The modern sled-dog race made its first full run to Nome in 1973, and Wasilla became its institutional home — the valley town most tied to the long trail north. Wasilla was incorporated as a city in 1974, and as Anchorage grew, the Mat-Su became Alaska's fastest-growing region, with Wasilla its valley hub on the George Parks Highway between the city and Denali.
Our Wasilla logo carries Alaska's bear over "Alaska Territory · Est. 1959," the year Alaska became the forty-ninth state — the shared emblem of every Merlin Classics Alaska place. Printed in a distressed black-and-white that reads like an old outfitter's stamp, the bear is the Last Frontier in shorthand: rugged, wild, and at home in the cold. What makes this one Wasilla is the country behind it — the Mat-Su Valley, the lakes and ranges, and the trail that runs all the way to Nome.
Why People Visit Wasilla
Wasilla balances Alaska heritage with easygoing valley life — lakeside walks, broad mountain scenery, and the deep history of the long trail north. It's accessible, relaxed, and a practical base for exploring the Mat-Su Valley and Southcentral Alaska.
