Black Rapids Roadhouse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Rapids Roadhouse
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A south facing photo of the roadhouse.
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 Location in Alaska
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| Location | Mile 227.4 of Richardson Highway, about 35 miles (56 km) south of Delta Junction |
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| Nearest city | Delta Junction |
| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1904 |
| NRHP reference No. | 01000021 |
| Added to NRHP | February 2, 2001 |
The Black Rapids Roadhouse is a very old building in east-central Alaska. It is also known as the Rapids Roadhouse or the Rapids Hunting Lodge. This historic place is located along the Richardson Highway. It was built in 1902. Roadhouses were like hotels or inns for travelers.
In the 1920s, the Alaska Railroad was built. This made the roadhouse less busy. But the original roadhouse kept operating until 1993. A new, modern lodge was built nearby in 2001. The old building is now kept as a historical site. It is a popular place for tourists to visit.
The original roadhouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. This means it is an important historical site.
Black Rapids Glacier
The Black Rapids Roadhouse is located across the Delta River. This river is near the Black Rapids Glacier. For three months in 1937, the Black Rapids Glacier became famous. It moved across the valley very quickly. It moved about one mile each month. People called it the "galloping glacier."
This glacier is about 27 miles (43 km) long. It has moved back since then. But you can still see the moraine from the Richardson Highway. A moraine is a pile of rocks and dirt left behind by a glacier.
History of the Roadhouse
The Rapids Roadhouse opened by 1904. It was built to serve people traveling on the new Valdez-Fairbanks Trail. This trail was an important route for travelers in early Alaska.
Between 1902 and 1923, more than thirty roadhouses operated along this trail. The Rapids Roadhouse is one of the few that are still standing today. It continued to operate until 1993. Its busiest years were in the early 1900s.
