General information about Tok:
We are pleased that you have chosen to spend some time in our small community. There are about 1382 year-round residents in Tok. The elevation here is 1635 feet. Tok is a regional trade center for the Athabascan Native villages of Northway, Tetlin, Tanacross, Mentasta, Eagle and Dot Lake. Local Native arts and crafts may be found in many of our gift shops.
Tok originated as an Alaska Road Commission camp for the construction of the Alcan (now called the Alaska Highway) and Tok Cutoff Highways in the 1940's. To discover how Tok got its name, stop by the Mainstreet Visitors' Center--you will be surprised.
Tok was designated a Presidential Townsite in 1946, the same year the Alcan was opened to civilians, and a roadhouse was opened in the community.
In 1954, the Tok Dog Mushers Association was founded, and the U.S. Army began construction of the Haines-Fairbanks fuel pipeline, with a pump station located here. The pump station closed down in 1979 but the Tok Dog Mushers are still going strong.
In 1971 U.S. Customs moved from Tok to its pressent location at the Alaskan border. In the fall of 1976 the U.S. Coast Guard built the Long Range Aid to Navigation (LORAN) station, consisting of four 700' towers 6 miles east of the junction. These transmit radio navigation signals for air and marine traffic in the Gulf of Alaska. (the bright white strobe lights on the towers are not Northern lights!
The Tok Race of Champions sled dog race, one of the oldest in the state, is held each March. Tok is one of the centers of dog breeding, training and mushing.
Tok is also a winter playground for snowmachiners, with many snowmobile activities.
Additional details about the community are available on the State of Alaska web pages, both summary information and more detailed info.
Tok as a gateway to other destinations...