Snowmachineville: Petersville is a Mat-Su Valley winter wonderland

PETERSVILLE — With hundreds of miles of trails, endless powder and stunning views of Denali and the Alaska Range, it’s no wonder Petersville has become a premier winter destination in Alaska.

Petersville, located at the end of Petersville Road near Mile 115 Parks Highway, has become a snowmachiner’s paradise. Every weekend when there’s snow on the ground finds adventurers from around Southcentral Alaska flocking to the area for some of the best snow conditions in the state.

The area averages between 48 and 150 inches of snowfall each winter, making it an ideal place to explore on the back of a snowmachine.

“I think it’s the perfect place to snowmachine because you have just about everything you could ever want out there,” said David Hanks, an Anchorage resident who rides there about 10 times a winter. “You have a good, wide open trail system if you want, or you can go up into the mountains. There is just about every kind of riding you want.”

That diversity is a big reason why Petersville has become increasingly popular with winter recreationalists. There are also ample opportunities to enjoy cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in the area.

But the heart of Petersville’s allure is snowmachining.

“I ride a lot up near Eureka and sometimes down on the Kenai, but I’d rather go up to Petersville,” said Wasilla resident Jim Moore. “It’s relatively close, and I just think the riding is out of this world. My boys and I can go up there and ride for an entire weekend without hitting the same trail twice.”

The year-round population of Petersville is estimated at about 20, but on any given day during the winter that number swells considerably as the parking lot fills with folks who have cabins in the area. With two roadhouses and hundreds of private cabins, the backcountry of Petersville becomes a tight-knit community during the seasonal months of winter. According to the state of Alaska Web site, less than 10 percent of the 190 homes in Petersville are occupied year-round. Most of the homes are cabins that become winter getaways for snowmachine enthusiasts.

“Some of us are from Anchorage, some are from the {Mat-Su} Valley, but we’re all neighbors in Petersville,” said Tom Dansby, who owns a cabin in the area. “We look forward to getting out there and riding and having fun all winter. My family loves it, and it’s a great place to get away from everything.”

When you add great riding and good friends, the answer is simple — Petersville is a must-visit area during the winter.

“If people like to ride, and they haven’t been to Petersville before, they are really missing out on some of the best riding in Alaska,” Dansby said. “Our favorite time to ride up there is in the spring, when the weather is warm and the days are longer, but it’s a ton of fun all the time. There is no bad time to go riding.”

First-timers to Petersville can be intimidated by the number of trails that zigzag the landscape. Many are close to the parking lot and traverse swamps and small lakes, so it’s important to remember that overflow and open water are possibilities, particularly in the early part of the season and in spring. Also, it’s easy to get crossed up on the trails, so it’s a good idea to bring a GPS locator and a map of the area. More importantly, know how to use them properly.

Don’t have your own machine? No problem

While most snowmachiners in Petersville haul their own machines there and are familiar with the local trails, Petersville rookies also have options.

There are a number of companies that rent snowmachines and several offer guided tours. Gate Creek Cabins, for example, offers several options, from tours that are shorter and less technical, to full-day outings that even the most experienced rider would enjoy. There are also several bed and breakfasts, and the roadhouses have rooms for rent.

That’s how Moore first experienced Petersville.

“We went out there and did a tour and we had a ball,” Moore said. “We were new to Alaska and wanted to go out and snowmachine, but didn’t have the machines or the knowledge. That was five years ago, and now we’re out there all the time. I think the next thing is to get a cabin out there. A couple of our friends have cabins, and it makes it so nice.”

The riding season starts as soon as the swamps ice over and there is enough snow, which varies from year to year. A few years ago, during a particularly snowless winter, cabin owners were drove their trucks from the parking lot to their cabins. Normally, however, it is remote and most of the cabins are accessible only by snowmachine. Because the area is swampy, many cabin owners board them up for the summer months, although the area also welcomes hunters in the fall.

Get going

To get to Petersville, travel north on the Parks Highway to Mile 115 and turn left on Petersville Road. The large parking lot that most people use in the winter is located about 14 miles down Petersville Road. From there, use your imagination and create your own itinerary for winter fun. For businesses that offer tours, snowmachine rentals and lodging, visit the Mat-Su Convention and Visitors Bureau’s Web site at www.alaskavisit.com.

Now a recreational Mecca, Petersville was settled by gold prospectors who found riches in the upper Susitna Valley. In 1905, gold was discovered in the area near Cache Creek and upper Peters Creek. By 1917, a trail was built by the Alaska Road Commission spanning the distance between Talkeetna and Petersville. By 1921, there were 24 mining operations in the area, and gold brought countless prospectors to the area hoping to strike it rich in one of the more remote areas of Alaska at the time.

The economic boom of the gold rush was felt until World War II virtually shut down the gold prospectors in Petersville and the Yentna Mining District. Nearly 70 years later, it isn’t prospectors who flock to the area via the Susitna River — it is snowmachiners and winter recreationalists who find what they are looking for up in the hills.

“We love it up there in the winter,” Moore said. “What’s not to love about it? On a clear day you see the mountains, and it’s nothing but fun.”