Dog Sledding Adventures in North America

By Rudi Kiya

Dog Sledding in British Columbia: The mountainous environment and copious amounts of snow has made British Columbia an ideal destination and more recently a dog sledding Mecca for visitors hoping for the experience and not the extreme temperatures of the arctic. Dog sledding is available as far east as Banff and Jasper, two national parks which border British Columbia and Alberta and as far west as the Sea to Sky corridor near the town of Whistler. Visitors to the Vancouver region can enjoy a dog sledding experience as close as Mount Seymour where short trails are available once there is enough snow on the ground in the winter season. Most people seeking the dog sledding experience go to Whistler where several outfitters take visitors through breathtaking mountain passes and along snow covered forests. British Columbia offers many opportunities throughout the province to try out this unique mode of transportation without the cold temperatures of the far north.

Dog Sledding in Alaska: There is no place more famous for dog sledding than the most northerly state of the United States of America. Every year the Iditarod trail sled dog race brings the worlds best mushers into the state to compete on the most daunting race in the world to travel 1,161 miles (1,868 km) in eight to fifteen days. It is no surprise that sledding is a local draw with dozens of outfitters catering to visitors hoping to venture out into the wilderness by dog sled. The experience in Alaska is unlike any other, its longer winter season sees enthusiasts from January to March enjoying the breathtaking scenery, snowfalls, mountains and experiencing the rush of controlling your own sled. Tours can range in length from a few hours to several days depending on how long you would like to travel and whether or not you would like to experience the frigid Alaskan temperatures overnight.

Dog sledding is an adventure that is unmatched. Meeting your sled dogs, learning their names, bonding with them and watching their excitement as they race through the snow covered forests is an experience unlike any other and offers visitors the chance to see how this was the only feasible mode of transportation in historic expeditions to the north and south poles. It also shows how sled dogs are still vital members of many northern communities who would otherwise be cut off from civilization in the winter months.

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