Matanuska Valley State Moose Range
Managed by Alaska Department of Fish and Game
8,349 acres4.6 mi of trail
The BenchGrizzly High Traverse
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Murphy Trailhead
–Not graded
Outdoors in Buffalo Soapstone
More than half of Buffalo Soapstone’s land is conserved: 58%
58% of Buffalo Soapstone’s land is conserved, about 8,133 acres. The biggest trail networks: Matanuska Valley State Moose Range (4.6 mi). 13 acres are parks and preserves, 18 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
58%
8,133 acres · of 22.1 sq mi of land
Trails
5.7 mi
0.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
13 ac
18 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
under 1%
of residents within ½ mile
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Matanuska Valley State Moose Range, with 4.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Who protects it
8,133 conserved acres
58% of Buffalo Soapstone’s land. Who manages Buffalo Soapstone’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources8,074 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)59 ac
State Resource Management Area · 6,962 acState Other or Unknown · 1,113 acAgricultural Easement · 59 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 59 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 3 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matanuska Valley Moose Range State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 6,962 | Open |
| State Patented State Other or Unknown | State natural resources | 1,113 | Unknown |
Things to do
1 places to go in Buffalo Soapstone
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Buffalo Soapstone
1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Trails & water
3 named trails
Named trails
Unpaved · 1.1 mi
The Bench1.7 mi
Grizzly High Traverse1.0 mi
MEA Easement0.9 mi
When to get out
The best walking months in Buffalo Soapstone: June and July
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 6.2 | 8.8 | 11.5 | 14.6 | 17.5 | 19.5 | 18.6 | 15.9 | 12.8 | 9.8 | 7.0 | 5.3 |
| High (°F) | 23 | 29 | 34 | 46 | 58 | 64 | 66 | 63 | 55 | 42 | 28 | 24 |
| Rain (in) | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 1.4 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 1.5 |
April is the driest month (0.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 66 °F). 3.0 inches fall in August, the wettest month. The climate in Buffalo Soapstone →
Next door
Buffalo Soapstone and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Soapstone | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Fishhook | 55% | 0.6 | 1,529 | 4% | A− |
| Sutton-Alpine | 62% | 0.3 | 11 | 21% | B |
| Farm Loop | 4% | 0.2 | 16 | 5% | C+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Buffalo Soapstone
Where can I hike in Buffalo Soapstone?
The longest trail networks: Matanuska Valley State Moose Range, 4.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Buffalo Soapstone’s trails?
Matanuska Valley State Moose Range and Moose Creek Park and Campground don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Buffalo Soapstone?
63,284 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Buffalo Soapstone or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 7,054 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Buffalo Soapstone neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →