour anywhere along the trail — Anchorage, Willow, the river villages, or Nome? Race week is your highest-traffic window of the year. A featured listing puts you in front of visitors planning their trip. Premium listings from $29/mo.
List your business →Good to know
Iditarod 2027 FAQ
When does the Iditarod 2027 start?
The ceremonial start is Saturday, March 6, 2027 on 4th Avenue, downtown Anchorage. The official restart — where the race clock actually begins — is Sunday, March 7, 2027 at Willow Lake (≈ 80 mi north of Anchorage).
Where can I watch the Iditarod start in person?
The ceremonial start in downtown Anchorage is free — line 4th Avenue early for the best view of the teams. The next-day restart in Willow is the better spot to see the dogs running at full pace; bring layers and arrive ahead of the 2:00 pm-ish start window.
Is it free to watch the Iditarod?
Yes. The Anchorage ceremonial start and the Willow restart are both free to spectate. Some tour operators sell premium viewing, transport, and dog-yard access packages if you want a guided experience.
How long is the Iditarod and how many days does it take?
The trail is ~1,000 miles from Anchorage to Nome. The winning team usually reaches Nome in about 8–10 days; the rest of the field trickles in over the following week, with the final musher honored with the Red Lantern award.
Which route does the 2027 Iditarod take?
2027 runs the Southern route (the race alternates yearly — Northern in even years, Southern in odd). The Southern route swings through the historic Iditarod ghost town and the Yukon River villages of Shageluk, Anvik, Grayling and Eagle Island before rejoining the main trail at Kaltag.
Where should I stay for the Iditarod?
Anchorage is the base for start weekend — book early, hotels fill for the first weekend of March. For the Nome finish, rooms book up a year or more in advance; reserve as soon as your dates are set, or consider a guided finish-week package.
Don't miss it
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