Population:
About 375
McGrath, located
221 miles northwest of Anchorage and 269 miles southwest of Fairbanks,
functions
as a transportation, communications and supply center in Interior
Alaska. It
is adjacent to the Kuskokwim River directly south of its confluence
with the
Takotna River. The McGrath area has a cold, continental climate. Summer
temperatures generally range from 62°F to 80°F and winter temperatures can range from
0°F
to -64°F. Precipitation
is light, averaging 10 inches per year, including an
average
snowfall of 86 inches. The Kuskokwim River is generally ice-free from
June
through October.
The City
was incorporated in 1975. About half of the population are Alaska
Native or
part Native (Athabascan and Eskimo). As a regional center, McGrath
has a diverse cash economy and offers a
variety of employment opportunities, but subsistence remains an
important part
of the local culture. Salmon,
moose,
caribou, bear and rabbits are utilized, and some residents trap and
tend
gardens. Some families in town have dog teams
which
they enter
into the Iditarod, Kuskokwim
300, and Mail Trail 200 sled dog races.
There
are no road connections to McGrath, but local roads are used by ATVs
and
trucks. Winter snowmobile trails are marked to Nikolai (50 miles) and
Takotna (20
miles).
Residents rely on air service and barges to deliver cargo. Air
facilities
include a state-owned 5,435' long by 150' wide asphalt runway with a
1,720'
long by 100' wide crosswind landing strip, and a seaplane base on the
Kuskokwim
River.
- Iditarod
(See
our 2005 photos!)
- Iron dog
(Photo
of racers at Takusko House)
