Nature’s Kennel Sled Dog Racing and Adventures

In the winter, Michigan’s remote Upper Peninsula transforms into a paradise of deep snow. Drive down the dirt roads in McMillan and your car might be flanked by 6 feet of the stuff. The journey is worth it though, when you veer off to a long driveway and hear the first sounds of happy barking.

This is Nature’s Kennel Sled Dog Racing and Adventures, a professional dogsledding kennel, which is home to more than 20 trained sled dogs — some have even competed in the Iditarod. The only thing these dogs love more than food, people and snow is running.

Many people think of dogsledding as a bucket-list experience that requires flying to far-flung arctic locales. However, spending a day with the Nature’s Kennel Sled Dog Racing and Adventures’ pups and friendly staff show that the magic of winter in the Midwest is just as exciting — and much more accessible.

Nature’s Kennel offers both 10-mile and 20-mile dogsledding journeys with the option to drive your own sled. The staff will introduce you to your dogs and teach you how to hook up their harnesses. You’ll also be instructed in the operation of the sled itself, like using the brakes. (There is also an option to ride in a sled with a guide driving.) Learning to drive your own sled is surprisingly simple, while still exhilarating and therefore appropriate for people of various ages and abilities.

More fanatic winter adventurers might even opt for the overnight sledding trip, which winds through the snowy Upper Peninsula woods to Musher’s Village. Here, you’ll enjoy a winter campfire and sleep overnight in a yurt or cabin surrounded by snowfall, starry skies and slumbering pups.  

14785 County Rd., 415, McMillan, Michigan, 906/748-0513, natureskennel.com