The Iditarod Trail: From Resurrection Bay to Norton Sound by Helen Hegener
Northern Light Media, March 2026

The Iditarod Trail: From Resurrection Bay to Norton Sound by Helen Hegener chronicles the remarkable history of Alaska’s legendary Iditarod Trail, from its Indigenous origins and Gold Rush-era development to its role as a vital mail route between Seward and Nome. Hegener traces the trail’s decline, preservation, and revival as both the world-famous Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race and a Congressionally designated National Historic Trail. The book explores the challenges of traversing this unique winter route across rugged mountains, frozen rivers, and subzero wilderness. Beyond the iconic 1,000-mile sled dog race, it also highlights other endurance events that follow the trail, including the Iron Dog snowmachine race, the Iditarod Trail Invitational ultramarathon, and the Crow Pass Crossing.

Helen Hegener is an author and a publisher (Northern Light Media), having published more than three dozen nonfiction books about the history of Alaska, the railroads, roadhouses, revenue cutter service, gold rush history, historic sled dog races, and many other topics. Her other most recent book is The First Newspapers of Knik and Anchorage (2024).