Tolovana Special 100th Anniversary 5-Day Mushing Tour

$6500

One tour per person

or Call Us 907-699-3960

Tolovana : 100th Anniversary Serum Run Special

5-Day Wilderness Mushing Tour

This is a great tour for avid outdoor adventurers who want to spend more time learning the art of mushing, are interested in the history of dog sledding in Alaska, enjoy remote backcountry lodge hospitality and/or winter camping, and want to experience the solitude of bush Alaska. In this 5-Day Tolovana Roadhouse tour you will be surrounded by wilderness along the Serum Run Trail of 1925, and receive an authentic Alaska bush experience with sled dogs and learn a bit about the history of this remote landmark.

Overview
This 5-Day wilderness mushing tour begins and ends in Fairbanks. On Day 1 you will board a scenic mail plane flight to Manley Hot Springs, AK and complete Mushing School instruction with your guides. On Day 2 you will drive your own dogteam from Manley to Tolovana Roadhouse where you’ll stay for the next 2 nights. Day 3 you have a free day at Tolovana with a variety of activities to enjoy. Day 4 you will continue on the Old Mail Trail our wilderness Paws Camp on the banks of the Tanana River near the village of Old Minto, and end your trip on Day 5 in Nenana, AK.

This is a one-way, 82 mile mushing trip on the Old Mail Trail aka the famous Serum Trail of 1925. See our Tolovana Roadhouse site for the history of this location and information about Manley Hot Springs posted below. All flights and vehicle transport is included.

Physical fitness and suitability
Multi-day dogsledding trips are intended for active individuals with no issues limiting movement or tolerance to cold weather. For our longer tours you will be required to fill out a health form and/or get medical clearance to enjoy these adventures with us. You should be prepared to physically stand on a dogsled for up to 6 hours/day for our longer tours. Temperatures may range from -40F to +40F depending on the weather patterns. At the roadhouse you will be many miles for any road or medical facility and emergencies will require an airlift which may or may not be available due to weather conditions. If you have questions, please call to discuss your physical fitness and sense of adventure with us.

What is provided/ what do I need to bring?
The tour is basically all-inclusive. Please see our Packing list for our Multi-day Tolovana Tour.

Booking the Tour
A 50% deposit is required to book the tour. The remaining balance is due on the day of the tour. The deposit will be refunded only in the event we cannot offer the tour.

Minimum to book: 2 people
Maximum: 4 people

Flights to/from Manley Hot Springs are included with this tour price. We can accommodate maximum 4 people

Disclaimer: Mother Nature dictates the availability of this tour. If temperatures dip below -30F dogsledding tours may be canceled. We should be able to predict 24 hours advance the temperatures and wind conditions but be prepared for any unforeseen changes.

Cancellation Policy
A 50% deposit is due to book. A full refund will be issued on cancellations made at least 30 days prior to tour. No refunds will be issued on cancellations made within 30 days of an originally scheduled tour. A full refund will be given for any weather conditions that prevent us from providing the tour.

Itinerary

The day before your tour - 3/16/25

Please contact Paws Staff the day before your mail plane flight to Manley to set a time to visit our Fairbanks Paws Mushing Site to pick up arctic outerwear and boots for your tour. You will be responsible to book your accommodations and transportation for this day/night in Fairbanks and transportation to the airport. We recommend Sophie Station or Pike’s Landing as these hotels are close to the East Ramp of the airport and your departure point.

Paws Mushing Site phone: 907-699-3960

*see our website for directions to Paws: www.pawsforadventure.com; we are also on Google Maps
**if you will not be in town or cannot make it to Paws on this day, please let me know and we will work out other arrangements for getting your arctic gear

Day 1 - 3/17/25

Board your scheduled mail plane flight early morning for a flight from Fairbanks to Manley Hot Springs – a regularly scheduled flight. The flight is approximately 40 mins. You will be responsible for transportation to Warbelow’s Air on the East Ramp of the Fairbanks airport. The Paws Crew will meet you at the airfield in Manley and transfer you to your accommodations in Manley to drop bags and prepare for lunch then mushing school from our Paws Camp in Manley.

  • 12:00 noonLunch with the Paws Crew
  • 1:00 – 4:00 Mushing School
    You’ll learn the basics of mushing your own small team, build confidence in dog driving with excellent hands-on instruction. We will practice on a short loop and then take a fun run on longer nearby trails. Total mileage on the dogsled = 8-10 miles Bring your camera and a good sense of adventure! This day is in preparation for tomorrow’s long distance trip.
  • 6:00 pm or soDinner
    Evening activities include: Aurora viewing and enjoying the hot tub at Manley Resort Cabins
    See there FB page: https://www.facebook.com/ManleyHotSpringsResort/

Day 2 - 3/18/25

Hearty Breakfast (no set time); late-morning we’ll get geared up and mush-your own team to Tolovana Roadhouse 32 miles by trail from Manley Hot Springs. Arrive this evening to Tolovana Roadhouse where we’ll park our teams in the Tolovana Roadhouse kennel, enjoy a home-cooked meal and enjoy night time activities including relaxing, Aurora Viewing and a good rest after a long day.

Day 3 - 3/19/25

Free Day at Tolovana Roadhouse
Activities may include: ice fishing, skiing (bring your own x-c skis if you would like to enjoy this activity; they can be rented in town at Beaver Sports (https://www.beaversports.com/departments/outdoor-department/rentals/); snowshoe-ing – we have these to borrow; relaxing at the roadhouse; this is a dog ‘rest-day’

Day 4 - 3/20/25

After a hearty Alaskan breakfast, we’ll get geared up and mush to pre-set Paws Camp located approximately 30 miles from from Tolovana Roadhouse along the Tanana River (near Old Minto). We will camp in heated tents called Arctic Ovens (some like to call it ‘glamping’). You’ll sleep in a cold rated sleeping bag on cots with sleeping pads in a wood-heated tent. All Alaskan-style gourment meals will be prepared by your guide.

Day 5 - 3/21/25

Winter Solstice!
After a hearty breakfast we’ll hit the trail for Nenana, AK approximately a 20 mile mush and end our tour with a late lunch/ dinner in Nenana. Guests will be transported back to Fairbanks via vehicle transport – an approximately 1.5 hour drive on the Parks Hwy.

Please print and fill out the below forms for your upcoming overnight trip. Either return them via email prior to your tour or bring them with you.

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About Tolovana
Tolovana Roadhouse is situated 32 miles from Manley Hot Springs, AK and 50 miles from Nenana, AK on the Tanana River near the Minto Flats State Game Refuge. It is accessible via the Serum Run trail which runs on an overland trail alongside the river, or bush plane (or riverboat in the summertime). Though it is called a ‘roadhouse’, there are no roads leading to this location. This tour will begin in Manley Hot Springs with stays in Manley, Tolovana and /or along the trail at Paws Camp. We also offer a chartered fly-out option directly to Tolovana Roadhouse via bush plane on skis. Ski plane options will depend on availability of our pilot, where the Paws Crew is positioned during the overnight season, and when you book. First to book has the most options as we fill our multi-day tour season which runs from the beginning of February to the end of March.
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