Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge
Nature preserve
249 acres6 mi of trail
Jeff Studdert Sleddog TrailsRat Ponds Ski TrailSeasonal Wetland Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Constitution Hall · Photo: Durkeeco · CC BY-SA 3.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in College
College has 98 miles of mapped trails, 5.2 for every square mile of land
The biggest trail networks: Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge (6 mi), Goldstream Public Use Area (5.3 mi), Pearl Creek Park (5.1 mi). 226 acres are parks and preserves, 19 per 1,000 residents. 71% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 77% of U.S. towns · #11 of 41 in Alaska. What drives it
Conserved land
3%
375 acres · of 18.8 sq mi of land
Trails
98 mi
5.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
226 ac
19 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
71%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
30 mi
2.9 mi lanes · 27 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
4
3 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is College?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does College have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, College is ahead of 77% of U.S. towns, #11 of 41 in Alaska. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, conserved land lowest.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of College’s overall grade.
Conserved land3% of the land · typical AK town 15% · U.S. 4%B−Trails5.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (98 mi) · AK 0.5 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land19 acres of park per 1,000 residents (226 acres) · AK 15 · U.S. 13BParks close to home71% of residents within a half mile of a park · AK 36% · U.S. 72%B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 77%
LessMore
Alaska towns of 2,500+ (41)Ahead of 75%
Alaska towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 15%; the U.S., 4%), so College’s 3% is ahead of 10% of Alaska towns, while its trails per square mile lead 100% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B to A. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
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 Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge, with 6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Goldstream Public Use Area
Managed by Alaska Department of Natural Resources
384 acres5.3 mi of trail
Winter TrailGoldstream Winter Cycling Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Pearl Creek Park
Park
113 acres5.1 mi of trail
Rabbit Run Ski TrailFoot pathShaun's Ski TrailCommuter Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
All 6 parks & preserves
Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge249 acres · 6 mi of trail
DirectionsGoldstream Public Use Area384 acres · 5.3 mi of trail · Alaska Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsPearl Creek Park113 acres · 5.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBabula Children’s Garden4 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsTroth Yeddha' Park5 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsCornerstone Plaza2 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
375 conserved acres
3% of College’s land. Who manages College’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State fish & wildlife263 ac
County58 ac
State natural resources53 ac
State Conservation Area · 263 acLocal Park · 58 acState Other or Unknown · 53 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 8 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Creamer's Field State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 263 | Restricted |
| State Patented State Other or Unknown | State natural resources | 53 | Unknown |
| Shanly Park (Undeveloped) Local Park | County | 26 | Open |
| Pierce Park Local Park | County | 22 | Open |
| West Valley Little League (Undeveloped) Local Park | County | 4 | Open |
| Pikes Landing (Undeveloped) Local Park | County | 3 | Open |
| Chena Kiwanis Park Local Park | County | 3 | Open |
| Fahrenkamp Park Local Park | County | 1 | Open |
Things to do
32 places to go in College
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in College
Hess Village Playground
DirectionsHess Village Playground
DirectionsPlus 16 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in College
3 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in College
4 scenic views without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in College
2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in College
Tanana Valley Campground and RV parkHours: May 15-Sep 15: 09:00-18:00 · Tanana Valley State Fair
DirectionsPlus 1 campground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Disc golf in College
UAF Blue Disc Golf Course (9-hole)In Troth Yeddha' Park · University of Alaska Fairbanks
DirectionsUAF Gold Disc Golf CourseUniversity of Alaska Fairbanks
DirectionsCommunity gardens in College
UAF Community GardenUniversity of Alaska, Fairbanks
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 4 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 18.2 miUnpaved · 44.3 mi
Jeff Studdert Sleddog Trails7.2 mi
Skarland Trail4.1 mi
Pooch Loop3.8 mi
Skarland 6-Mile3.6 mi
Commuter Trail2.9 mi
UAF Snowshoe and Dog Walking path1.8 mi
Big Whizzy Loop1.7 mi
Goldstream Winter Cycling Trail1.3 mi
Midnight Express Loop1.0 mi
Rat Ponds Ski Trail1.0 mi
15 more trails
Winter Trail
1.0 miBaseline Classic Trail
0.8 miEstle Connector
0.7 miPingo Ski Trail
0.7 miKarl Reishus Trail
0.6 miT-Field Loop
0.6 miRabbit Run Ski Trail
0.6 miFarm Trail
0.5 miFoot path
0.5 miShaun's Ski Trail
0.5 miSkarland Summer Trail
0.5 miPotato Field
0.4 miThrill Hill Bypass
0.4 miTeahouse Trail
0.4 miPuffin Loop Ski Trail
0.4 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
30 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
2.9 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
27 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
4Tracks
3Baseball
3Basketball
3Equestrian
2Hockey rinks
2Soccer
1Beach volleyball
1Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →4 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in College: May to August
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) | 5.0 | 8.3 | 11.5 | 15.0 | 18.6 | 21.7 | 20.2 | 16.5 | 12.9 | 9.5 | 6.0 | 3.7 |
| High (°F) | 2 | 12 | 24 | 44 | 60 | 70 | 71 | 65 | 54 | 33 | 12 | 5 |
| Rain (in) | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 1.9 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 1.6 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.6 |
April is the driest month (0.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 71 °F). 2.5 inches fall in July, the wettest month. The climate in College →
Next door
College and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Goldstream141 miEster133 miCollege98 miChena Ridge74 miFairbanks73 miFarmers Loop51 miSouth Van Horn5.8 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| College | 3% | 5.2 | 19 | 71% | A− |
| Farmers Loop | 19% | 2.4 | 106 | under 1% | A− |
| Fairbanks | 6% | 2.3 | 15 | 84% | A− |
| South Van Horn | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Chena Ridge | 55% | 2.0 | 2 | 13% | B |
| Goldstream | 62% | 1.6 | 26 | 1% | A− |
| Ester | 56% | 2.1 | 2 | 2% | B |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in College
Where can I hike in College?
The longest trail networks: Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge, 6 miles; Goldstream Public Use Area, 5.3 miles; Pearl Creek Park, 5.1 miles; Babula Children’s Garden, 0.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of College is conserved land?
3% of its land, against a typical 15% for an Alaska town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on College’s trails?
Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge and Goldstream Public Use Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in College?
30 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.9 of painted or protected lanes and 27 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near College?
18,581 acres of parks and open public land lie inside College or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 238 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does College have?
Ahead of 77% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #11 of 41 in Alaska. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from College 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 →