Capitalizing on his overwhelming success in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, musher Mitch Seavey is the driving force behind Ididaride Dog Sled Tours in the coastal town of Seward, Alaska. Winner of the 2004, 2013, and 2017 races, Seavey, 60, has been hooked by Alaska’s state sport since he and his family moved to Seward in 1963 and raced his first team of Alaskan huskies. Seavey’s father, Dan, mushed a team in the first Iditarod in 1973, starting a family legacy of champions with Mitch’s wins and those of Dan’s grandson Dallas in 2012, 2014, 2015, and 2016. The 1,000-mile Iditarod Sled Dog Race from Anchorage to Nome is tough; but Seavey approaches it each year with his signature focus and attention to detail, from top line equipment to the care of his equally-tough team of sled dogs.
“It’s a family affair,” Mitch says, noting that every one of the Seavey family are immersed in the sled dog tourism industry, from son Danny overseeing operations for the Ididaride complex to grandfather Dan working hard to promote and preserve the Iditarod National Historic Trail that began as a mail route between Seward and Nome during the 1890’s.
The Tour
Guests to the Seavey family’s Ididaride Dog Sled Tours are treated to not just an attraction, but an experience. Tracing the history of dog sledding, Alaska, and the Iditarod National Historic Trail, visitors are able to participate in hands-on activities at the Ididaride complex, located just a few miles from downtown Seward. In the summer, Seavey’s Ididaride staff show visitors a variety of experiences, ranging from the 1.5-hour Wilderness Dog Sled Tour that puts guests young and old behind a team of Alaskan huskies; to the all-day Real Alaska Day Tour that includes a cart rides and stops to view spawning salmon and a trip to beautiful Exit Glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park. Guests looking for true adventure can opt to take a helicopter to a scenic glacier and mush on snow with a guide and happy sled dog team on the Glacier Dog Sled Tour.
Iditarod Prep
When winter arrives, Mitch Seavey and his family are getting ready to race in a variety of contests leading up to the Iditarod in March, but that doesn’t slow down guides at Ididaride Dog Sled Tours one bit. Guests looking for a truly authentic experience are taught the mechanics of sled dog mushing and dog care, and invited to take a 16-mile trip down the Exit Glacier Road on the Exit Glacier By Dog Team Tour for the thrill of a lifetime. A two-hour tour is also available for visitors with less time but no less enthusiasm for learning how to much their own team of huskies. Mitch Seavey and the Seavey’s Ididaride guides can also custom-create a package of true dog sled immersion as well on a three-night, completely inclusive adventure into Alaska’s backcountry.
