First pick
Bowness Park
Park or garden
47 ha10.4 km of path
2 h 20 minto walk all 10.4 km of path
3.1 km eastfrom the centre
Bow River PathwayBush Party
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: LittleT889 · CC02%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Valley Ridge · parks, protected land & trails
The nearest provincial park, Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park, is 3.8 km from Valley Ridge
The closest of Canada’s national parks is Banff National Park, at 63 km. 2 beaches are mapped within 5 km, the nearest Bowmont Beach. Count 2 protected areas within 10 km of town.
Protected land
2%
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
63 km
Banff National Park
Nearest provincial park
3.8 km
Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park
Beaches
2
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Against other towns
Each figure for Valley Ridge, 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. 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 km2%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
Beaches2Beaches mapped on OpenStreetMap within 5 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Valley Ridge sits 18th from last of 40 towns its size for protected land around it
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (7,639 to 7,928 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
Valley Ridge2%
Towns its size2.4%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Valley Ridge2
Towns its size5
Towns in Alberta2
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Valley Ridge0
Towns its size1
Towns in Alberta0
Typical Canadian town0
Against towns its size, Valley Ridge is weakest for walking routes: 20 of 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beacon Hill South - Cardinal Heights ON | 13% | 0% | 37 | 0 | 1 |
| 2 | Kenora, Unorganized ON | 12% | 12% | 98 | 5 | 38 |
| 3 | Baie-Saint-Paul QC | 11% | 0.1% | 18 | 11 | 8 |
| 4 | Dryden ON | 11% | 0.7% | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| 5 | Donnacona QC | 9.6% | 0.1% | 23 | 0 | 2 |
| 6 | Minden Hills ON | 8.1% | 5.9% | 7 | 3 | 2 |
| 7 | Cypress County AB | 7.9% | 5.9% | 46 | 1 | 3 |
| 8 | Mountview ON | 7% | 0% | 21 | 2 | 2 |
| 9 | La Broquerie MB | 6.6% | 5.1% | 73 | 0 | 3 |
| 10 | Landsdale ON | 4.7% | 0% | 23 | 1 | 3 |
| 11 | Coteau-du-Lac QC | 4.4% | 0.6% | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | Dufferin Hill ON | 4.4% | 1.6% | 29 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | La Perle AB | 4.4% | 0% | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Bienville QC | 4.1% | 0% | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | Shefford QC | 3.1% | 1.6% | 34 | 0 | 7 |
| 16 | Lakeview SK | 2.8% | 0.1% | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 17 | Windsor Park AB | 2.8% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 5 |
| 18 | Whitewater Region ON | 2.5% | 1.3% | 44 | 0 | 12 |
| 19 | Woodbine-Lumsden ON | 2.5% | 5.1% | 13 | 1 | 18 |
| 20 | Electoral Area A, Nanaimo BC | 2.4% | 3.8% | 39 | 2 | 7 |
| 21 | Playter Estates-Danforth ON | 2.3% | 1.5% | 11 | 5 | 18 |
| 22 | Altadore AB | 2% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 23 | Valley Ridge AB | 2% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 24 | Stoneybrook ON | 1.8% | 21% | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| 25 | Cornwall PE | 1.7% | 0% | 14 | 10 | 10 |
| 26 | Pulberry MB | 1.5% | 7.7% | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Electoral Area B (Lazo North), Comox Valley BC | 1.3% | 3.1% | 64 | 0 | 3 |
| 28 | Bostwick ON | 1.3% | 0.1% | 23 | 1 | 0 |
| 29 | Central St. Boniface MB | 1.3% | 2.9% | 22 | 4 | 0 |
| 30 | Silver Heights MB | 1.2% | 0.3% | 17 | 1 | 37 |
| 31 | Brazeau County AB | 1% | 1.2% | 29 | 0 | 1 |
| 32 | Ambleside AB | 1% | 0% | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| 33 | Newell County AB | 0.9% | 1% | 11 | 0 | 14 |
| 34 | Fruitland ON | 0.9% | 4.9% | 25 | 5 | 9 |
| 35 | Augusta ON | 0.8% | 0% | 11 | 1 | 1 |
| 36 | Chatsworth ON | 0.6% | 0.7% | 45 | 1 | 1 |
| 37 | Callingwood South AB | 0.4% | 0% | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 38 | Chesley ON | 0.3% | 0.2% | 19 | 0 | 5 |
| 39 | River East MB | 0.2% | 5.2% | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Saint-Félix-de-Valois QC | 0% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
The map
Valley Ridge on the map: green space, protected land and paths
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
A named park or wood to walk in near Valley Ridge
The biggest is Bowness Park, 47 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
A park is within a short walk for 7 in 10 in Valley Ridge
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 (68%)Further (32%)
Valley Ridge68%
Towns in Alberta100%
Typical Canadian town83%
The typical Canadian town does better, at 83%. For about 2,500 people, the nearest park is over 400 m away.
Protected areas
2% of the land around Valley Ridge 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 Valley Ridge0%
Within 10 km2%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
None of the 2 is private. At 1,337 ha, Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park is the largest.
Glenbow Ranch Provincial ParkProvincial park · 1,337 ha · 3.8 km from the edge of town
Griffith Woods ParkMunicipal park · 110 ha · 6.8 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
The nearest big park: Banff National Park, 63 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
Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park
3.8 km north-west13 km²since 2008
National park
Banff National Park
63 km north-west6,641 km²since 1885
A provincial park is closer: Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park, at 3.8 km.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
Valley Ridge has 68 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
68 km
in and around the town (24.9 km²)
Woodland
9.9%
about 2.5 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
Valley RidgeTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths2.7
024 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
Valley RidgeTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Woodland9.9%
0%50%100%
More of it is wooded than in 52% of Canadian towns. It has more footpath per km² than 68% 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 mapped walking route near Valley Ridge
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
The map shows no named route near the neighbourhood. That says more about OpenStreetMap’s coverage than about the paths on the ground.
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 Valley Ridge in May and July to September
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Calgary (Airport), 18 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. Highs peak near 24 °C in July and fall to -2 °C in January. Expect 113 mm in June, the wettest month, and 10 mm in January. The climate in Valley Ridge →
Beaches
2 beaches within 5 km of Valley Ridge
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Bowmont Beach2.1 km from town
DirectionsBowmont Beach2.2 km from town
DirectionsCanada publishes no open register of beach water tests; the local public health unit posts swimming advisories.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
4 viewpoints near Valley Ridge
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
The most common are playgrounds: 50 on the map.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 4
Plus 4 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Picnic sites 16
Picnic Site 60.3 km from town
DirectionsPicnic Site 70.3 km from town
DirectionsPicnic Site 80.4 km from town
DirectionsPicnic Site 50.5 km from town
DirectionsPicnic Site 40.7 km from town
DirectionsPicnic Site 30.9 km from town
DirectionsPicnic Site 21.1 km from town
DirectionsPicnic Site 11.3 km from town
DirectionsPlus 8 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 50
Osprey Park0.4 km from town
DirectionsBastet Playground0.6 km from town
DirectionsTuscany Estates Playground1.1 km from town
DirectionsPlus 47 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 4
Plus 4 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
Near Valley Ridge: 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.
Prince's Island ParkGarden or park · 12 km from town
DirectionsDevonian GardensGarden or park · 12 km from town
DirectionsOlympic PlazaGarden or park · 13 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 Valley Ridge
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
Cougar RidgeTuscanyScenic AcresBownessSilver SpringsWest SpringsValley Ridge
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valley Ridge | 2% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Cougar Ridge 3.9 km | 0.7% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Tuscany 4.2 km | 2.8% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Scenic Acres 4.7 km | 1.6% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Bowness 4.7 km | 0.9% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Silver Springs 5.2 km | 0.8% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| West Springs 5.7 km | 0.3% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
No place nearby has double Valley Ridge’s share of protected land.
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. Private conservation land is in the totals, not the lists. Many such areas are easements on working farms or woodlots.
- 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. Only named route relations count; a park’s own path network may not show unless it is mapped as a route.
- Beaches. The count includes unnamed stretches mapped as beach, which can make a lakeside town’s figure large.
Questions about the outdoors in Valley Ridge
When should you visit Valley Ridge for the outdoors?
On the normals, May and July to September: that is when days are long, highs reach 15 °C and rain is light.
Which is the biggest protected area near Valley Ridge?
Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park: 1,337 ha, a provincial park.
How far is the nearest provincial park from Valley Ridge?
Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park, 3.8 km from the edge of town.
How much land around Valley Ridge is protected?
Protected areas cover 2% of the land within 10 km.
What is the nearest beach to Valley Ridge?
Try Bowmont Beach, 2.1 km from town, first of several.
What is the nearest national park to Valley Ridge?
Banff National Park is closest, at 63 km.
Sources
The sources behind Valley Ridge’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.
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).