First pick
All Star Park
Park or garden
26 ha0.7 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.7 km of path
1.7 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Madereugeneandrew · CC BY-SA 4.00.6%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Blackfalds · parks, protected land & trails
Little of the land around Blackfalds is protected: 0.6% within 10 km
Count 3 protected areas within 10 km of town. National parks are all over 100 km off. 8.8 km out lies the largest, Red Deer Migratory Bird Sanctuary, at 129 ha.
Protected land
0.6%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
3
within 10 km, 1 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest provincial park
70 km
Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provincial Park
Against other towns
How Blackfalds 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 one of Canada’s graded subjects, so there’s no letter here: each figure is set against other Canadian towns instead.
Protected within 10 km0.6%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
Blackfalds sits 6th from last of 40 towns its size for protected land around it
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (12,008 to 12,523 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
Blackfalds0.6%
Towns its size2.2%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Blackfalds1
Towns its size6
Towns in Alberta2
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Blackfalds0
Towns its size0
Towns in Alberta0
Typical Canadian town0
Against towns its size, Blackfalds is weakest for public protected areas: 31 of 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cantley QC | 21% | 1.2% | 32 | 0 | 3 |
| 2 | Elliot Lake ON | 18% | 7.2% | 10 | 0 | 4 |
| 3 | Orleans Village - Chateauneuf ON | 14% | 0% | 35 | 0 | 1 |
| 4 | Nelson BC | 14% | 0.1% | 10 | 2 | 8 |
| 5 | Summerland BC | 11% | 7.5% | 25 | 0 | 45 |
| 6 | Rideau Lakes ON | 10% | 14% | 77 | 6 | 12 |
| 7 | Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine QC | 7.3% | 6.1% | 46 | 0 | 94 |
| 8 | Saltspring Island BC | 6.7% | 17% | 109 | 3 | 44 |
| 9 | Chapman Mills ON | 6% | 1.9% | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | Saint-Rodrigue QC | 4.8% | 0% | 15 | 1 | 4 |
| 11 | Humber Summit ON | 3.6% | 0% | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | Moncton NB | 3.4% | 1.4% | 27 | 0 | 1 |
| 13 | Milliken ON | 3.4% | 0% | 15 | 0 | 1 |
| 14 | Chaparral AB | 3.2% | 9.8% | 1 | 0 | 13 |
| 15 | Yonge-Eglinton ON | 2.6% | 0% | 14 | 2 | 1 |
| 16 | Saint-Sauveur QC | 2.3% | 0% | 21 | 0 | 7 |
| 17 | St. Andrews MB | 2.3% | 1.1% | 9 | 2 | 2 |
| 18 | Woodbine Corridor ON | 2.3% | 0% | 13 | 3 | 34 |
| 19 | Bromont QC | 2.2% | 2% | 25 | 0 | 2 |
| 20 | St. Clements MB | 2.2% | 3% | 9 | 8 | 10 |
| 21 | Dovercourt Village ON | 2.1% | 0% | 11 | 3 | 13 |
| 22 | Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts QC | 1.8% | 1.6% | 15 | 1 | 8 |
| 23 | Bayview Woods-Steeles ON | 1.7% | 17% | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Forest Hill North ON | 1.5% | 0% | 14 | 2 | 1 |
| 25 | Royal Oak AB | 1.4% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 26 | Grey Highlands ON | 1.3% | 0.7% | 77 | 4 | 0 |
| 27 | Highland West ON | 1.3% | 0% | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | The Hamptons AB | 1.2% | 0% | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | Georgian Bluffs ON | 1.1% | 1.9% | 67 | 4 | 17 |
| 30 | River Park South MB | 1.1% | 2.1% | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | Tyndall Park MB | 1.1% | 0% | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | Wellesley ON | 1% | 0% | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| 33 | Windsor Park MB | 0.8% | 0.2% | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Wetaskiwin County No. 10 AB | 0.7% | 1% | 52 | 0 | 3 |
| 35 | Blackfalds AB | 0.6% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 36 | Chalmers MB | 0.6% | 0% | 15 | 1 | 0 |
| 37 | Uptown ON | 0.3% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | Norwich ON | 0.2% | 0% | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| 39 | Etobicoke West Mall ON | 0.2% | 0% | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 40 | DT Hospital ON | 0.1% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 4 |
The map
Blackfalds on the map: green space, protected land and paths
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
Walk in Blackfalds: 4 named parks and woods
The biggest is All Star Park, 26 ha. Biggest first, numbered as on the map.
4 named parks and woods, 40 ha in all
Parks & gardens 40 ha
The bulk, 91%, is All Star Park and Centennial Park.
Centennial Park
Park or garden
11 ha1.9 km of path
25 minto walk all 1.9 km of path
1.2 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Pine Crescent Park
Park or garden
2.3 ha0.5 km of path
1.3 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Tutty Pond Park
Park or garden
1.3 ha0.1 km of path
1.6 km southfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
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
5 in 10 people in Blackfalds 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 (50%)Further (50%)
Blackfalds50%
Towns in Alberta100%
Typical Canadian town83%
For about 6,100 people, the nearest park is over 400 m away. The usual figure for a Canadian town is 83%, above this.
Protected areas
Blackfalds has 3 protected areas 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 Blackfalds0%
Within 10 km0.6%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public bodies own 1 of the 3; land trusts and private owners hold the others. Another 2 are privately owned conservation land; they count in the figures but aren’t named, as private land isn’t a place to visit.
Red Deer Migratory Bird SanctuaryWildlife area · 129 ha · 8.8 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
Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provincial Park, 70 km off
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
Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provincial Park
70 km south-east16 km²since 1970
No national park lies within 100 km of Blackfalds; the provincial parks are the big protected land within reach.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
Paths to walk: 19 km in and around Blackfalds
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
19 km
in and around the town (38.4 km²)
Woodland
9%
about 3.4 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
BlackfaldsTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0.5
024 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
BlackfaldsTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Woodland9%
0%50%100%
Paths are thinner on the ground than in 66% of Canadian towns. It is less wooded than 50% 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 Blackfalds
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
OpenStreetMap has no named walking route within 2 km of the town. Trails may exist without being mapped 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
Blackfalds is best on foot in May and September
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Red Deer, 24 km away). Good months: long days, highs of 15–30 °C, light rain.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 8.2 | 9.8 | 11.7 | 13.8 | 15.7 | 16.8 | 16.3 | 14.7 | 12.6 | 10.5 | 8.6 | 7.7 |
| High (°C) | -6 | -4 | 1 | 10 | 17 | 20 | 23 | 22 | 18 | 10 | 1 | -4 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 16 | 12 | 19 | 28 | 58 | 98 | 90 | 70 | 38 | 22 | 17 | 14 |
Expect around 138 cm of snow over a winter. Rain and snow peak in June (98 mm) and ease in February (12 mm). July is the warmest month, with highs around 23 °C; January the coldest, at -6 °C. The climate in Blackfalds →
Things to do
Blackfalds has a viewpoint within 2 km
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
There are 17 playgrounds, more than of anything else.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 1
Plus 1 viewpoint without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 17
Pirate Ship Playgroundin town
DirectionsSwingsetin town
DirectionsPlus 15 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Plus 1 dog park without a name on the map.
Campsites 2
Watipi Campground0.3 km from town
DirectionsBurbank Campground1.2 km from town
DirectionsSource: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Blackfalds
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
Lacombe CountyLacombeRed DeerBentleyBlackfalds
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackfalds | 0.6% | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Lacombe County 7.3 km | 0.4% | 45 | 0 | 11 |
| Lacombe 11 km | 0.5% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Red Deer 13 km | 0.7% | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| Bentley 19 km | 0% | 0 | 0 | 2 |
None of its neighbours has twice the protected land around it that Blackfalds has.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- National and provincial parks. The nearest national park and the nearest provincial park are always shown when they are within 100 km.
- 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.
- Protected land. Measured on CPCAD’s outlines: the part of a 10 km band around the town that lies in a protected or conserved area, water included.
Questions about the outdoors in Blackfalds
What is the largest protected area near Blackfalds?
It is Red Deer Migratory Bird Sanctuary, a wildlife area covering 129 ha.
How much land around Blackfalds is protected?
Protected areas cover 0.6% of the land within 10 km.
Is Blackfalds near a national park?
The nearest national park is more than 100 km from Blackfalds.
What is the nearest provincial park to Blackfalds?
Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provincial Park, 70 km away.
What is the best season to get outdoors in Blackfalds?
May and September, on the 1991–2020 normals and the daylight: long days, highs of 15 °C or more, light rain for the place.
Sources
Sources for this page on Blackfalds
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).