Southcentral · Iditarod checkpoint
Willow
A small Mat-Su community about 80 miles north of Anchorage, and the site of the official Iditarod restart.
Approx. mile
~80
of ~1,000
To Nome
~920 mi
remaining
Leg
Southcentral
Southcentral
Setting
Susitna Valley · Mat-Su
On the trail
Willow in the race
This is where the race clock actually starts. Teams leave Willow Lake two minutes apart and hit the trail at full speed — the best place to see a championship dog team really move.
Mile markers are approximate and shift with the year's route. Willow sits on the southcentral leg of the 2027 southern route.
Background
History
A Mat-Su community that became the Iditarod's official restart in 2008, after a string of warm winters made the old Anchorage-area leg unreliable.
Visiting
Getting there
On the Parks Highway about 80 miles north of Anchorage — one of the few checkpoints you can simply drive to.
← Previous checkpoint
Anchorage
Next checkpoint →
Skwentna
Plan around it
Events in Southcentral
Irish Fest — Solas and Reverie Road
Mount Marathon Race — Seward
The toughest 5K on the planet — 98th running up and down Mount Marathon.
Jerrod Niemann
The whole trail