Paw Power!

The trails that pass beneath this bridge are used for dogsledding (mushing). Anchorage has a vigorous mushing community and a long history with the sport.

Canine Companions

For thousands of years, humans in the northern regions of North America and Siberia have used sled dogs for transportation. Now that airplanes and snowmobiles have largely usurped the traditional role of dogsledding, it has become a fun and engaging sport.

Snow Sport

In the early 1900s mushers ran the Alaska Sweepstakes race from downtown Anchorage to what is now the Muldoon area. This was the beginning of local dogsled racing. Early mushing enthusiasts also improved primitive trails in the area. In 1949, the Alaskan Sled Dog and Racing Association (ASDRA) was formed; they now manage 14 miles of dedicated dogsledding trails in Far North Bicentennial Park. The trails beneath this bridge are part of that system.

Don't Get All Tangled Up!

It is not safe to walk, ski, or bike on the mushing trails once they are covered in snow. Dog teams are remarkably quiet when running, so getting hit or tangled in the lines is a real threat. Also, holes left by boots can injure dogs. Using dogsledding trails for anything other than dogsledding compromises your safety and the safety of the dogs and mushers.

Mushing Commands

For more information on dog mushing visit: www.asdra.org.