Walk Southeast

Make the 297-mile virtual trek from Juneau to Ketchikan between May 1 – September 1! You track the miles you walk, run, or hike—on your favorite trail, when walking the dog, while on vacation, whatever works best for you— and virtually pass through Southeast Alaska communities on your way to Ketchikan. The more miles you walk the more chances you have to win great prizes.

Registration is open April 15 – May 7.
Participation is free!

Register here

Walk, Run, or Hike

What counts as miles? This is a pretty common question! Walk Southeast miles are:
  • Intentional walks, runs, and hikes
  • Treadmill and elliptical miles
  • Wheelchair miles
Do not include:
  • Daily step count (or the mileage converted from a step count)
  • Bike rides, paddling/rowing activities, swimming, skiing, etc.

Walk Southeast. Fly Alaska!

Get ready to walk your way to an adventure. Alaska Airlines is giving away two round-trip tickets, and you could be the lucky winner! To qualify for the drawing, you must:

  • Be a registered Walk Southeast participant from Alaska
  • Walk at least 150 miles between May 1 – September 1
  • Submit your tracker by September 2, if applicable

Put in the miles, and you might just take to the skies. The drawing will be held on Friday, September 5. Walk Southeast. Fly Alaska!

Tracking Miles

There are two methods to choose from: My Virtual Mission app presented by SEARCH or the Paper Mileage Tracker. You will choose which one you will use at the time of registration.

  • My Virtual Mission App presented by SEARHC: The My Virtual Mission app lets you sync your fitness tracker (Runkeeper, Strava, Garmin, or Apple) to automatically log your miles for the challenge. Please note: participants must be at least 13 years old, have their own device, and create a personal My Virtual Mission account to participate.
  • Paper Mileage Tracker: The paper mileage tracker allows you to easily mark off each mile as you walk. For added convenience, the reverse side features a log where you can note your route and keep a running total of your progress

Find more details about the two methods in the Walk Southeast FAQs.

Walk Southeast FAQs

My Virtual Mission App presented by SEARHC

The Walk Southeast 2025 challenge is private, so it won’t appear in My Virtual Mission’s public search. You’ll find the direct link to join on the confirmation page after you register, as well as in the automated email you’ll receive. Just follow the link, log into your existing MVM account (or create one if you’re new), and request to join the challenge. Once we receive your request, we’ll manually approve it within about 24 hours.

To avoid delays, we recommend setting up your MVM account, joining the challenge, and connecting your fitness tracker as soon as possible after registering. While Walk Southeast officially begins on May 1, miles won’t count in the app until your MVM registration is confirmed. For example, if you join on May 6, any walks logged between May 1–6 will not be retroactively added.

Requests to join the MVM challenge close at noon on Friday, May 9. If you miss the deadline, don’t worry — we’ll switch you to the paper tracker and email you a PDF so you can still take part and log your miles manually.

The paper mileage tracker is a simple, no-tech way to log your miles throughout the Walk Southeast challenge. If you selected the paper tracker option during registration, you’ll receive an email from Juneau Parks & Recreation with a downloadable tracker on Wednesday, April 30. Registering after April 30? You’ll receive your email shortly after you sign up.

You’ll have two styles to choose from:

  • Checkboxes – check off a box for each mile you walk
  • Log – write down where you walked and keep a running total

Print your favorite version or use it digitally — whatever works best for you!

Don’t forget: To be entered in the prize drawings, you’ll need to submit your completed tracker online by Tuesday, September 2.

Each participating community—Juneau, Ketchikan, Petersburg, and Sitka—will hold a ‘local’ prize drawing exclusively for its residents and and participants from nearby communities. You can earn tickets for the local drawing by reaching different milestones along the route. These milestones are marked with orange stars on the paper tracker and along the route in the MVM app.

To qualify for the local prize drawing, participants using the paper tracker must submit it by 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 2. No action is needed for MVM users.

All local prize drawings will be held on September 5 and winners will be contacted by phone/email. Need not be present to win.

The Alaska Airlines drawing for two round-trip tickets is open to all registered Walk Southeast participants from Alaska. Each participant who walks a minimum of 150 miles will receive one (1) ticket. The drawing will take place on Friday, September 5. Walk Southeast. Fly Alaska!

Upload a copy of your paper mileage tracker here:

Submit your Tracker

If you’d rather drop it off in-person, please visit Juneau Parks & Recreation, Ketchikan Wellness Coalition, Sitka Parks & Recreation or Petersburg Parks & Recreation.

Trackers, regardless of how far you made it, must be submitted by 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 2 to be eligible for the prize drawings.

If you live in or near a community with a ‘local’ drawing, you can boost your chances of winning by checking in when you reach designated communities along the route. These communities are marked with blue stars on the paper tracker, and MVM users will receive a notification when they reach each milestone.

To earn your bonus ticket, simply submit a photo from a recent walk or hike.

Submit your Bonus Photo

Ready to take your Walk Southeast experience to the next level? Join the Walk Southeast 2025 Facebook Group after you register! It’s the perfect place to stay connected, share your progress, and cheer each other on throughout the 4-month challenge. Tell us about your latest walk, celebrate when you hit the next community milestone, or post some epic photos from your recent hikes. You might even meet fellow walkers, discover new trails, or enjoy some friendly banter with participants from all over Southeast Alaska.

Join the Facebook Group

Community Champions

Which community will walk the most? Juneau, Ketchikan, Sitka, and Petersburg are all vying for the top spot in 2025! But with different population sizes, the coveted Alaska Airlines trophy (and bragging rights) will go to the community with the highest average miles walked per participant — with bonus weight for high participation per capita.

What does that mean?! It means rally your friends, get your steps in, and help your community come out on top!

2024 Community Champions
Team Petersburg
226 miles/participant

2023 Community Champions
Team Wrangell
252 miles/participant

The Walk Southeast trophy was accepted by Wrangell Mayor, Patricia Gilbert.

2022 Community Champions
Team Juneau
242 miles/participant

Rorie Watt, City Manager for CBJ, accepted the new Walk Southeast trophy commissioned by Alaska Airlines.

2021 Community Champions
Team Petersburg
235 miles/participant

Juneau won by default in 2020! The community challenge did not exist in that first year of Walk Southeast. After a first successful year, however, the idea was born to invite neighboring communities, and Petersburg and Wrangell accepted the challenge. Ketchikan was next to join in 2022 and then Sitka in 2024.

Participating Communities

Walk Southeast is open to all, however those in participating communities — Juneau, Ketchikan, Sitka, and Petersburg — have some added benefits! These include in-person events, group hikes, a local prize drawing, and a local point of contact. Check the tabs to find out more!

If you reside anywhere other than Ketchikan, Sitka, or Petersburg, please contact Juneau Parks & Recreation.

Registration Help Session with AARP | April 21

Need help getting registered for Walk Southeast or with My Virtual Mission? AARP is hosting a help session from 3 – 5 p.m. in the large conference room at the Mendenhall Library. Parks & Recreation staff will guide you through the registration process, setting up a My Virtual Mission account, joining the mission, and connecting a fitness tracker. Bring your cell phone and fitness tracker, if you have one, and get ready to start tracking your miles on May 1!

Walk Southeast Kick Off | May 4

Join us on May 4 at Twin Lakes to kick off the season! Meet Parks & Recreation staff, take a walk along the lake to add a mile or two to your tracker, and put your name in the hat for a Walk Southeast t-shirt. Stop by any time between 1 – 2:30 p.m.; door prizes and a #teamjuneau photo will take place around 2.

For those using My Virtual Mission presented by SEARHC, this is a great opportunity to ask questions and get some hands-on assistance in setting it up or connecting your tracker.

Group Hikes & Walks

Join us for a hike this summer! Locations and exact times are yet to be determined, but you can save the dates now:

  • Saturday, May 17
  • Saturday, June 14
  • Tuesday, June 24 sponsored by AARP Alaska
  • Saturday, July 19
  • Saturday, August 16

Details for each hike will be announced on social media 1-2 weeks in advance.

Contact Information:

Juneau Parks & Recreation is the main contact for those participants who reside in Juneau or other communities outside of Ketchikan, Sitka, or Petersburg.

  • Physical address: 1208 Glacier Highway
  • Mailing address: 155 Heritage Way
  • 907-586-5226
  • [email protected]

Thank you JNU Sponsors!

               

Ketchikan Contact:

Thanks you KTN Sponsors!

        

Petersburg Contact:

Thanks you PSG Sponsors!

       

Sitka Contact:

Thanks you STK Sponsors!

                

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