Jackson Hole Iditarod Sled Dog Tours

The Jackson Hole Iditarod Sled Dog Tours operation is run by an actual Iditarod competitor — someone who has raced the world's most famous sled dog race across Alaska. That context matters when you're trying to assess the authenticity of the experience. This isn't a tourist operation that assembled some dogs for photo ops; it's a working kennel of elite sled dogs operated by someone who lives and breathes mushing culture.

For families visiting Jackson Hole in winter, this ranks as one of the most genuinely unique things you can do anywhere in Wyoming. The experience typically begins with meeting the dogs at the kennel — and this alone is worth the trip for kids. Sled dogs are a different animal than the family dogs back home: they're wired for running, for team effort, for the specific partnership of mushing.

They're friendly, energetic, and utterly captivating for children who've never encountered working dogs at this level.

The sled tour itself takes families through the Granite Creek backcountry, in snow-covered forest and meadow terrain about 45 minutes from Jackson. The sensation of sled dog travel is something that resists description until you experience it: the sudden explosion of energy as the team launches, the almost complete silence once the barking stops and the rhythm sets in, the snow-laden pines sliding past as you glide through landscape that feels genuinely wild. It's fast enough to be thrilling, quiet enough to be serene.

Kids as young as 3 can participate (as passengers snuggled into the sled basket), and adults can take a turn at the helm with the musher's guidance. The guides are passionate about sharing their knowledge and happy to answer every question kids throw at them about dog training, race preparation, and sled dog history.

Dress for serious cold — wind chill on a moving sled can be intense even in relatively mild winter temperatures.