How far can you walk this summer?
Join the virtual trek through Southeast Alaska and see how far you can walk, run, or hike between May 1 and September 1 without ever leaving your town. The more miles you walk the more chances you have to win great prizes in local drawings and two round-trip tickets from Alaska Airlines! Walk Southeast. Fly Alaska!
2025 Registration
It’s not too early to be thinking about Walk Southeast 2025! Add your name to the email list and we will send you a reminder when registration opens in mid-April.
Walk Southeast. Fly Alaska!
You could win two round-trip tickets from Alaska Airlines! This prize drawing is open to all registered Walk Southeast participants from southeast Alaska. Each participant who walks a minimum of 150 miles will receive one (1) ticket. The drawing will take place on Tuesday, September 10. Walk Southeast. Fly Alaska!
Community Challenge
Sitka has accepted the challenge for 2024 which means there are now five communities aiming for the title!
Since our communities (Juneau, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Wrangell, and Sitka) are vastly different by population, the bragging rights—and a really cool trophy from Alaska Airlines—will go to the community with the highest average of miles walked per participant. Scroll down to see who has claimed the bragging rights in previous years.
Walk Southeast FAQs
- My Virtual Mission App: The My Virtual Mission app allows you to connect a fitness tracker (Runkeeper, Garmin, or Apple) which will automatically add your miles to the challenge. Please note, participants using the app must be at least 12 years old, have their own device, and register for their own My Virtual Mission account.
- Paper Mileage Tracker: The paper mileage tracker can be printed or downloaded to check off the boxes for each mile you walk. You can also choose the reverse side which has a log to write where you went and keep a running total.
Watch this how-to video to to learn about setting up your account.
The first 53 seconds on the how-to video includes registration instructions specific to Juneau residents. If you are from Ketchikan, Petersburg, Sitka, or Wrangell jump ahead to watch the section specific to the My Virtual Mission app.
The Walk Southeast challenge in My Virtual Mission is ‘private’ which means you won’t be able to find it just by searching. You must have the link provided at registration. Once you request to join, we are notified and will confirm your registration within 48 hours.
You can set up your account, join the mission, and connect your tracker before May 1. Get set-up early! Even though Walk Southeast begins on May 1, you cannot add miles to the app until you are approved. For example, if you don’t join the app until May 6, you will not be able to add miles for walks done between May 1-6.
One more thing to note, regardless of when you register for Walk Southeast, requests to join the MVM will not be accepted after 9 a.m. on May 7. If you miss the deadline, we will transfer your registration over to the paper tracker and email you the PDF to track your miles manually.
Juneau Residents: Instructions for setting up your My Virtual Mission app, joining the mission, and connecting your fitness tracker (Runkeeper, Garmin, or Apple) are provided at the time of registration. Check your email (or junk folder) for the receipt/confirmation from Juneau Parks & Recreation and look for the attachments. The How-To PDF includes all the details you need including the link to join.
My Virtual Mission & Apple
Apple will only upload workouts to MVM (i.e. walks, runs, hikes). The ‘important points’ shown on the ‘MVM Connections’ page do not apply to Walk Southeast. Accumulated steps do NOT post automatically every 24 hours and you do NOT need to have MVM open in the background. When you connect Apple to MVM and use your watch to track a ‘workout’, it will automatically post the distance immediately following your walk.
Each of the participating communities—Juneau, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Wrangell, and Sitka—will have a ‘local’ prize drawing just for their residents. Tickets for the local drawing are earned based on the furthest community you reach. These are noted on the paper tracker with the orange stars and in the MVM app by the Milestones along the route. To be eligible for prizes, participants using the paper tracker must submit a copy of it by 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 3. No action is required for MVM users.
All ‘local’ drawings will take place on September 10 and winners will be notified by phone/email.
The Alaska Airlines drawing for two round-trip tickets is open to all registered Walk Southeast participants from Southeast Alaska. Each participant who walks a minimum of 150 miles will receive one (1) ticket. The drawing will take place on Tuesday, September 10. Walk Southeast. Fly Alaska!
To qualify for the Alaska Airlines drawing, you must:
- Live in Southeast Alaska
- Be registered for Walk Southeast
- Walk a minimum of 150 miles between May 1 – September 1
- Submit a Mileage Tracker by September 3 (MVM users do not need to submit a tracker)
Trackers can be submitted in a number of ways. Regardless of where you reside or which organization you registered with, trackers can be submitted online.
Optional methods, i.e. submitting in-person or via email, may also be available depending on where you reside. Check your community’s section below for more information.
Trackers, regardless of how far you made it, must be submitted by 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 3 to be eligible for the prize drawings.
If you reside in a community that has a ‘local’ drawing, you can increase your chances to win by checking in when you reach designated communities along the route. These communities are noted on the paper tracker with blue stars. If you are using MVM, you will receive notification upon reaching the designated milestone.
To earn the bonus ticket you will need to submit a photo from a recent walk or hike. Methods for checking in vary depending on the community you reside in. See the community section below for instructions.
Join the Walk Southeast 2024 Facebook Group after you register. It’s a great way to stay connected throughout the 4-month challenge and encourage each other along the way. Tell us where you walk, when you reach your next community, or post some photos from your recent hikes. You might even meet new people, find new places to explore, or exchange friendly banter with participants in other communities.
This is a private group for registered Walk Southeast participants throughout all Southeast Alaska. You will need your registration/receipt number when you request to join.
Information Specific to Participating Communities
Some details (registration, checking in methods, contact information, etc.) are specific to the community. Participation is not limited to the communities noted below, however; anyone from Southeast Alaska is welcome to participate. If you reside in a community not listed here, see the information in the ‘Other’ section.
Registration
Juneau residents register online HERE beginning on April 15. Look under the ‘Special Events’ tab and choose one of the two tracking methods: paper or app. Registration closes at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, May 6.
Paper Mileage Trackers
Paper trackers are emailed at the end of April to participants who register for that tracking method. If you register after that, look for the attachment in your registration confirmation email.
Walk Southeast Kick Off | May 5
Join us on May 5 at Twin Lakes to kick off the season! Meet Parks & Recreation staff, add a mile or two to your tracker with a walk along the lake, and put your name in the hat for a Walk Southeast t-shirt. For those using My Virtual Mission, this is a great opportunity to ask questions and get some hands on assistance setting it up. Stop by any time between 1 – 2:30 p.m.; door prizes will be drawn throughout and a #teamjuneau photo will be taken around 2.
Walk Southeast Hikes
Join us fo