For a remote adventure in central Alaska, visit the village of Galena. Its location on the Yukon River offers plenty of summer and winter activities.
In March on alternating years, Galena is a checkpoint roughly halfway along the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, which stretches more than 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) from Anchorage west to Nome and the Bering Sea. For a unique vacation experience, volunteer to support the activities as mushers and dogs race along the frozen Yukon River to and from the Galena checkpoint. The Iron Dog 2,000-mile (3,200-kilometer) snowmobile race also passes through Galena each February.
In less intense competitions, watch local residents from age 3 through adult compete in races on dog sleds, snowshoes and fat-tire bikes during the annual Galena Spring Carnival on Alexander Lake. Competitors also use picks to break through 3-foot-thick (1-meter) ice on the Yukon in as little as 15 minutes.
Each June after the river thaws, Galena is the checkpoint for another race, the Yukon 800 Mile Marathon. Endurance racers in speedboats travel from Fairbanks at speeds up to 70 miles (110 kilometers) per hour to Galena. After spending the night, they race back to Fairbanks, covering roughly 800 miles (1,300 kilometers) on the round trip. Watch this transition in the early morning hours and cheer on your favorite team.
Between these exciting major events, try cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling and swimming in Galena’s heated indoor pool in winter. In summer, fish and kayak in the river and lakes in the area.
Although you can’t drive to Galena, reaching the village is easy via multiple daily flights from Fairbanks or Anchorage to Edward G. Pitka Sr. Airport. The Fairbanks flight is slightly over 1 hour and the Anchorage flight is just under 3 hours. In summer, travel on the Yukon River by boat or barge between Galena and neighboring towns. In winter, the Yukon becomes a frozen highway for navigation by ATV, snowmobile and dog sled.
