Fairbanks Trails
Training
Your Dog & Trail Etiquette
Fairbanks Trails
Where to Go Skijoring in the Fairbanks Vicinity
There are literally hundreds of miles of trails in the Alaskan Interior that can be explored with dogs. Below is a sampling of available trails. Some trails are wide and groomed regularly to world class standards. Other trails are wild single track that will test your skiing ability and sense of adventure.
Before venturing out to explore any Fairbanks-area trail, please read ASPA's "Tips for Good Trail Etiquette and Safety with Dogs."
Alaska Dog Mushers' Association Trail: Located on Farmers Loop Road, features 27 miles of trail with options of 1.0 to 27 miles. Groomed primarily for dog mushing, but skijorers are welcome if they yield to dog teams and pay the daily use fee ($5) or buy a season pass.
Cache Creek off Murphy Dome Road: A fun six- or ten- mile loop that starts at about Milepost 8.5 on Murphy Dome Road.
Chena Lakes Recreation Area: 12 miles of groomed mushing and ski trails with loops of 1.5, 4.5, 5.0, 6.7, 9.5, and 12 miles. From the Richardson Highway, turn east on Laurance Road in North Pole. Drive ~3.5 miles and turn left at the "Lake Park" sign. Follow signs to Mike Agbaba Trailhead. Do NOT skijor on the skier only "River Park" trails.
Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge: The Trailhead is at the Creamer's Farmhouse located on College Road. Five miles of groomed skijoring trails that tie into the 27-mile Alaska Dog Mushers' Association (ADMA) Trail system. Maps and trail etiquette fliers are posted at the trailhead. Also, a schedule of races originating at Mushers' Hall is posted. Please check the schedule and make sure you don't venture onto the ADMA trails during the posted race times. Click here for a composite Creamer's Field/ADMA trail map. And here are direct links to the map images:
Fairbanks Creek Road and Fairbanks-Circle Historical Trail: Fun downhill on wide road and rolling hills on jeep road. Has potential to be a 20-mile long loop according to the Fairbanks Bicycle Club.
Goldstream Valley: Maintained by local mushers, these trails are narrow in places, but fun, if you are willing to do some double poling behind your dogs. Best starting points are Ivory Jack's on Goldstream Road and the parking pullout on the east side of Ballaine Road at the bottom of the hill.
Henrik Court: Alternate way to access the ADMA trails from Farmers Loop Road between Ballaine Lake and Ballaine Road. Turn east on Iniakuk Avenue, then right on Henrik Court and drive to the cul-de-sac at the end.
Isberg Trails: Check out the trails in what is on track to become the Isberg Recreation Area.
North Star Golf Club: Made available by the generosity of the Evans family, these trails are groomed by ASPA for ASPA members. The front nine and back nine holes each provide approximately two miles of of mildly hilly skijoring with some fun twists and turns.
Old Murphy Dome Road: A fun 5.8-mile round trip on trails maintained by local mushers with great views along the way. High enough to be a lot warmer than in town on cold days and it receives good early snow.
Two Rivers Nordic Trails: 7.5K of groomed Nordic ski trails that are open to ASPA members only. Please pay (address is posted on the trail map page) the daily use fee ($5) or buy a season pass ($50) so skijorers may continue to use these great trails.
White Mountain Recreation Area: Miles and miles of backcountry trails maintained for snowmobiling, mushing, and skiing by the Bureau of Land Management. The most popular trailhead is at Milepost 28 of the Elliot Highway north of Fairbanks. Lee's and Moose Creek Cabins are two of the more popular destinations.