First pick
Brazeau Collieries Mine National Heritage Site
Park or garden
63 ha1.9 km of path
25 minto walk all 1.9 km of path
91 km westfrom the centre
Nordeg Trail East
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Erik Lizee · Public domain13%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Clearwater County · parks, protected land & trails
Banff National Park begins at the edge of Clearwater County
44 protected areas lie within 10 km. Of the country within 10 km, 13% lies in protected areas; the median Canadian town has 2.3%. 3 mapped walking routes pass within 2 km, among them the GDT eiv and GDT eiq.
Protected land
13%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
44
within 10 km, 35 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
At the edge
Banff National Park
Nearest provincial park
At the edge
Crimson Lake Provincial Park
Walking routes
3
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Beaches
4
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
Where Clearwater County stands out outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
Next to a national parkBanff National Park starts at the edge of townProtected land all round13% of the land within 10 km, more than 91% of Canadian townsMany protected areas35 public areas within 10 kmOn a national routeThe GDT eiv passes within 2 km
Clearwater County is strongest on Banff National Park on its doorstep, with protected land around it close behind.
Against other towns
Each figure for Clearwater County, 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 graded in Canada. The page compares each figure with other towns and leaves it there.
Protected within 10 km13%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town5.7%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas35Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes3Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches4Beaches 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, Clearwater County ranks 6th for protected land within 10 km
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (11,570 to 12,148 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
Clearwater County13%
Towns its size2.3%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Clearwater County35
Towns its size5
Towns in Alberta2
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Clearwater County3
Towns its size0
Towns in Alberta0
Typical Canadian town0
Among its peers, Clearwater County’s strong point is public protected areas, where 2 of 39 top it.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | L'Île-Perrot QC | 42% | 0.5% | 44 | 0 | 4 |
| 2 | Notre-Dame-de-l'Île-Perrot QC | 34% | 0.6% | 50 | 0 | 5 |
| 3 | Mont-Tremblant QC | 27% | 29% | 20 | 0 | 18 |
| 4 | Chapel Hill North ON | 14% | 1.2% | 36 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Nelson BC | 14% | 0.1% | 10 | 2 | 8 |
| 6 | Clearwater County AB | 13% | 5.7% | 44 | 3 | 4 |
| 7 | Cardinal Creek ON | 11% | 0% | 43 | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | Rideau Lakes ON | 10% | 14% | 77 | 6 | 12 |
| 9 | Valley Creek ON | 6.3% | 29% | 10 | 0 | 1 |
| 10 | Chapman Mills ON | 6% | 1.9% | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | Provinceton BC | 5.3% | 5.9% | 160 | 6 | 0 |
| 12 | Saint-Rodrigue QC | 4.8% | 0% | 15 | 1 | 4 |
| 13 | Adjala-Tosorontio ON | 4.7% | 1.1% | 68 | 3 | 4 |
| 14 | Chester NS | 4.1% | 6.1% | 124 | 1 | 21 |
| 15 | Milliken ON | 3.4% | 0% | 15 | 0 | 1 |
| 16 | McKenzie Lake AB | 3.3% | 1.1% | 2 | 0 | 17 |
| 17 | Fletchers Meadow North ON | 3% | 4.9% | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | Marieville QC | 2.9% | 0.7% | 37 | 0 | 5 |
| 19 | Morrisburg ON | 2.6% | 4.2% | 17 | 0 | 5 |
| 20 | Saint-Sauveur QC | 2.3% | 0% | 21 | 0 | 7 |
| 21 | St. Andrews MB | 2.3% | 1.1% | 9 | 2 | 2 |
| 22 | St. Clements MB | 2.2% | 3% | 9 | 8 | 10 |
| 23 | René-Goupil QC | 2.1% | 0% | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Selkirk MB | 1.8% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | German Mills ON | 1.6% | 0% | 28 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | Grey Highlands ON | 1.3% | 0.7% | 77 | 4 | 0 |
| 27 | Saint-Raymond QC | 1.2% | 1.2% | 27 | 8 | 5 |
| 28 | The Hamptons AB | 1.2% | 0% | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | Georgian Bluffs ON | 1.1% | 1.9% | 67 | 4 | 17 |
| 30 | Hamilton ON | 0.9% | 0.8% | 14 | 2 | 4 |
| 31 | Wetaskiwin County No. 10 AB | 0.7% | 1% | 52 | 0 | 3 |
| 32 | Tay ON | 0.5% | 0.6% | 17 | 3 | 5 |
| 33 | West Springs AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 34 | Weyburn SK | 0.2% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | South Cameron ON | 0.2% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 36 | Dundalk ON | 0.1% | 0.1% | 6 | 0 | 1 |
| 37 | Morden MB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 38 | Mississauga Valleys ON | 0.1% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| 39 | Cityscape AB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 40 | Martensville SK | 0% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 0 |
The map
Parks, woods and paths around Clearwater County
The town’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
8 parks and woods to walk in, in or near Clearwater County
Brazeau Collieries Mine National Heritage Site is the largest, at 63 ha; the rest follow by size, numbered as on the map.
8 named parks and woods, 93 ha in all
Parks & gardens 93 ha
Most of it sits in Brazeau Collieries Mine National Heritage Site and Active District: 81% together.
Active District
Park or garden · 300 m outside town
12 ha1.5 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.5 km of path
14 km north-westfrom the centre
Skills Area
Directionsto a point inside
Riverside Park
Park or garden · 80 m outside town
10 ha1.6 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.6 km of path
14 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Riverview Park
Park or garden · 200 m outside town
3.7 ha0.5 km of path
5 minto walk all 0.5 km of path
16 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Lions kids fishing pond
Park or garden
1.4 ha0.2 km of path
16 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
The Nordegg Recreation Association
Park or garden
1.1 ha
91 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Quinn Park
Park or garden · 250 m outside town
0.8 ha
14 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
McNutt Park
Park or garden · 170 m outside town
0.4 ha
12 km north-westfrom 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 Clearwater 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 (4.9%)Further (95%)
Clearwater County4.9%
Towns in Alberta100%
Typical Canadian town83%
That leaves about 11,300 people more than a short walk away. The typical Canadian town reaches 83%.
Protected areas
Around Clearwater County, protected areas make up 13%
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Clearwater County5.7%
Within 10 km13%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Governments hold 35 of the 44, and private owners the rest. The largest named one is Jasper National Park, at 1,087,800 ha. 9 areas belong to private owners or land trusts and aren’t named here.
Jasper National ParkNational park · 1,087,800 ha · reaches Clearwater County
Banff National ParkNational park · 664,100 ha · reaches Clearwater County
White Goat Wilderness AreaNature reserve · 44,555 ha · reaches Clearwater County
Siffleur Wilderness AreaNature reserve · 42,592 ha · reaches Clearwater County
Brazeau Canyon Wildland Provincial ParkProvincial park · 4,777 ha · reaches Clearwater County
Wapiabi Provincial Recreation AreaProtected area · 4,033 ha · reaches Clearwater County
Ya Ha TindaProtected area · 3,942 ha · reaches Clearwater County
Kootenay Plains Ecological ReserveNature reserve · 3,733 ha · reaches Clearwater County
Crimson Lake Provincial ParkProvincial park · 3,200 ha · reaches Clearwater County
Aurora Natural AreaNature reserve · 908 ha · reaches Clearwater County
21 more named areas within 10 km are in the figures.
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 parks within reach of Clearwater 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
Jasper National Park
At the edge10,878 km²since 1907
National park
Banff National Park
At the edge6,641 km²since 1885
Provincial park
Brazeau Canyon Wildland Provincial Park
At the edge48 km²since 2000
Provincial park
Crimson Lake Provincial Park
At the edge32 km²since 1955
Provincial park
Ram Falls Provincial Park
At the edge4.1 km²since 1996
Provincial park
Don Getty Wildland Provincial Park
0.2 km south-west890 km²since 2001
4 provincial parks lie within 10 km.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
1,817 km of paths in and around Clearwater County
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
1,817 km
in and around the town (19,329.6 km²)
Footpaths · km per km²
Clearwater CountyTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0.1
024 km per km²
It has fewer paths per km² than 86% 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
Clearwater County is on the GDT eiv
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
National
GDT eil38.8 km
GDT eiv31.1 km
GDT eiq24.8 km
25.0 km of the GDT eiv runs within 2 km of town; mapped end to end, it is 31 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 Clearwater County: May and September
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Sundre, 58 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) | 8.2 | 9.8 | 11.7 | 13.8 | 15.7 | 16.8 | 16.3 | 14.7 | 12.6 | 10.5 | 8.7 | 7.7 |
| High (°C) | -2 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 16 | 19 | 23 | 22 | 17 | 11 | 3 | -1 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 13 | 13 | 21 | 30 | 63 | 104 | 85 | 71 | 47 | 20 | 16 | 16 |
January brings highs of -2 °C, July highs of 23 °C. June is the wettest month (104 mm) and January the driest (13 mm). The climate in Clearwater County →
Beaches
Clearwater County has 4 beaches close by
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Burnstick Lake Beachin town
DirectionsOpenStreetMap shows 3 more, nameless. No national or provincial register of beach water quality is published as open data, so check the local health unit before swimming.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
Clearwater County has 30 viewpoints and 45 waterfalls nearby
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
30Viewpoints194Hills and peaks45Waterfalls61Nature reserves16Picnic sites43Playgrounds1Dog parks334Campsites19Slipways
Look up to Cornice Peak: 3,180 m. Count 334 campsites, the biggest group.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 30
Abraham Lake Trailheadin town
DirectionsBighorn Canyon Viewpointin town
DirectionsCrescent Falls Viewing Platformin town
DirectionsHidden Falls Lookoutin town
DirectionsKiska Fire Lookout (abandoned)in town
DirectionsLookoutin town
DirectionsOld Lookoutin town
DirectionsRam Falls Viewpointin town
DirectionsPlus 22 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 194
Abraham Mountain2,823 m · in town
DirectionsAfternoon Peak3,120 m · in town
DirectionsAires Peak2,682 m · in town
DirectionsAllstones Peak2,955 m · in town
DirectionsAllstones Ridge2,090 m · in town
DirectionsArdennes Peak2,228 m · in town
DirectionsBarrier Mountain2,957 m · in town
DirectionsBaseline Mountain1,910 m · in town
DirectionsPlus 186 hills and peaks without a name on the map.
Waterfalls 45
Allstones Fallsin town
DirectionsBighorn Fallsin town
DirectionsCrescent Fallsin town
DirectionsHummingbird Fallsin town
DirectionsLittle Indian Fallsin town
DirectionsRam Fallsin town
DirectionsSiffleur Fallsin town
DirectionsTable Rock Fallsin town
DirectionsPlus 37 waterfalls without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 61
Alexo Natural Areain town
DirectionsAurora Natural Areain town
DirectionsAylmer Provincial Recreation Areain town
DirectionsBeaverdam Provincial Recreation Areain town
DirectionsBlackstone Gap Public Land Recreation Areain town
DirectionsBlackstone Provincial Recreation Areain town
DirectionsBlackstone Viewpoint Public Land Recreation Areain town
DirectionsBrown Creek Provincial Recreation Areain town
DirectionsPlus 53 nature reserves without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 43
Plus 43 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Dog Off-Leash Park0.4 km from town
DirectionsCampsites 334
Abraham Cove Campsitein town
DirectionsAylmer Provincial Recreation Areain town
DirectionsBeaver Damin town
DirectionsBighorn Campgroundin town
DirectionsBrown Creek Campgroundin town
DirectionsCamp Worthingtonin town
DirectionsChambers Creek Group Campin town
DirectionsChambers Creek Provincial Recreation Areain town
DirectionsPlus 326 campsites without a name on the map.
Slipways 19
Non Motorized Craft Onlyin town
DirectionsNon Motorized Watercraftin town
DirectionsPublic Launchin town
DirectionsSaunders Boat Launchin town
DirectionsSlipwayin town
DirectionsPlus 14 slipways without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Clearwater County
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page. The nearest places to Clearwater County with figures are 14–46 km away.
Rocky Mountain HouseEckvilleSylvan LakeClearwater County
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearwater County | 13% | 44 | 3 | 4 |
| Rocky Mountain House 14 km | 2.9% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Eckville 28 km | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Sylvan Lake 46 km | 0.5% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
Around Clearwater County, nobody nearby has double its protected land.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- 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.
- Private land. Areas held by land trusts or private owners stay unnamed here, though they count in the shares.
- Walking routes. The list is OpenStreetMap’s, so a missing trail may just be unmapped. The Trans Canada Trail appears where OSM maps it.
- National and provincial parks. Distances run from the town’s edge to the park’s, so 0 km means they touch.
Questions about the outdoors in Clearwater County
What is the best season to get outdoors in Clearwater County?
May and 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 Clearwater County?
It is on the doorstep: Banff National Park touches Clearwater County.
What is the nearest beach to Clearwater County?
The nearest is Burnstick Lake Beach, in town.
Are there hiking trails near Clearwater County?
OpenStreetMap maps the GDT eiv, GDT eiq and GDT eil close by, with others.
How far is the nearest provincial park from Clearwater County?
Crimson Lake Provincial Park touches the town.
Is there protected land near Clearwater County?
Protected areas cover 13% of the land within 10 km.
What is the biggest park or reserve near Clearwater County?
Jasper National Park, a national park of 1,087,800 ha.
Sources
Where Clearwater County’s outdoors figures come from
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).