The best running trails around Knik-Fairview

This park is arguably most famous for its enormous "Wonderland" playground for kids. There is plenty here for all ages though, including volleyball, basketball and tennis courts, a skate park, a BMX track, a bocce court and an outdoor amphitheater. The trails here also connect into the wider network of roadside trails throughout Wasilla, so it's a great place to start or end a run of any length.

There are two loops in this paved path, with the smaller one encircling the baseball field. This trail is popular with runners and walkers; dogs are allowed, but should be kept on leash. Doing two laps around both the large and small loops will get you close to a 5k distance. During winter, if there's enough snow cover these trails will be groomed for cross-country skiing.

This paved trail runs alongside a busy highway, so it might not be the most peaceful destination — but it's a great place to stretch your legs. And hey, if you've ever wanted to literally run from one town to another? This is your opportunity, as the highway you're paralleling runs from Wasilla to Palmer.

Wasilla Lake is a seaplane base, so you may see float planes taking off or landing. It's also a popular place for recreation, although the assorted watercraft all have to work to stay out of the way of the airplanes.

This trail is part boardwalk and part dirt. It's a great spot for beginning trail runners or anyone pushing a stroller. If you want a break, watch for the multi-level observation tower that sits about halfway around the lake. It's a great place for spotting wildlife that might be in the area.

This footpath runs along the top of a bluff overlooking protected wetlands in the Palmer Hay Flats Game Refuge, then loops back through the forest. Overall it's a fun run on pretty solid dirt trail that is often laced through with tree roots — so watch your step.

This loop trail may be short, but it's a big hit with families and is one of the few really picturesque trails set at a wheelchair-accessible grade, as long as your chair fits on the boardwalk section as you first turn south from the trailhead. There are a few steep hills along the trail, but each one has a wheelchair-suitable bypass around it, too. The only non-accessible part of this hike is a multistory observation tower halfway around the lake, which does have some stairs but offers great views over the surrounding flats where two rivers, the Knik and the Matanuska, flow together, then into the sea.