Any item or food not made in this area must be flown in by bush plane, so even basic food like ham or eggs can be very expensive. Alaskans use rivers like other people use highways, and the town has many trails around the Innoko River. To avoid confusing the mushers, the Iditarod Trail must be clearly marked. Back to map 12. This checkpoint has only a store, a restaurant, and a tavern.
Local people welcome the mushers with homecooked meals and delicious pies.
In Takotna, many mushers take the only shower they will have during the race. Back to map 13. Once a gold rush town, this is now a ghost town. Here the trail follows, and then crosses, the Innoko River. Back to map 14.