First pick
Bridlewood Wetlands
Park or garden
9.5 ha1.4 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.4 km of path
0.8 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
4.6%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Somerset · parks, protected land & trails
8 beaches lie within 5 km of Somerset
Fish Creek Provincial Park is the closest provincial park, at 1.9 km. Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area (1,943 ha) is the biggest, 8.3 km from town. Of the country within 10 km, 4.6% lies in protected areas; the median Canadian town has 2.3%.
Protected land
4.6%
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
84 km
Banff National Park
Nearest provincial park
1.9 km
Fish Creek Provincial Park
Beaches
8
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Against other towns
Each figure for Somerset, set against 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 km4.6%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 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
Beaches8Beaches mapped on OpenStreetMap within 5 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Somerset has the 14th most protected land nearby of 40 towns its size
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (8,304 to 8,524 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
Somerset4.6%
Towns its size2.6%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Somerset2
Towns its size4
Towns in Alberta2
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Somerset0
Towns its size0
Towns in Alberta0
Typical Canadian town0
Among its peers, Somerset’s strong point is protected land nearby, where 13 of 39 top it. For public protected areas, though, 21 of 39 are ahead.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alta Vista ON | 13% | 0.7% | 38 | 0 | 1 |
| 2 | Old Ottawa East ON | 13% | 4.2% | 39 | 4 | 3 |
| 3 | Britannia ON | 13% | 12% | 31 | 4 | 9 |
| 4 | Upper Cornell ON | 12% | 49% | 9 | 2 | 1 |
| 5 | Mount Joy ON | 10% | 0% | 8 | 1 | 1 |
| 6 | Stone Mills ON | 10% | 11% | 58 | 1 | 0 |
| 7 | Wildfield ON | 9.1% | 14% | 23 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | Muskoka Lakes ON | 6.3% | 11% | 26 | 1 | 12 |
| 9 | Saint-Vincent-de-Paul QC | 5.6% | 0% | 19 | 0 | 3 |
| 10 | Norton Park ON | 5.5% | 0% | 7 | 0 | 1 |
| 11 | Trinity Commons ON | 5.3% | 0% | 7 | 1 | 1 |
| 12 | Saint-Roch QC | 5.1% | 0% | 17 | 1 | 3 |
| 13 | Vaughan Metropolitan Centre ON | 4.7% | 0% | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Somerset AB | 4.6% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 8 |
| 15 | Electoral Area A, Comox Valley BC | 4% | 4.1% | 97 | 2 | 19 |
| 16 | Electoral Area G, Nanaimo BC | 3.2% | 7.5% | 32 | 0 | 13 |
| 17 | Brownsburg-Chatham QC | 3.1% | 2% | 35 | 0 | 3 |
| 18 | Ogden AB | 2.9% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| 19 | Deer Lake BC | 2.9% | 0% | 22 | 4 | 25 |
| 20 | McNab/Braeside ON | 2.7% | 0.1% | 35 | 0 | 14 |
| 21 | Rocky Ridge AB | 2.5% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 22 | Douro-Dummer ON | 2.3% | 1.4% | 17 | 2 | 3 |
| 23 | Prairie View SK | 2.3% | 0% | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Goderich ON | 1.5% | 0% | 10 | 4 | 2 |
| 25 | Drumheller AB | 1% | 4.9% | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | St. John's MB | 0.9% | 0% | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Rosewood SK | 0.9% | 0% | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Hillhurst AB | 0.6% | 0% | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 29 | South-West Oxford ON | 0.5% | 0.3% | 10 | 6 | 3 |
| 30 | Bayfield ON | 0.5% | 0.1% | 6 | 2 | 11 |
| 31 | Springfield North MB | 0.5% | 0% | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | Lac-Beauport QC | 0.4% | 0.1% | 10 | 4 | 2 |
| 33 | Clinton ON | 0.4% | 0.3% | 11 | 13 | 6 |
| 34 | Valley Gardens MB | 0.4% | 0% | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | Marlborough Park AB | 0.3% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 36 | Albert Park/Radisson Heights AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 37 | King Edward Park AB | 0.2% | 0% | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 38 | Garneau AB | 0.1% | 0% | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 39 | Aylmer ON | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Huron-Kinloss ON | 0% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 8 |
The map
Parks, woods and paths around Somerset
The neighbourhood’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 Somerset: one named park or wood
Bridlewood Wetlands is the largest, at 9.5 ha; the rest follow by size, 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
Every resident of Somerset lives 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 (100%)Further (0%)
Somerset100%
Towns in Alberta100%
Typical Canadian town83%
A typical Canadian town reaches only 83%.
Protected areas
4.6% of the country within 10 km of Somerset is protected
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Somerset0%
Within 10 km4.6%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Each of the 2 is held by a public body. Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area covers 1,943 ha, the most of any named area.
Fish Creek Provincial ParkProvincial park · 1,361 ha · 1.9 km from the edge of town
Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation AreaNature reserve · 1,943 ha · 8.3 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, 84 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
1.9 km north-west14 km²since 1975
National park
Banff National Park
84 km north-west6,641 km²since 1885
Closer to home, Fish Creek Provincial Park is 1.9 km away.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
Somerset has 47 km of footpaths in and around it
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
47 km
in and around the town (12.3 km²)
Woodland
0.7%
about 0.1 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
SomersetTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths3.8
02.55 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
SomersetTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Woodland0.7%
0%50%100%
It has more footpath per km² than 82% of Canadian towns. It is less wooded than 84% 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 Somerset 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.
OpenStreetMap lists no walking route near the neighbourhood, though paths on the ground may well exist.
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 Somerset in May and July to September
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Calgary (Airport), 25 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 | 8.0 |
| 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 |
Expect around 139 cm of snow over a winter. For dry weather, January is best (10 mm); June gets 113 mm. July is the warmest month, with highs around 24 °C; January the coldest, at -2 °C. The climate in Somerset →
Beaches
The shore near Somerset
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Sikome Lake Westsand · 3.4 km from town
DirectionsSikome Lake Southsand · 3.4 km from town
DirectionsSikome Lake Northsand · 3.5 km from town
Directions3 are mapped as sand. OpenStreetMap shows 5 more, nameless. This page can’t show water quality: no open, Canada-wide record of beach testing exists. Check local advisories first.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
Near Somerset: 90 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.
Count 88 playgrounds, the biggest group.
Every named place, with directions
Playgrounds 88
Janet Johnstone Playground0.7 km from town
DirectionsTree House Indoor Playground1.3 km from town
DirectionsPlus 86 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Slipways 2
Plus 2 slipways without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Somerset
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
ShawnessyBridlewoodSilveradoMillriseMidnaporeFish Creek ParkSomerset
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Somerset | 4.6% | 2 | 0 | 8 |
| Shawnessy 0.9 km | 3.1% | 2 | 0 | 9 |
| Bridlewood 2.0 km | 7.7% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Silverado 2.3 km | 4.7% | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| Millrise 2.4 km | 4.1% | 2 | 0 | 8 |
| Midnapore 2.8 km | 3.3% | 2 | 0 | 9 |
| Fish Creek Park 2.8 km | 3.2% | 4 | 0 | 20 |
No neighbouring place reaches twice Somerset’s protected share.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- National and provincial parks. A park at 0 km touches or overlaps the town’s outline; directions point from the town’s centre.
- Private land. Areas held by land trusts or private owners stay unnamed here, though they count in the shares.
- Beaches. Beaches are OpenStreetMap’s, named or not; in the north many are unnamed shoreline imports.
- 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.
- Walking routes. The list is OpenStreetMap’s, so a missing trail may just be unmapped. The Trans Canada Trail appears where OSM maps it.
Questions about the outdoors in Somerset
What is the best season to get outdoors in Somerset?
May and July to September: long days, mild highs and little rain.
How far is Somerset from a national park?
Banff National Park is closest, at 84 km.
Is there a provincial park near Somerset?
Fish Creek Provincial Park, 1.9 km from the edge of town.
Is there protected land near Somerset?
Yes: 4.6% of the land within 10 km is protected.
Is there a beach near Somerset?
The nearest is Sikome Lake West, 3.4 km from town.
Which is the biggest protected area near Somerset?
Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area, a nature reserve of 1,943 ha.
Sources
The sources behind Somerset’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).