First pick
Lee Creek Park
Park or garden · 300 m outside town
39 ha2.7 km of path
35 minto walk all 2.7 km of path
8.8 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Tiado · CC BY-SA 3.08.8%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Cardston County · parks, protected land & trails
The boundary of Waterton Lakes National Park runs along Cardston County
8.8% of the land and water within 10 km is protected (the typical Canadian town: 2.3%). Protected areas take in 7.6% of the town itself. 73 protected areas lie within 10 km.
Protected land
8.8%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
73
within 10 km, 6 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
At the edge
Waterton Lakes National Park
Nearest provincial park
At the edge
Police Outpost Provincial Park
Character
What Cardston County has going for it outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
Next to a national parkWaterton Lakes National Park starts at the edge of townProtected land all round8.8% of the land within 10 km, more than 83% of Canadian townsA provincial park at the edgePolice Outpost Provincial Park reaches the town
Cardston County’s best card is Waterton Lakes National Park on its doorstep, with protected land around it close behind.
Against other towns
Cardston County beside other Canadian towns, figure by figure
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 km8.8%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town7.6%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas6Areas 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
Cardston County has the 6th most protected land nearby of 40 towns its size
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (4,830 to 5,048 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
Cardston County8.8%
Towns its size2.6%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Cardston County6
Towns its size3
Towns in Alberta2
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Cardston County0
Towns its size0
Towns in Alberta0
Typical Canadian town0
For protected land nearby, Cardston County sits near the top of its size group: 5 of 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electoral Area F, Cariboo BC | 29% | 27% | 16 | 0 | 2 |
| 2 | Rivière-Rouge QC | 17% | 6.6% | 36 | 0 | 18 |
| 3 | Bathurst NB | 13% | 9.9% | 42 | 1 | 23 |
| 4 | Northern Bruce Peninsula ON | 11% | 30% | 97 | 2 | 13 |
| 5 | Bells Corners East ON | 9.2% | 4.6% | 21 | 3 | 5 |
| 6 | Cardston County AB | 8.8% | 7.6% | 73 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | Westdale South ON | 7.1% | 28% | 23 | 2 | 3 |
| 8 | Falkirk East ON | 7% | 0% | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | Electoral Area C, North Okanagan BC | 6.1% | 19% | 7 | 0 | 3 |
| 10 | York Road ON | 6.1% | 41% | 27 | 3 | 3 |
| 11 | Rosenthal AB | 6.1% | 0% | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | Webber Greens AB | 6.1% | 0% | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | Electoral Area F, North Okanagan BC | 5.9% | 4.7% | 26 | 0 | 7 |
| 14 | Nipawin SK | 4.1% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | Palliser AB | 4% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 5 |
| 16 | Tyendinaga ON | 3% | 2.8% | 30 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | Huntington ON | 2.9% | 0% | 19 | 3 | 0 |
| 18 | Idlewood ON | 2.8% | 12% | 22 | 1 | 0 |
| 19 | Roxton Pond QC | 2.6% | 7.3% | 9 | 0 | 5 |
| 20 | Cumberland BC | 2.6% | 8.1% | 44 | 1 | 1 |
| 21 | Glenwood AB | 2.6% | 0% | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | Hastings Highlands ON | 2.4% | 0.5% | 8 | 0 | 3 |
| 23 | Hearst ON | 2% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 24 | Meinzinger Park-Lakeside ON | 1.7% | 4.4% | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | Central Business District SK | 1.5% | 5.4% | 17 | 0 | 3 |
| 26 | Lakewood Urban Centre SK | 1.5% | 0% | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Edenwold No. 158 SK | 1.4% | 2% | 12 | 13 | 0 |
| 28 | Westmount ON | 1.3% | 0% | 18 | 0 | 1 |
| 29 | Westmount AB | 0.9% | 0% | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 30 | St. Stephen NB | 0.7% | 0.2% | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | North Park SK | 0.7% | 0% | 14 | 1 | 3 |
| 32 | Sussex NB | 0.5% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| 33 | Saint-Jacques QC | 0.3% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Highland Park AB | 0.3% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 35 | Anthony Henday South East AB | 0.2% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| 36 | South Common ON | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 37 | Carbonear NL | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| 38 | Warwick QC | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Altona MB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Capilano AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 1 | 1 |
The map
Parks, woods and paths around Cardston County
Green space, woods, protected areas and footpaths in and around the town; 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 Cardston County: 3 named parks and woods
Lee Creek Park is the largest, at 39 ha; the rest follow by size, numbered as on the map.
Irrigation Park
Park or garden · 80 m outside town
2.5 ha0.4 km of path
34 km north-eastfrom 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
Most of Cardston County is more than a short walk from 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 (0%)Further (100%)
Cardston County0%
Towns in Alberta100%
Typical Canadian town83%
For comparison, the typical Canadian town has 83%. For about 4,900 people, the nearest park is over 400 m away.
Protected areas
Around Cardston County, protected areas make up 8.8%
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Cardston County7.6%
Within 10 km8.8%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public bodies own 6 of the 73; land trusts and private owners hold the others. At 50,500 ha, Waterton Lakes National Park is the largest. The figures include 40 private conservation areas, left unnamed.
Waterton Lakes National ParkNational park · 50,500 ha · reaches Cardston County
Police Outpost Provincial ParkProvincial park · 213 ha · reaches Cardston County
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
Big parks near Cardston County
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
National park
Waterton Lakes National Park
At the edge · west505 km²since 1895
Provincial park
Police Outpost Provincial Park
At the edge · south-west2.1 km²since 1970
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
Cardston County and its edge hold 28 km of footpath
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
28 km
in and around the town (3,944.3 km²)
Woodland
under 0.1%
about 0.4 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
Cardston CountyTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0
024 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
Cardston CountyTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Woodlandunder 0.1%
0%50%100%
96% of Canadian towns are more wooded. Paths are thinner on the ground than in 98% 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 Cardston County
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
There is no mapped walking route within 2 km of the town; a local trail club’s maps may show more.
Source: OpenStreetMap (route relations hiking, foot and walking), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Trans Canada Trail sections as OSM maps them.
When to get out
Walking season in Cardston County: July to September
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Carway, 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) | 8.6 | 10.1 | 11.7 | 13.7 | 15.3 | 16.2 | 15.8 | 14.4 | 12.5 | 10.7 | 9.0 | 8.2 |
| High (°C) | 1 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 15 | 19 | 24 | 24 | 18 | 11 | 5 | 0 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 22 | 29 | 36 | 59 | 78 | 108 | 35 | 38 | 45 | 30 | 31 | 25 |
Snow totals about 257 cm a year. The wettest month, June, brings 108 mm, against 22 mm in January. Highs peak near 24 °C in July and fall to 0 °C in December. The climate in Cardston County →
Things to do
Near Cardston County: 2 viewpoints on the map
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
Most numerous: campsites (16). Among the peaks, Bushnell Hill is highest at 1,417 m.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 2
Plus 2 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 1
Bushnell Hill1,417 m · 0.2 km from town
DirectionsNature reserves 4
Outpost Wetlands Natural Areain town
DirectionsRoss Lake Natural Areain town
DirectionsWaterton Reservoir Provincial Recreation Area1.2 km from town
DirectionsCottonwood Park1.8 km from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 2
Wally's Beach Day Use Areain town
DirectionsPlus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 10
Plus 10 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 16
Crooked Creek Campgroundin town
DirectionsFort Heritage & Frontier RV Parkin town
DirectionsLower St. Mary Reservoir Campgroundin town
DirectionsMagrath Stake Campgroundin town
DirectionsPayne Lake Campground Loop Ain town
DirectionsPayne Lake Campground Loop Bin town
DirectionsPolice Outpost Campgroundin town
DirectionsSpring Glen Parkin town
DirectionsPlus 8 campsites more.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Cardston County
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
CardstonBlood 148Cardston County
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
Its neighbours have no more than twice Cardston County’s protected share.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- National and provincial parks. National parks are Parks Canada’s; provincial parks are the province’s or territory’s, Québec’s parcs nationaux among them.
- Private land. Land owned by individuals, companies or conservation groups counts toward the figures but is never named: a person’s land isn’t a place to visit.
- Walking routes. Only named route relations count; a park’s own path network may not show unless it is mapped as a route.
- Protected land. Protected here means in CPCAD, Canada’s official list: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and other conserved land, measured within 10 km of the town’s edge.
Questions about the outdoors in Cardston County
What is the biggest park or reserve near Cardston County?
Waterton Lakes National Park: 50,500 ha, a national park.
Is there a provincial park near Cardston County?
Police Outpost Provincial Park, which reaches the edge of town.
When should you visit Cardston County for the outdoors?
July to September, on the 1991–2020 normals and the daylight: long days, highs of 15 °C or more, light rain for the place.
Is there protected land near Cardston County?
Yes: 8.8% of the land within 10 km is protected.
What is the nearest national park to Cardston County?
Waterton Lakes National Park begins right at Cardston County’s edge.
Sources
Sources for this page on Cardston County
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).