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Debi Saunders
CO-OWNER AND WEDDING CAKE DESIGNER
Iditarod Trailside Lodging LLC is an authentic Alaska wedding venue located on the Yentna River near Skwentna, Alaska. You can enjoy stunning wilderness views as the backdrop of your special event. Exchanging your vows in the shadows of the soaring Mt Denali, as well as enjoying welcoming lodging, is a great way to celebrate your union memorably.
Amenities + details
Amenities
On-Site Accommodations
Ceremony Types
Elopement
Non-Religious Ceremony
Second Wedding
Settings
Backyard
Mountain
Tented
Trees
Venue Service Offerings
Food & Catering
Any questions?
Meet the team
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- Debi SaundersCo-owner and wedding cake designerBeing born and raised in Alaska I have loved the outdoors all of my life. I enjoy hiking, camping, fishing, hunting, rafting, kayaking, and pretty much anything outdoors. I found and married the love of my life just 6 years ago. It took a long time for Craig and me to find each other, but we love adventuring, working, and just being together. Together we have built an awesome lodge in the wilderness of Alaska. We enjoy so much any opportunity to share it with guests who come here for many different reasons. We have decided to focus our attention on providing a unique wilderness wedding venue. We love weddings. Not only do they remind us of our wonderful wedding, but we also love being a part of couples lives as they begin their life together in marriage. Our hope is that we will be very busy providing this authentic Alaskan venue to many couples who share the same love of the outdoors as we do.
- Craig SaundersCo-owner, Wedding OfficiantI moved to Alaska as a teen. My father relocated us from Idaho for a job change. From the moment I arrived in Alaska I knew I was home. I have always loved the outdoors. Whether it is camping, fishing, hunting, or just laying my head up against a log in the middle of nowhere and taking in the peace, quiet, and beautiful scenery I am in heaven on earth. I moved from town into the wilderness of Alaska to be able to spend however much time I had left with my first wife whose health had been failing for several years. It has been such an amazing adventure carving this lodge out of Alaska's wilderness. Marriage has always been a special part of my life. I was able to enjoy 42 years with my first wife. But I have been so blessed to have Debi in my life. We have been married just 6 years, but it has been so amazing to me to have found a lady who I can enjoy adventures and fun with. Together we have finished building this lodge so that we can share our piece of Alaska with guests. This year we are changing our focus to develop a wedding venue. We love weddings and want to be a part of many couples lives as they join in marriage at our lodge.
Reviews
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Kaylyn McGraw 5.0
5/21/25
We stopped by today for the summer sled dog cart rides with Riley Dyche. The dogs were so sweet and it was a lot of fun watching them run. They got really excited when they saw the cart come out. This is a great activity if you’re in the area l...
ooking for something to do. There weren’t many people when we went so we didn’t have to wait long at all. We went into the gift shop and visitor’s center after the cart ride and had fun looking around. They even have a 30 minute video option if you have time to sit down and learn all about the Iditarod.
Taylor Anderson 5.0
6/11/25
Very cool! Great museum with trophies and stories of the race over the years. The ride with Riley Dyche and the dogs was the highlight for sure… Amazing how much power he was getting out of eight frisky dogs! 😁
Donna Smith 5.0
8/05/25
This was a great stop. They have a wonderful museum and you can see some of the trophies. There is also a movie that you can see. The dogs were not available since the weather was really rainy. They also have a nice gift shop.
Terri Siggs 4.0
7/12/25
We went in June, and we got to go on a short ride with the dogs,mashed by Riley. We watched a video and were lucky to be there on the day they were signing up mushers for next year's race and met the reigning champion. The gift shop was great ...
and we got a book with great information regarding the Iditarod.
Amit Ghosh 4.0
8/05/25
Its a lovely place to interact with the huskies. The merch store is also great and the museum is great to get an understanding of the history. You can get a husky drawn sledge ride ( even in summer ).
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Iditarod Trailside Lodging LLC
Debi Saunders
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Co-owner and wedding cake designer
Wedding vendors in Palmer
Iditarod Trailside Lodging LLC
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