Tolovana Lodge (Tolovana Roadhouse as it is known historically) is located 53-miles by trail from Nenana, AK. It is most famous for being the first stop in The Serum Run of 1925–a sled dog relay which brought the diphtheria antitoxin to Nome to save the lives of many children during this historical epidemic.

Leslie and Dave bought the historically acclaimed Tolovana Roadhouse in 2010 in pursuits of new trails and adventures. The existing log structure was built by Henry and Ida Martin in 1925 (refurbished in the 1980’s by Doug Bowers) and was most famous for being the first stop in the original Serum Run of 1925 (a dogsled run to deliver diphtheria antitoxin to Nome during the epidemic). As Leslie and Dave spruced up the roadhouse for guests, they also built some exciting new tours for guests to experience the remote wildness and serenity that the roadhouse and the surrounding area has to offer. Visit our Overnight Trips page for more information on fly-in and mush-in tours to the Tolovana Roadhouse.

tolovana comfort

You’ll find the rustic roadhouse warm and comfortable, as well as pleasingly simple and well-preserved. Come and share in the history, beauty, and solitude it has to offer. We believe this fly-in and fly-out tour makes Tolovana Roadhouse accessible to those who want to get away from it all, but also allows you to choose your level of involvement with dog sledding and other activities on the trail. While it is geared towards a group of 2-4 people who want to drive a dog team up to 32-miles per day and sleep in a warm bed at night, we can turn up the adventure by mushing to our Arctic oven camp for a night or turn up the relaxation by stoking the sauna as the Aurora Borealis cranks overhead. There’s time for a little of both. Or a side-trip to Manley Hot Springs…

Manley Hot Springs

The small town of Manley Hot Springs is located 160 west of Fairbanks at the end of the Elliott Highway. Paws for Adventure has set up a permanent camp on the trail system the we use to access the Tolovana Roadhouse (located 32 miles from Manley Hot Springs). We transport the dogs and gear over the Elliott Highway (approximately a 4 hour drive over rough road) to meet our guests who will fly in by plane. This is safer and more convenient for all of us than transporting guests by road.

At the time of this writing, the town has a post office, small convenience store with limited hours, airport, the Manley Roadhouse (which is planning to reopen summer 2022), the Manley Resort Cabins (which has a natural hot springs tub), and a small number of year round residents.

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Tolovana Tours

Overnight Dog Mush Tour - Alaska
Special Tour!

Tolovana Roadhouse : Overnight Serum Run Adventure

Overnight Dog Sled Adventure in Alaska Tolovana Lodge (Tolovana Roadhouse as it is known historically) is located 50 miles by