First pick
Athabasca River Front Park
Park or garden
4.4 ha1.3 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.3 km of path
1.1 km northfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Bulliver · CC BY-SA 3.00.4%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Athabasca · parks, protected land & trails
Athabasca has 0.4% protected land within 10 km
The nearest provincial park, Cross Lake Provincial Park, is 26 km away. The nearest national park is more than 100 km away. The largest is Meanook National Wildlife Area: 214 ha, 8.2 km from the edge of town.
Protected land
0.4%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
1
within 10 km, 1 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest provincial park
26 km
Cross Lake Provincial Park
Against other towns
How Athabasca compares with other Canadian towns
Each figure against the 2,611 Canadian towns and neighbourhoods of 2,500+ (not city hubs or reserves), with the town marked and the typical one’s line. Outdoors isn’t graded in Canada. The page compares each figure with other towns and leaves it there.
Protected within 10 km0.4%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town0%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas1Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes0Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Among 40 towns its size, Athabasca is 13th from the bottom for protected land
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (2,853 to 2,922 residents), by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected. Hover for each one’s figures; click for its page.
Protected within 10 km
Athabasca0.4%
Towns its size1.5%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Athabasca1
Towns its size4
Towns in Alberta2
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Athabasca0
Towns its size0
Towns in Alberta0
Typical Canadian town0
Where Athabasca trails its peers is protected land nearby; 27 of 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | O'Leary PE | 25% | 4.9% | 53 | 9 | 22 |
| 2 | Labelle QC | 25% | 19% | 22 | 1 | 8 |
| 3 | Algonquin Highlands ON | 18% | 16% | 8 | 0 | 10 |
| 4 | Head of St Margarets Bay NS | 16% | 4.1% | 46 | 1 | 5 |
| 5 | Parry Sound, Unorganized, Centre Part ON | 15% | 16% | 43 | 0 | 19 |
| 6 | South Keys ON | 8.3% | 0.1% | 27 | 0 | 1 |
| 7 | Navan - Sarsfield ON | 8% | 0.3% | 41 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | Saint-Anicet QC | 6.1% | 4.9% | 24 | 0 | 1 |
| 9 | Shaver ON | 5.6% | 0% | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | Crerar ON | 4.8% | 0% | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | Saint-Isidore QC | 4.7% | 0% | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | Moosomin SK | 4.4% | 0% | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | Butler ON | 3.7% | 0% | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Normanview West SK | 3.7% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | Regent Park SK | 3.5% | 0% | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | Saint-Basile QC | 3.3% | 0% | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | Perry ON | 2.9% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 5 |
| 18 | Minnedosa MB | 2.9% | 0% | 31 | 0 | 1 |
| 19 | Black River-Matheson ON | 2.4% | 0.3% | 7 | 0 | 3 |
| 20 | Grant Park MB | 1.5% | 0% | 24 | 0 | 1 |
| 21 | Norwood West MB | 1.5% | 0% | 22 | 4 | 0 |
| 22 | Dundonald SK | 1.4% | 0% | 14 | 0 | 1 |
| 23 | Westmount SK | 1.4% | 0% | 16 | 0 | 2 |
| 24 | Sicamous BC | 0.9% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| 25 | Bridgeport North ON | 0.9% | 4.2% | 14 | 1 | 0 |
| 26 | Black Diamond AB | 0.7% | 0% | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Saint-Paul-d'Abbotsford QC | 0.6% | 0.3% | 22 | 0 | 1 |
| 28 | Athabasca AB | 0.4% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | Paisley AB | 0.4% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 30 | Grassie MB | 0.3% | 0% | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | Saint-Gabriel-de-Brandon QC | 0.2% | 0% | 6 | 1 | 7 |
| 32 | Port Credit NHD (West) ON | 0.1% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| 33 | McKernan AB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 34 | Tipaskan AB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 35 | Harbour Grace NL | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| 36 | Botwood NL | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 37 | Springdale NL | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 38 | Fairview AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Carrington AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Overlanders AB | 0% | 0% | 1 | 1 | 0 |
The map
Where the green is in Athabasca
The town’s parks, woods, protected land and paths, with its named places numbered.
Green: OpenStreetMap parks, gardens, playing fields and woods. Hatched: CPCAD protected areas.© OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL); CPCAD (OGL-Canada)
Places to walk
2 named parks and woods to walk in near Athabasca
Largest first: Athabasca River Front Park leads with 4.4 ha. Numbers match the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap parks, gardens, commons and woods with a name, in the town or within 400 m, © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Sizes are the mapped outline’s.
Close to home
3 in 10 people in Athabasca live near a park
Residents of each 2021 dissemination area, at a point inside it, within 400 m (about a 5-minute walk) of a park or playing field mapped on OpenStreetMap.
Within 400 m (33%)Further (67%)
Athabasca33%
Towns in Alberta100%
Typical Canadian town83%
That leaves about 1,900 people more than a short walk away. The typical Canadian town does better, at 83%.
Protected areas
Athabasca has 1 protected area within 10 km
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Athabasca0%
Within 10 km0.4%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
It belongs to a government.
Meanook National Wildlife AreaWildlife area · 214 ha · 8.2 km from the edge of town
Source: Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD) 2.9.0, Environment and Climate Change Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada.
National & provincial parks
The nearest big park: Cross Lake Provincial Park, 26 km away
National parks (Parks Canada) and provincial or territorial parks by direction and distance from the town’s edge: every one within 10 km, and the nearest of each within 100 km.
National parkProvincial park
Provincial park
Cross Lake Provincial Park
26 km west21 km²since 1955
There is no national park within 100 km; for big parks, Athabasca has its province’s.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
Athabasca and its edge hold 10 km of footpath
OpenStreetMap footpaths, paths, bridleways and steps, and tracks open on foot, in the town and 1 km around it; woods as mapped (landuse=forest, natural=wood).
Footpaths
9.7 km
in and around the town (42.2 km²)
Woodland
55%
about 23.2 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
AthabascaTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0.2
024 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
AthabascaTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Woodland55%
0%50%100%
It has fewer paths per km² than 76% of Canadian towns. More of it is wooded than in 86% of Canadian towns.
Source: OpenStreetMap, © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Mapping varies by place: a dense figure can mean keen local mappers as much as many paths.
Walking routes
OpenStreetMap shows no walking route near Athabasca
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
Nothing near the town is mapped as a named walking route, which often means the trails just haven’t been entered as routes.
Source: OpenStreetMap (route relations hiking, foot and walking), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Trans Canada Trail sections as OSM maps them.
When to get out
Get out in Athabasca in May, August and September
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Fort Saskatchewan (111 km), and daylight at the town’s latitude. Good months: 12½+ hours of daylight, highs of 15–30 °C, little rain.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 7.8 | 9.6 | 11.7 | 14.0 | 16.1 | 17.3 | 16.8 | 14.9 | 12.6 | 10.4 | 8.3 | 7.3 |
| High (°C) | -9 | -5 | 0 | 9 | 17 | 21 | 23 | 22 | 16 | 8 | -1 | -7 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 30 | 14 | 22 | 27 | 49 | 78 | 82 | 56 | 39 | 23 | 29 | 23 |
January brings highs of -9 °C, July highs of 23 °C. July is warm and wet, 82 mm; the driest month, February, has 14 mm. The climate in Athabasca →
Things to do
Near Athabasca: 3 outdoor spots on the map
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
Every named place, with directions
Playgrounds 2
Plus 2 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
Athabasca Lions Campgroundin town
DirectionsSource: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Athabasca
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page. Distances here run 14–72 km: that is how far the nearest places with figures are from Athabasca.
Athabasca CountyThorhild CountyWestlock CountyWestlockAthabasca
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athabasca | 0.4% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Athabasca County 14 km | 2.4% | 35 | 0 | 1 |
| Thorhild County 62 km | 1.2% | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| Westlock County 70 km | 2.6% | 35 | 0 | 0 |
| Westlock 72 km | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Around Athabasca County, Thorhild County and Westlock County the protected share is at least double.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Protected land. CPCAD maps each protected area; the page counts how much of the 10 km around the town they cover, lakes and sea included.
- Private land. Areas held by land trusts or private owners stay unnamed here, though they count in the shares.
- Walking routes. The list is OpenStreetMap’s, so a missing trail may just be unmapped. The Trans Canada Trail appears where OSM maps it.
- National and provincial parks. A park at 0 km touches or overlaps the town’s outline; directions point from the town’s centre.
Questions about the outdoors in Athabasca
When should you visit Athabasca for the outdoors?
May, August and September, on the 1991–2020 normals and the daylight: long days, highs of 15 °C or more, light rain for the place.
Is there a provincial park near Athabasca?
Cross Lake Provincial Park, 26 km away.
Are there protected areas near Athabasca?
Protected areas cover 0.4% of the land within 10 km.
What is the nearest national park to Athabasca?
No national park lies within 100 km of Athabasca.
What is the largest protected area near Athabasca?
It is Meanook National Wildlife Area, a wildlife area covering 214 ha.
Sources
The sources behind Athabasca’s outdoors figures
Protected areas: Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD) 2.9.0, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 2026: every area within 10 km and the nearest national and provincial parks, measured outline to outline.
Walking routes and beaches: OpenStreetMap, November 2026: named hiking, foot and walking route relations within 2 km and beaches within 5 km.
Towns: Statistics Canada 2021 Census boundaries and populations; the comparison is the Canadian towns and neighbourhoods of 2,500+, not city hubs or reserves.
When to go: Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020, from the nearest station that publishes them.
Green space, paths, woods, things to do: OpenStreetMap (Geofabrik’s Canada extract), November 2026: parks, gardens, playing fields, woods, footpaths, the coastline and things to do in and around each town.
Residents: Statistics Canada 2021 Census dissemination areas (population, boundaries), each at a point inside it.
Walking routes and beaches © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database Licence (ODbL).
Not on this page: trailheads and trail grades, and beach water quality. No open Canadian dataset gives these for every town yet.
Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).