Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Knik Site · Photo: Cherime MacFarlane · CC BY-SA 3.0The biggest trail networks: Palmer Hay Flats State Game Refuge (1.8 mi). 10% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 43 acres are parks and preserves, 2.2 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 36% of U.S. towns · #36 of 41 in Alaska. What drives it
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Knik-Fairview is ahead of 36% of U.S. towns, #36 of 41 in Alaska. Conserved land holds the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
Alaska towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 15%; the U.S., 4%), so Knik-Fairview’s 18% is ahead of 52% of Alaska towns, while its trails per square mile lead 38% of them.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
The longest trail network is Palmer Hay Flats State Game Refuge, with 1.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
18% of Knik-Fairview’s land. Who manages Knik-Fairview’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 69 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 3 of 9 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmer Hay Flats State Game Refuge State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 4,108 | Restricted |
| State Land Disposals - Municipal Purposes State Other or Unknown | State natural resources | 2,080 | Unknown |
| State Land Disposals - Other Than Municipal State Other or Unknown | State natural resources | 1,204 | Unknown |
| State Patented State Other or Unknown | State natural resources | 1,129 | Unknown |
| John R. Nichols Memorial Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 18 | Open |
| Tipton Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 17 | Open |
| Bromley Drive Park Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 9 | Open |
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
5 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
2 scenic views without a name on the map.
1 campground without a name on the map.
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
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 | 19.4 | 18.6 | 15.9 | 12.8 | 9.8 | 7.0 | 5.4 |
| High (°F) | 23 | 29 | 34 | 48 | 59 | 66 | 68 | 65 | 57 | 43 | 29 | 25 |
| Rain (in) | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 1.9 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 1.0 |
April is the driest month (0.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 68 °F). 2.5 inches fall in August, the wettest month. The climate in Knik-Fairview →
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knik-Fairview | 18% | 0.2 | 2 | 10% | C+ |
| Big Lake | 49% | 0.7 | 1,994 | 2% | A− |
| Meadow Lakes | 41% | 0.1 | 86 | 21% | B |
| Point MacKenzie | 71% | 0.1 | under 1 | under 1% | C |
| Wasilla | 3% | 0.1 | 32 | 60% | B− |
| Gateway | 11% | 2.4 | 81 | 34% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
The longest trail networks: Palmer Hay Flats State Game Refuge, 1.8 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
18% 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.
Palmer Hay Flats State Game Refuge doesn’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
6.0 miles of bike routes are on the map: 6.0 of off-road paths.
36,038 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Knik-Fairview or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 43 of them inside the town line.
Ahead of 36% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #36 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.
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Knik-Fairview neighbors.
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 →