Knik Public Use Area
Managed by Alaska Department of Natural Resources
22,282 acres46.2 mi of trail
Knik Glacier Trail (RST 17)Old Knik River Bridge
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
–Not graded
Outdoors in Knik River
More than half of Knik River’s land is conserved: 73%
73% of Knik River’s land is conserved, about 38,039 acres. The biggest trail networks: Knik Public Use Area (46.2 mi). 11,409 acres are parks and preserves, 12,921 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
73%
38,039 acres · of 81.7 sq mi of land
Trails
62 mi
0.8 per sq mi of land
Park land
11,409 ac
12,921 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
41%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
6,398 ft
Pioneer Peak
Lakes & rivers
3
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 Knik Public Use Area, with 46.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Who protects it
38,039 conserved acres
73% of Knik River’s land. Water is left out: Knik River has 81.7 square miles of land and 10.0 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Knik River’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources26,916 ac
Bureau of Land Management10,777 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits572 ac
State Other or Unknown · 15,606 acState Park · 11,310 acNational Public Lands · 10,777 acConservation Easement · 572 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 572 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 4 of 7 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| State Tentatively Approved (tad) State Other or Unknown | State natural resources | 13,510 | Unknown |
| Chugach State Park State Park | State natural resources | 11,310 | Open |
| Anchorage Field Office National Public Lands | Bureau of Land Management | 10,777 | Open |
| State Patented State Other or Unknown | State natural resources | 2,086 | Unknown |
| State Land Disposals - Municipal Purposes State Other or Unknown | State natural resources | 5 | Unknown |
| State Land Disposals - Other Than Municipal State Other or Unknown | State natural resources | 4 | Unknown |
Things to do
10 places to go in Knik River
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Fishing spots in Knik River
Eklutna Tailrace Facility
DirectionsScenic views in Knik River
Galcier Viewpoint
DirectionsPeaks in Knik River
Pioneer Peak6,398 ft elevation
DirectionsSouth Pioneer Peak6,299 ft elevation
DirectionsEast Twin Peak5,840 ft elevation
DirectionsWest Twin Peak5,472 ft elevation
DirectionsSalt Peak5,456 ft elevation
DirectionsPepper Peak5,397 ft elevation
DirectionsGoat Rock5,282 ft elevation
DirectionsPlus 1 peak without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Trails & water
8 named trails and 3 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 23.5 mi
Knik Glacier Trail (RST 17)11.1 mi
Pioneer Peak Trail6.0 mi
Pepper Loop Bootpath1.9 mi
Pepper Peak Trail1.1 mi
East Twin Peak Bootpath1.0 mi
Shaker Peak Bootpath0.9 mi
Twin Peaks Trail0.5 mi
Old Knik River Bridge0.3 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
When to get out
The best walking months in Knik River: 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) | 6.3 | 8.8 | 11.5 | 14.6 | 17.5 | 19.4 | 18.6 | 15.8 | 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 River →
Next door
Knik River and its neighbors
Knik River has the second most mapped trails of the 3 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Questions about parks and trails in Knik River
Where can I hike in Knik River?
The longest trail networks: Knik Public Use Area, 46.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Knik River’s trails?
Knik Public Use Area doesn’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Knik River?
122,443 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Knik River or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 22,225 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Knik River 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 →