Imagine sliding through narrow trails framed with snow-covered pine trees while you are pulled behind a team of Iditarod sled dogs, right here in Bend, Oregon. Your children will feed and water the dogs and learn about the world’s most challenging sled dog race as you stop for a rest deep in a secluded clearing in the Deschutes National Forest.

For a stellar winter experience take a sled dog ride with Oregon Trail of Dreams. From mid-December through mid-April, they take visitors on tours departing from the base of Mt. Bachelor. Standard trips are approximately one hour, and sleds hold four people or 450 lbs., so a family with two small children can easily partake in this exciting adventure together.

Experience a true taste of backcountry living, and book a half-day marathon trip (26 miles) complete with a cozy lunch at the Elk Lake Lodge to rejuvenate your body and soul and prepare for the long glide back to Mt. Bachelor. Reservations for all tours are required and we recommend that you make them early.

Rachael Scdoris who operates Oregon Trail of Dreams along with her father Jerry, is one of Bend’s local celebrities and is a three-time competitor in the Iditarod, the epic 1,200-mile race across the Alaskan wilderness. Despite a visual handicap, which has left her legally blind, Rachael completed the Iditarod in 2006 and 2009, relying on the eyes of her dogs and the help of a visual interpreter. She was named the 2006 Glamour Magazine “Woman of the Year” and has been featured in USA Today, Teen Magazine, and Sports Illustrated for Women, and has graced the cover of the Bend regional lifestyle magazine, Bend Living.

Discover the thrill of sliding behind a team of high-energy sled dogs as you weave through peaceful sections of the Cascades. If you close your eyes and shout mush along with your guides, you might just feel the wind of the Alaskan tundra, right here in Bend, Oregon.