First pick
BP 2008 Birthplace Forest
Wood or forest · 140 m outside town
6.9 ha0.7 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.7 km of path
1.7 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
3.4%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Parkland · parks, protected land & trails
Protected areas cover 39% of Parkland
10 beaches are mapped within 5 km, the nearest Sikome Lake North. The closest of Canada’s national parks is Banff National Park, at 86 km. Within 10 km are 2 protected areas.
Protected land
3.4%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
2
within 10 km, 2 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
86 km
Banff National Park
Nearest provincial park
At the edge
Fish Creek Provincial Park
Beaches
10
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
The outdoors in Parkland, in short
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
Protected land in town39% of Parkland itself lies in protected areasA provincial park at the edgeFish Creek Provincial Park reaches the townBeaches10 beaches within 5 km
Parkland’s best card is protected land inside its own boundary, with a provincial park at its edge close behind.
Against other towns
Parkland against 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. Canada’s grades don’t include the outdoors, so this page compares the figures rather than grading them.
Protected within 10 km3.4%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town39%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas2Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes0Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches10Beaches mapped on OpenStreetMap within 5 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Among 40 towns its size, Parkland ranks 12th for protected land within 10 km
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (3,601 to 3,702 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
Parkland3.4%
Towns its size1.5%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Parkland2
Towns its size7
Towns in Alberta2
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Parkland0
Towns its size0
Towns in Alberta0
Typical Canadian town0
Parkland beats most towns its size for protected land nearby; 10 of 39 do better. It trails them for public protected areas, where 27 of 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pemberton BC | 41% | 34% | 12 | 0 | 2 |
| 2 | Electoral Area A, Columbia-Shuswap BC | 33% | 25% | 26 | 26 | 2 |
| 3 | Colebrook BC | 28% | 14% | 145 | 2 | 1 |
| 4 | Blind River ON | 21% | 41% | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Timiskaming, Unorganized, West Part ON | 12% | 12% | 58 | 1 | 15 |
| 6 | Saint-Sulpice QC | 12% | 5.8% | 29 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | Bright NB | 7.1% | 4.6% | 46 | 0 | 5 |
| 8 | Woodbridge Meadows ON | 5.7% | 2.7% | 23 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | Central ON | 5.6% | 0% | 24 | 1 | 3 |
| 10 | Electoral Area F, Bulkley-Nechako BC | 4.8% | 4.4% | 15 | 0 | 9 |
| 11 | Deer Run AB | 3.4% | 47% | 2 | 0 | 15 |
| 12 | Parkland AB | 3.4% | 39% | 2 | 0 | 10 |
| 13 | Piedmont QC | 3.1% | 15% | 17 | 2 | 3 |
| 14 | Quinndale ON | 2.9% | 0% | 16 | 3 | 0 |
| 15 | Ramsay AB | 2.4% | 0% | 3 | 1 | 5 |
| 16 | Parkview West ON | 2.1% | 2.7% | 26 | 0 | 14 |
| 17 | Hudson AB | 2.1% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | North Glenora AB | 1.9% | 0% | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 19 | Powassan ON | 1.6% | 1.8% | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Kensington AB | 1.5% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | Studholm NB | 1.4% | 0% | 15 | 0 | 3 |
| 22 | WestLake-Gladstone MB | 1.3% | 1.2% | 29 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | Deer Lodge MB | 1.3% | 0% | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Fifty Point ON | 1.2% | 0% | 19 | 0 | 3 |
| 25 | South Tuxedo MB | 1.2% | 50% | 23 | 0 | 19 |
| 26 | Rapperswill AB | 1.2% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Saint-Alphonse-Rodriguez QC | 0.9% | 0% | 5 | 0 | 3 |
| 28 | Inkster-Faraday MB | 0.8% | 0% | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | Lawson Heights Urban Centre SK | 0.7% | 0% | 10 | 1 | 2 |
| 30 | Mactaggart AB | 0.7% | 0.9% | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | Two Hills County No. 21 AB | 0.5% | 0.6% | 53 | 0 | 4 |
| 32 | Eaglemere MB | 0.5% | 0% | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | East Elmwood MB | 0.5% | 0% | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | North Inkster Industrial MB | 0.5% | 0% | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | Dunham QC | 0.4% | 0.3% | 24 | 0 | 2 |
| 36 | Radisson MB | 0.4% | 0% | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 37 | Victoria West MB | 0.4% | 0% | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | West Kildonan Industrial MB | 0.3% | 0% | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Saint-Michel QC | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Country Hills AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The map
Parks, woods and paths around Parkland
Green space, woods, protected areas and footpaths in and around the neighbourhood; tap a number for its park or wood.
Green: OpenStreetMap parks, gardens, playing fields and woods. Hatched: CPCAD protected areas.© OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL); CPCAD (OGL-Canada)
Places to walk
Walk in Parkland: one named park or wood
The biggest is BP 2008 Birthplace Forest, 6.9 ha. Biggest first, numbered as on 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
All of Parkland is within a short walk of 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 (100%)Further (0%)
Parkland100%
Towns in Alberta100%
Typical Canadian town83%
That beats the typical Canadian town, where it is 83%.
Protected areas
Protected areas cover 3.4% of the land near Parkland
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Parkland39%
Within 10 km3.4%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
None of the 2 is private. Fish Creek Provincial Park covers 1,361 ha, the most of any named area.
Fish Creek Provincial ParkProvincial park · 1,361 ha · reaches Parkland
Inglewood Migratory Bird SanctuaryWildlife area · 111 ha · 9.2 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: Banff National Park, 86 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
Fish Creek Provincial Park
At the edge14 km²since 1975
National park
Banff National Park
86 km north-west6,641 km²since 1885
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: 71 km in and around Parkland
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
71 km
in and around the town (14.8 km²)
Woodland
5%
about 0.7 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
ParklandTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths4.8
036 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
ParklandTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Woodland5%
0%50%100%
Few places match it for paths: more than 90% of Canadian towns have fewer. Woods cover less of it than in 61% 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
No named walking route passes Parkland on the map
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
No named route shows within 2 km of the neighbourhood; volunteers map trails unevenly from one region to the next.
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 Parkland in May and July to September
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Calgary (Airport), 22 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) | 8.4 | 9.9 | 11.7 | 13.8 | 15.5 | 16.5 | 16.1 | 14.5 | 12.5 | 10.6 | 8.8 | 7.9 |
| High (°C) | -2 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 16 | 20 | 24 | 23 | 18 | 11 | 4 | 0 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 10 | 12 | 18 | 30 | 61 | 113 | 66 | 54 | 37 | 17 | 16 | 13 |
Snow totals about 139 cm a year. Expect 113 mm in June, the wettest month, and 10 mm in January. Highs peak near 24 °C in July and fall to -2 °C in January. The climate in Parkland →
Beaches
Beaches near Parkland: 10 within 5 km
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Sikome Lake Northsand · 0.9 km from town
DirectionsSikome Lake Westsand · 1.0 km from town
DirectionsSikome Lake Southsand · 1.1 km from town
DirectionsSandy ones: 3. OpenStreetMap shows 7 more, nameless. No open data on beach water quality covers every province, so check with public health before a swim.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
Parkland has 2 viewpoints within 2 km
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
68 playgrounds top the list.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 2
Plus 2 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Picnic sites 6
Blackbird Group Use Site1.0 km from town
DirectionsAspen Group Use Site1.0 km from town
DirectionsGlennfield Day Use Area1.1 km from town
DirectionsPlus 3 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 68
Lake Bonavista Play Ground0.2 km from town
DirectionsDivision 10.8 km from town
DirectionsDivision 20.9 km from town
DirectionsFun n' More1.3 km from town
DirectionsTree House Indoor Playground1.4 km from town
DirectionsSam Livingston play ground1.9 km from town
DirectionsPlus 62 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Gardens to visit
Near Parkland: 3 gardens and parks to visit
Gardens and arboretums within 15 km of the town’s edge, and the historic gardens, parks and estates in the town itself, nearest first.
Olympic PlazaGarden or park · 13 km from town
DirectionsDevonian GardensGarden or park · 13 km from town
DirectionsPrince's Island ParkGarden or park · 14 km from town
DirectionsSources: OpenStreetMap (leisure=garden), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL, and Wikidata (CC0), as gathered in TownRatings’ Canadian attractions set; historic places from Parks Canada’s Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, the Canadian Register of Historic Places and Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel.
Next door
Next to Parkland
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
Deer RidgeDeer RunQueenslandMidnaporeSundanceLake BonavistaParkland
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parkland | 3.4% | 2 | 0 | 10 |
| Deer Ridge 1.1 km | 3.7% | 2 | 0 | 10 |
| Deer Run 1.5 km | 3.4% | 2 | 0 | 15 |
| Queensland 2.0 km | 4% | 2 | 0 | 11 |
| Midnapore 2.1 km | 3.3% | 2 | 0 | 9 |
| Sundance 2.5 km | 3.3% | 1 | 0 | 14 |
| Lake Bonavista 2.7 km | 3.5% | 2 | 0 | 12 |
None of the places nearby has twice as much protected land around it as Parkland.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Beaches. A beach counts when its centre point lies within 5 km of the town’s outline. Names come from the map.
- Walking routes. Only named route relations count; a park’s own path network may not show unless it is mapped as a route.
- Private land. Private conservation land is in the totals, not the lists. Many such areas are easements on working farms or woodlots.
- National and provincial parks. A park at 0 km touches or overlaps the town’s outline; directions point from the town’s centre.
- Protected land. The share is of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s outline, from CPCAD’s mapped areas; marine areas count, so a coastal town can score high on water.
Questions about the outdoors in Parkland
What is the biggest park or reserve near Parkland?
It is Fish Creek Provincial Park, a provincial park covering 1,361 ha.
What is the best season to get outdoors in Parkland?
May and July to September, on the 1991–2020 normals and the daylight: long days, highs of 15 °C or more, light rain for the place.
What is the nearest provincial park to Parkland?
Fish Creek Provincial Park, which reaches the edge of town.
What is the nearest beach to Parkland?
Try Sikome Lake North, 0.9 km from town, first of several.
How far is Parkland from a national park?
The nearest is Banff National Park, 86 km away.
Are there protected areas near Parkland?
Yes: 3.4% of the land within 10 km is protected.
Sources
Sources for this page on Parkland
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.
Gardens: OpenStreetMap (leisure=garden) and Wikidata gardens within 15 km, as gathered in TownRatings’ Canadian attractions set; historic gardens and parks from Canada’s heritage registers (Parks Canada DFHD, the Canadian Register of Historic Places, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel).
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).