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–Not graded
Outdoors in Nelchina

More than half of Nelchina’s land is conserved: 78%

78% of Nelchina’s land is conserved, about 23,304 acres. The biggest trail networks: Nelchina Public Use Area (2.4 mi). 6,477 acres are parks and preserves, 43,469 per 1,000 residents.

Conserved land
78%
23,304 acres · of 46.9 sq mi of land
Trails
3.9 mi
0.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
6,477 ac
43,469 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
4%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
4,003 ft
Slide Mountain
Lakes & rivers
4
The map

Conserved land, trails & bike routes

Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.

1
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 Nelchina Public Use Area, with 2.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.

Nelchina Public Use Area

Managed by Alaska Department of Natural Resources
6,495 acres2.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Who protects it

23,304 conserved acres

78% of Nelchina’s land. Who manages Nelchina’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.

State natural resources23,304 ac
State Other or Unknown · 16,892 acState Recreation Area · 6,412 ac
Good to know

Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 3 of 4 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.

The biggest protected parcels
Parcel (PAD-US)Managed byAcresPublic access
State Patented
State Other or Unknown
State natural resources7,959Unknown
State Tentatively Approved (tad)
State Other or Unknown
State natural resources6,749Unknown
Nelchina Public Use Area
State Recreation Area
State natural resources6,412Open
State Land Disposals - Other Than Municipal
State Other or Unknown
State natural resources2,184Unknown
Things to do

1 places to go in Nelchina

Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.

Peaks in Nelchina
Slide Mountain4,003 ft elevation · In Nelchina Public Use Area
Directions
Trails & water

4 lakes & rivers

Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Fossil LakelakePlanaria LakelakeRyan LakelakeSnowshoe Lake
Next door

Nelchina and its neighbors

Nelchina has the second most mapped trails of the 2 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.

Mendeltna16 miNelchina3.9 mi
TownConserved
of land		Trail mi
per sq mi		Park acres
per 1,000		Near a park
½ mile		Outdoors
Nelchina— not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town
Mendeltna— not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town

The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.

Questions about parks and trails in Nelchina

Where can I hike in Nelchina?

The longest trail networks: Nelchina Public Use Area, 2.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.

Are dogs allowed on Nelchina’s trails?

Nelchina Public Use Area doesn’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.

Is there public land near Nelchina?

113,286 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Nelchina or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 6,477 of them inside the town line.

Trail talk

Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Nelchina neighbors.

Town Square →
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 →