Sled Dogs at Denali National Park

The rangers at Denali NP use sled dogs to help maintain the park in the winter and offer free tours of the kennels and demonstrations of their training. Some of the private teams, throughout the state, charge up to $70 per person for a tour and demo!

It was fun to see how excited the dogs get when harnessed and ready to pull a sled! These dogs are big and muscular compared to the smaller dogs used in the Iditarod Race. They pull heavier weight for shorter periods of time and the Iditarod dogs are bred to run fast for up to 100-120 miles!

The staff pick them up by the scruff of the neck and "walk" them on their back legs - it looks so mean - but they explained that if they leave them on "all fours" they will take off with unimaginable strength and speed leaving the poor trainer on the ground!