Kenai Wilderness
Managed by United States Fish and Wildlife Service
276 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Photo: Cecil Sanders · CC BY 2.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Ninilchik
Few parks or trails are on the map in Ninilchik
The biggest trail networks: Kenai Wilderness (0.5 mi). 25% of Ninilchik’s land is conserved, about 33,243 acres. 13 acres are parks and preserves, 13 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
25%
33,243 acres · of 207.2 sq mi of land
Trails
124 mi
0.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
13 ac
13 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
9%
of residents within ½ mile
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 Kenai Wilderness, with 0.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Kenai National Wildlife Refuge
Managed by United States Fish and Wildlife Service
391 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Who protects it
33,243 conserved acres
25% of Ninilchik’s land. Who manages Ninilchik’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources32,759 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service783 ac
Bureau of Land Management92 ac
State Other or Unknown · 32,736 acNational Wildlife Refuge · 783 acConservation Easement · 54 acNational Public Lands · 39 acState Conservation Area · 23 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 54 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 2 of 9 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| State Patented State Other or Unknown | State natural resources | 27,697 | Unknown |
| State Land Disposals - Municipal Purposes State Other or Unknown | State natural resources | 5,039 | Unknown |
| Kenai National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 783 | Restricted |
| Anchorage Field Office National Public Lands | Bureau of Land Management | 39 | Open |
| Clam Gulch Critical Habitat Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 23 | Restricted |
Things to do
2 places to go in Ninilchik
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Scenic views in Ninilchik
2 scenic views without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Trails & water
4 named trails and 3 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 16.6 mi
Mile 126 Trail3.0 mi
Jesses Trail1.7 mi
Water Hole Trail1.1 mi
Straight in Trail0.4 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
Holy Transfiguration of Our Lord ChapelBuilding · listed 1978
About itWhen to get out
July is the best month for walking in Ninilchik
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) | 6.6 | 9.0 | 11.6 | 14.5 | 17.1 | 18.8 | 18.1 | 15.6 | 12.7 | 10.0 | 7.3 | 5.9 |
| High (°F) | 28 | 31 | 33 | 42 | 51 | 57 | 61 | 60 | 53 | 42 | 33 | 29 |
| Rain (in) | 2.1 | 1.9 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 2.3 | 3.3 | 4.6 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 3.3 |
March is the driest month (1.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 61 °F). 4.6 inches fall in September, the wettest month. The climate in Ninilchik →
Next door
Ninilchik and its neighbors
Ninilchik has the most mapped trails of the 4 towns around it. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ninilchik | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Clam Gulch | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Happy Valley | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Cohoe | 22% | under 0.1 | 69 | 5% | B− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Ninilchik
Where can I hike in Ninilchik?
The longest trail networks: Kenai Wilderness, 0.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Ninilchik’s trails?
Kenai Wilderness and Kenai National Wildlife Refuge don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Ninilchik?
792 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Ninilchik or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 55 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Ninilchik 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 →