First pick
River Park
Park or garden · 350 m outside town
24 ha5.9 km of path
1 h 20 minto walk all 5.9 km of path
2.0 km southfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
0.8%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Upper Mount Royal · parks, protected land & trails
Upper Mount Royal is 9.5 km from Fish Creek Provincial Park
The Calgary Plus 15 is the one mapped walking route close by. Trout Beach is the one beach within 5 km. Banff National Park is the closest national park, 78 km from town.
Protected land
0.8%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
3
within 10 km, 3 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
78 km
Banff National Park
Nearest provincial park
9.5 km
Fish Creek Provincial Park
Walking routes
1
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Beaches
1
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Against other towns
Upper Mount Royal 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 km0.8%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 areas3Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes1Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches1Beaches mapped on OpenStreetMap within 5 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Upper Mount Royal sits 10th from last of 40 towns its size for protected land around it
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (2,722 to 2,796 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
Upper Mount Royal0.8%
Towns its size2.2%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Upper Mount Royal3
Towns its size7
Towns in Alberta2
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Upper Mount Royal1
Towns its size0
Towns in Alberta0
Typical Canadian town0
Against towns its size, Upper Mount Royal is weakest for protected land nearby: 30 of 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tofino BC | 41% | 21% | 14 | 0 | 34 |
| 2 | Victoria County, Subdivision A NS | 33% | 54% | 152 | 3 | 59 |
| 3 | Highlands BC | 24% | 41% | 40 | 0 | 18 |
| 4 | Waskaganish QC | 24% | 0% | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Atikokan ON | 19% | 1.1% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Electoral Area E, Peace River BC | 19% | 24% | 25 | 2 | 103 |
| 7 | Holyrood NL | 19% | 3.2% | 4 | 1 | 3 |
| 8 | Sainte-Anne-de-Sorel QC | 18% | 23% | 83 | 0 | 4 |
| 9 | Little Current ON | 13% | 10% | 36 | 0 | 5 |
| 10 | Waterridge Village ON | 11% | 9.2% | 39 | 0 | 2 |
| 11 | Maria QC | 9.5% | 1% | 24 | 0 | 1 |
| 12 | Cultus Lake BC | 9.3% | 52% | 14 | 1 | 17 |
| 13 | Marritt ON | 7.2% | 0% | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Freelton ON | 5.6% | 1.6% | 30 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | Vernon River PE | 5.1% | 4.5% | 48 | 11 | 3 |
| 16 | Cochrane, Unorganized, North Part ON | 5.1% | 4.9% | 81 | 0 | 28 |
| 17 | Front of Yonge ON | 4.9% | 6% | 15 | 0 | 1 |
| 18 | Vars ON | 3.8% | 1.4% | 10 | 0 | 1 |
| 19 | Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse QC | 3.6% | 0% | 32 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Wakefield NB | 2.2% | 0.8% | 22 | 0 | 13 |
| 21 | Rosthern No. 403 SK | 2.2% | 2.6% | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | Sussex NB | 2.1% | 0% | 13 | 0 | 3 |
| 23 | Division No. 8, Subdivision L NL | 1.9% | 0.2% | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 24 | Woodcroft AB | 1.9% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | Gore QC | 1.6% | 2.3% | 18 | 0 | 3 |
| 26 | Central River Heights MB | 1.5% | 0% | 23 | 0 | 1 |
| 27 | Turner Valley AB | 1.4% | 0% | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Mathers MB | 1.4% | 0% | 24 | 0 | 1 |
| 29 | Tuxedo Industrial MB | 1.4% | 0% | 25 | 0 | 36 |
| 30 | Electoral Area H, Cowichan Valley BC | 1.1% | 3.5% | 28 | 3 | 6 |
| 31 | Upper Mount Royal AB | 0.8% | 0% | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 32 | Souris MB | 0.5% | 0% | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | Talbot-Grey MB | 0.5% | 0% | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Electoral Area I, Central Kootenay BC | 0.2% | 0.1% | 6 | 1 | 6 |
| 35 | Rivergrove MB | 0.2% | 4.7% | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 36 | Wickham QC | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 37 | Kameyosek AB | 0.1% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| 38 | Lee Ridge AB | 0.1% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 39 | Kuujjuaq QC | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 40 | Country Hills Village AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The map
Upper Mount Royal on the map: green space, protected land and paths
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 Upper Mount Royal: 14 named parks and woods
Largest first: River Park leads with 24 ha. Numbers match the map.
14 named parks and woods, 37 ha in all
Parks & gardens 37 ha
Two places, River Park and Cartier Park, make up 72% of the total.
Elbow Islands Park
Park or garden · 360 m outside town
2.4 ha0.9 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.9 km of path
0.9 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
J.H. Woods Park
Park or garden · 330 m outside town
1.4 ha0.7 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.7 km of path
0.9 km south-eastfrom the centre
Elbow River Pathway
Directionsto a point inside
Cartier Park
Park or garden
2.5 ha
Centralin the middle of Upper Mount Royal
Directionsto a point inside
Buckmaster Park
Park or garden · 230 m outside town
1.0 ha0.5 km of path
5 minto walk all 0.5 km of path
1.0 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
South Mount Royal Park
Park or garden
1.4 ha
Centralin the middle of Upper Mount Royal
Directionsto a point inside
Peony Park
Park or garden · 180 m outside town
1.0 ha0.1 km of path
1.3 km southfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Thomson Family Park
Park or garden · 220 m outside town
0.6 ha0.2 km of path
0.8 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
All 14 named parks and green spaces
River ParkPark or garden · 24 ha · 5.9 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsElbow Islands ParkPark or garden · 2.4 ha · 0.9 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsJ.H. Woods ParkPark or garden · 1.4 ha · 0.7 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsCartier ParkPark or garden · 2.5 ha
DirectionsBuckmaster ParkPark or garden · 1.0 ha · 0.5 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsSouth Mount Royal ParkPark or garden · 1.4 ha
DirectionsPeony ParkPark or garden · 1.0 ha · 0.1 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsThomson Family ParkPark or garden · 0.6 ha · 0.2 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsBankview Playing FieldPark or garden · 0.9 ha · just outside town
DirectionsConnaught ParkPark or garden · 0.3 ha · 0.2 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsMount Royal Community AssociationPark or garden · 0.6 ha
DirectionsLevis ParkPark or garden · 0.4 ha
DirectionsTalon Avenue ParkPark or garden · 0.3 ha
DirectionsTomkins ParkPark or garden · 0.3 ha · just outside town
DirectionsSource: 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 Upper Mount Royal 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%)
Upper Mount Royal100%
Towns in Alberta100%
Typical Canadian town83%
Few do better: the typical Canadian town is at 83%.
Protected areas
3 protected areas lie within 10 km of Upper Mount Royal
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Upper Mount Royal0%
Within 10 km0.8%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Governments or Indigenous nations hold all 3. The largest named one is Fish Creek Provincial Park, at 1,361 ha.
Inglewood Migratory Bird SanctuaryWildlife area · 111 ha · 4.4 km from the edge of town
Griffith Woods ParkMunicipal park · 110 ha · 7.1 km from the edge of town
Fish Creek Provincial ParkProvincial park · 1,361 ha · 9.5 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
Banff National Park is 78 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
9.5 km south14 km²since 1975
National park
Banff National Park
78 km north-west6,641 km²since 1885
A provincial park is closer: Fish Creek Provincial Park, at 9.5 km.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
37 km of paths in and around Upper Mount Royal
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
37 km
in and around the town (9.4 km²)
Woodland
1.7%
about 0.2 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
Upper Mount RoyalTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths3.9
02.55 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
Upper Mount RoyalTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Woodland1.7%
0%50%100%
76% of Canadian towns are more wooded. Few places match it for paths: more than 83% of Canadian towns have fewer.
Source: OpenStreetMap, © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Mapping varies by place: a dense figure can mean keen local mappers as much as many paths.
Walking routes
One mapped route to walk from Upper Mount Royal
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
Local
Calgary Plus 1510.5 km
Source: OpenStreetMap (route relations hiking, foot and walking), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Trans Canada Trail sections as OSM maps them.
When to get out
The best months for walking in Upper Mount Royal: May and July to September
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Calgary (Airport), 11 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 |
Daytime highs run from -2 °C in January up to 24 °C in July. January is the driest month at 10 mm; June the wettest at 113 mm. Snowfall averages 139 cm a year. The climate in Upper Mount Royal →
Beaches
The beach near Upper Mount Royal: Trout Beach, 2.6 km away
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Trout Beachrock · 2.6 km from town
DirectionsBeach water tests aren’t published as open data across Canada, so swimming advisories come from the local health unit.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
Upper Mount Royal has 4 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.
Playgrounds lead the count with 78.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 4
Evamy Ridge0.0 km from town
DirectionsScotsman's Hill2.0 km from town
DirectionsPlus 2 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Picnic sites 10
Plus 10 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 78
Blue Planet Child Care Outdoor Playground1.3 km from town
DirectionsElina Playground1.3 km from town
DirectionsPlus 76 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 12
Knobhill Off-Leash Park0.7 km from town
DirectionsBLVD Bark1.3 km from town
DirectionsKillarney Off Leash Dog Park2.0 km from town
DirectionsPlus 9 dog parks without a name on the map.
Slipways 3
Plus 3 slipways without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Gardens to visit
5 gardens within reach of Upper Mount Royal
Gardens and arboretums within 15 km of the town’s edge, and the historic gardens, parks and estates in the town itself, nearest first.
Barb Scott ParkGarden or park · 0.6 km from town
DirectionsDevonian GardensGarden or park · 1.3 km from town
DirectionsOlympic PlazaGarden or park · 1.7 km from town
DirectionsPrince's Island ParkGarden or park · 2.3 km from town
DirectionsRotary ParkGarden or park · 2.6 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 Upper Mount Royal
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
Lower Mount RoyalBankviewMissionBeltlineElbow ParkSouth CalgaryUpper Mount Royal
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Mount Royal | 0.8% | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Lower Mount Royal 0.6 km | 0.6% | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Bankview 0.9 km | 0.6% | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Mission 1.1 km | 0.4% | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Beltline 1.2 km | 0.5% | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Elbow Park 1.2 km | 2% | 3 | 1 | 3 |
| South Calgary 1.4 km | 0.8% | 3 | 0 | 1 |
For protected land, Elbow Park has twice as much or more.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- National and provincial parks. Distances run from the town’s edge to the park’s, so 0 km means they touch.
- 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.
- 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.
Questions about the outdoors in Upper Mount Royal
How much land around Upper Mount Royal is protected?
Yes: 0.8% of the land within 10 km is protected.
What walking routes are near Upper Mount Royal?
OpenStreetMap maps the Calgary Plus 15 close by.
What is the nearest beach to Upper Mount Royal?
Try Trout Beach, 2.6 km from town.
What is the biggest park or reserve near Upper Mount Royal?
Fish Creek Provincial Park: 1,361 ha, a provincial park.
Is there a provincial park near Upper Mount Royal?
The closest is Fish Creek Provincial Park, at 9.5 km.
When should you visit Upper Mount Royal for the outdoors?
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 national park to Upper Mount Royal?
The nearest is Banff National Park, 78 km away.
Sources
Sources for this page on Upper Mount Royal
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).