Page 18 - Parks Highway Bearfoot

Bearfoot Checkpoint: Willow is a spraw ling town of 2,000 LOWER PARKS people, from about Mile 68 to Mile 72 Parks Highway.
WILLOW, HOUSTON &
MONT"ANA CREEK IJ are called "creeks."
Lower Parks Highway Towns The Parks Highway splits off the Glenn Highway 35 miles from Anchorage and heads northwest, paral- leling the Susitna River and the Alaska Railroad. A se- ries of communities grew up around lodges every ten miles or so: Wasilla (m. 42); Big Lake (m. 52); Houston (m. 57); Nancy Lake (m. 67); Willow (m. 70); Sheep Creek (m. 88), and Montana Creek (m. 97). Although these are modern communities, they are located at creek crossings and lakes that are about the same dis- tance apart that an early Gold Rush miner could travel by foot or horse in a day.
Houston
The Parks Highway curves at Mile 57, taking travelers through the town of Hous- ton, with stores, camp- grounds, and gas.
Willow and Montana Creek At Willow, you 'll find a road to Hatcher Pass. It is 32 miles from Willow to the Independence Mine State Park. Willow started as a support community for the Independence hard rock mines. Today, lakes and streams make Willow a recreational center for Alas- kans. The salmon you fish here come from the North Pacific, across Cook Inlet, and up the Susitna River, then to the tributaries along the Parks Highway to spawn. You can fish from the banks of the creeks but you need a boat for the rivers on the Parks Highway.
Following The Iditarod
To follow the Iditarod Race next spring, head to the official website. You'll get race updates writ- ten by former professional mushers, and have the ability to subscribe to GPS race updates. Or, come up to Alaska , in late February.
Little Susitna River Campground
LOCATED AT MILE 57.3 PARKS HIGHWAY HOUSTON AK 996941 WWW.HOUSTONAK.COM
WILLOW_ HOUSTON &.
Rivers that cross the Lower Parks Highway