A recently constructed section of the Iditarod National Historic Trail winds through the forest near Ptarmigan Creek south of Moose Pass on July 3. (Loren Holmes for ADN)

The Alaska Long Trail is still years away from completion.

But that hasn’t stopped outdoor explorers and adventurers from using portions of the more-than-500-mile route stretching from Seward to Fairbanks.

In August, a 35-year-old born in Soldotna completed the entire length of the proposed project.

Bradford Bartels, 32, completed the trip in 47 days, arriving in Fairbanks on Aug. 6.

A thru-hiking veteran, Bartels felt like a confluence of factors made the time right for him to attempt the route’s full distance this summer.

“I really love being outside,” he said. “That’s kind of the foundation of it. I’ve had my eye in this project for a while now. It’s a longer project, but you know, this type of hiking isn’t something I can do forever.”

Bradford Bartels poses next to a sign for the Historic Iditarod Trail during the early stages of his trek across the proposed Alaska Long Trail. (Photo provided by Bradford Bartels)

Bartels served in the Marines, and has since worked as both a backpacking guide and a wilderness EMT. He’s hiked on some of America’s classic trails, like the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail. But he said the Alaska Long Trail offered something that no other major route can.

“It really feels like kind of the perfect thru hike because you have all this time completely by yourself,” he said. “And then by the time you’re like, ‘All right, I’ve been pretty isolated. Seeing somebody would be nice,’ you run into somebody.”

Anchorage-based nonprofit Alaska Trails has been the leading organization in developing the Long Trail, coordinating outreach, fundraising and construction.

Alaska Trails executive director Haley Johnston said the word has been getting out to both locals and visitors that large portions of the route are fit for travel.

“People are using the trail under the umbrella of the Alaska Long Trail,” she said. “People are coming to Alaska to do the Long Trail. We’re getting more and more inquiries from people who are looking to do the Alaska Long Trail or are looking to do a section of it.”

A bridge spans Ptarmigan Creek on a recently constructed section of the Iditarod National Historic Trail south of Moose Pass on July 3. (Loren Holmes for ADN) A bridge spans Ptarmigan Creek on a recently constructed section of the Iditarod National Historic Trail south of Moose Pass on July 3. (Loren Holmes for ADN)

Going north out of Seward, the Iditarod National Historic Trail helped provide a stretch of existing trail at the start of the route. But a number of key connections have also been made, including new work on Primrose Trail and from the Victor Creek to Ptarmigan Creek, which features new bridges.

Bridges are also being installed in the stretch from Johnson Pass North to Center Ridge.

While there are still some small gaps, Bartels was impressed with the accessibility on the section from Seward to Girdwood, calling it “a shotgun blast of natural beauty.”

“I was surprised at how well-maintained everything is,” he said. “Especially in a place where trail work is so easily taken back by nature. … You can really feel the effort out there. All the bridges and good trail, it’s constantly thrown in your face how much hard work is put into this.”

A sign stands at an intersection near a recently constructed section of the Iditarod National Historic Trail near Ptarmigan Creek south of Moose Pass on July 3. (Loren Holmes for ADN) A recently constructed section of the Iditarod National Historic Trail winds through the forest near Ptarmigan Creek south of Moose Pass on July 3. (Loren Holmes for ADN)

During a camping trip near Moose Pass earlier this summer, Johnston said she ran into trail runners and bikers along many of the new sections.

“It was really fun to see that folks were getting out and using it, and that it was like kind of in people’s consciousness,” she said.

North of Anchorage, plenty of work is underway as well. Johnston said there are sections in the outreach phase, the planning phase and the construction phase.

The planning phase includes a subcontractor working on hypothetical route alignment from Hatcher Pass to near Talkeetna. That includes an ideal crossing point at the Kashwitna River.

While there are fewer stretches of established trails in the area, that just meant more choose-your-own adventure hiking for Bartels.

“You just get to see much more of the Talkeetnas, and I loved every minute of that,” he said.

Bradford Bartels, who was born in Soldotna, completed the proposed Alaska Long Trail from Seward to Fairbanks in 47 days, becoming the first known person to complete route as envisioned. (Photo provided by Bradford Bartels)

According to Johnston, the Talkeetna Mountains represent the next big planning challenge. Alaska Trails established an advisory group reflecting a range of stakeholders, including outdoors advocates and people with experience in land management.

“We hope to have another meeting with them, probably this winter as well, when we have more refined designs,” Johnston said.

At Denali State Park, which contains plenty of established trails, much of the effort will focus on maintenance, according to Johnston.

She expects the Nenana River Trail System in Denali National Park to get completed this year.

“You’re like, kind of dropping into the more commercialized zone of Denali National Park, and then it’ll be a pretty sweet way to kind of get off the road and get back along the river,” she said.

While there are still gaps heading north from that area, the trail’s end point in Fairbanks already has a significant surrounding trail system.

Bradford Bartels poses next to a sign in Fairbanks after completing his trek across the proposed Alaska Long Trail. (Photo provided by Bradford Bartels)

Bartels reached Fairbanks in what he believes will be his final major thru hike.

Although the time for tackling The Long Trail seemed right, the time and financial commitment often means “you set your personal and professional life on fire,” he said.

As the project has progressed, so has the information about it. The Alaska Long Trail site was launched as a hub for the still-developing trail.

It includes a digital story map that includes interactive maps, photos and text. It also information on what portions of the trail are complete, under construction and in the planning phase.

Resources are also available for outdoors people who are interested in tackling a portion of the trail. That includes what the project is missing.

“Folks can see campgrounds, cabins, trailheads, access points, but also where the gaps are,” Johnston said. “There are still gaps, or road walks, or shuttles, and so making sure that people have a really clear picture of what those gaps are.”

While Bartels admits there are more ambitious backcountry adventures in Alaska, he said the Long Trail has the potential to be approachable for a large part of the state’s population and be a driver for outdoor tourism.

“It’s a great way for people to have a more immersive experience in the backcountry, and there’s a layer of economic viability and inclusivity to that,” he said.

It’s been nearly four years since Congress directed the Bureau of Land Management to conduct the National Scenic Trail feasibility study for the Alaska Long Trail. The study was due to be completed in late 2025 but has not yet been released.

A sign is posted near Ptarmigan Creek on a recently constructed section of the Iditarod National Historic Trail south of Moose Pass on July 3. (Loren Holmes for ADN)

While the designation could be significant for progress, Johnston said Alaska Trails has also focused on providing public information on exactly what it would mean. One issue Alaskans have voiced concern over is how the trail would be managed. Johnston said only federal land would be subject to federal management, and the National Scenic Trail designation wouldn’t affect current land use of state land.

“Folks just want to make sure they’re still going to have hunting access and they can still use their snowmachines, and they’re not going to be edged out of where they’ve been recreating for years,” Johnston said. “And we’re pretty passionate about also making sure that doesn’t happen for folks.”

According to Jane Boer, Alaska Trails’ Long Trail program officer, the Long Trail plan is based on braided trails. That concept allows local managers to maintain the status quo for access.

“Land managers decide the use for existing trails based on their public process and planning, and so the uses that exist now are likely to exist in the future,” she said.

The proposed Alaska Long Trail. (Photo provided by Alaska Trails)

Funding for the project has come from several sources. So far, the project has received $20.7 million in federal funding and $6.7 million in state funds. Add in another million from individual donors and local organizations, and that brings the total to $28.4 million so far.

According to Boer, most of those funds have been spent or earmarked for construction, repair and maintenance projects along the proposed trail.

Johnston said many of the initial funds were to improve and connect existing trails. More funding will be needed for building new stretches. But Johnston said the completed work has delivered local value as they work toward the broader goal of a completed Alaska Long Trail.

“As a person who lives here who likes going on long adventures, I’m excited about the overall thru route,” Johnston said. “But as a person who lives here, who like walks my dog every day and goes for a trail run, I’m more excited for the communities to have these like, sweet local trails.”

The National Scenic Trail designation would need to be approved by Congress, but could be a significant identifier to position the trail alongside the Appalachian Trail and Continental Divide Trail.

Plus, national trails are eligible for annual federal funding for a lot of maintenance like clearing, removing brush and performing repairs.

But Boer envisions the Long Trail as being uniquely Alaskan and, like other major trails, continually evolving.

“Alaskans are different than the Lower 48, and we have different interests and culture up here,” Boer said. “It’s fair to just say, ‘Hey, this is a really fun dynamic project that will change over years depending on what opportunities are available to us.’ We’re going to connect trails and create these bigger adventure opportunities.”