First pick
Police Point Park
Park or garden · 110 m outside town
78 ha6.2 km of path
1 h 25 minto walk all 6.2 km of path
7.9 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Eric Friedebach · CC BY 3.07.9%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Cypress County · parks, protected land & trails
Cypress County has more protected land around it than 8 in 10 Canadian towns
CPCAD lists 46 protected areas within 10 km. OpenStreetMap shows one walking route nearby, the High-vista Trail. OpenStreetMap shows 3 unnamed beaches within 5 km.
Protected land
7.9%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
46
within 10 km, 18 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest provincial park
At the edge
Cypress Hills Provincial Park
Walking routes
1
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Beaches
3
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
Where Cypress County stands out outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
Protected land all round7.9% of the land within 10 km, more than 81% of Canadian townsA provincial park at the edgeCypress Hills Provincial Park reaches the town
For someone who likes to get outside, Cypress County’s draw is protected land around it, with a provincial park at its edge close behind.
Against other towns
How Cypress County compares with 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. No letter: the outdoors is described for Canadian towns, not graded.
Protected within 10 km7.9%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town5.9%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas18Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes1Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches3Beaches 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, Cypress County ranks 7th for protected land within 10 km
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (7,746 to 7,976 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
Cypress County7.9%
Towns its size2.2%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Cypress County18
Towns its size4
Towns in Alberta2
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Cypress County1
Towns its size0
Towns in Alberta0
Typical Canadian town0
Against towns its size, Cypress County does best for public protected areas: 9 of the other 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 | Holdom BC | 4.9% | 0% | 19 | 2 | 48 |
| 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 | Legacy AB | 3.1% | 0% | 1 | 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 | Valley Ridge AB | 2% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 22 | Cornwall PE | 1.7% | 0% | 14 | 10 | 10 |
| 23 | Electoral Area B (Lazo North), Comox Valley BC | 1.3% | 3.1% | 64 | 0 | 3 |
| 24 | Central St. Boniface MB | 1.3% | 2.9% | 22 | 4 | 0 |
| 25 | Labrador City NL | 1.2% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 26 | North Stormont ON | 1.2% | 1.8% | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Silver Heights MB | 1.2% | 0.3% | 17 | 1 | 37 |
| 28 | Newell County AB | 0.9% | 1% | 11 | 0 | 14 |
| 29 | Cardinal ON | 0.8% | 0.9% | 13 | 1 | 1 |
| 30 | Augusta ON | 0.8% | 0% | 11 | 1 | 1 |
| 31 | Chatsworth ON | 0.6% | 0.7% | 45 | 1 | 1 |
| 32 | Killarney/Glengarry AB | 0.6% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | Bayham ON | 0.5% | 0.6% | 9 | 0 | 3 |
| 34 | Callingwood South AB | 0.4% | 0% | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 35 | Lambton Baby Point ON | 0.3% | 7.1% | 6 | 3 | 13 |
| 36 | River East MB | 0.2% | 5.2% | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 37 | Queen Mary Park AB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 38 | Acton Vale QC | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| 39 | Harvest Hills AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Sage Hill AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The map
The green map of Cypress 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
6 parks and woods to walk in, in or near Cypress County
The biggest is Police Point Park, 78 ha. Biggest first, numbered as on the map.
6 named parks and woods, 89 ha in all
Parks & gardens 89 ha
Most of it sits in Police Point Park and Rossmere Finger Park: 97% together.
Rossmere Finger Park
Park or garden · 240 m outside town
8.4 ha0.5 km of path
4.9 km north-eastfrom the centre
Ross Glen Town Center Loop
Directionsto a point inside
Megan Wahl Memorial Park
Park or garden · 350 m outside town
1.4 ha
1.9 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Dunmore Community Park
Park or garden
0.8 ha0.1 km of path
8.0 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
River Valley Park
Park or garden · 130 m outside town
0.5 ha
11 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Suffield Community Park
Park or garden
0.2 ha
43 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 Cypress 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%)
Cypress County0%
Towns in Alberta100%
Typical Canadian town83%
For comparison, the typical Canadian town has 83%. About 7,900 residents live further than 400 m from one.
Protected areas
The 46 protected areas near Cypress County
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Cypress County5.9%
Within 10 km7.9%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Of those 46, 18 are public and the remainder private. Canadian Forces Base Suffield National Wildlife Area is the biggest, 45,836 ha. Another 26 are privately owned conservation land; they count in the figures but aren’t named, as private land isn’t a place to visit.
Canadian Forces Base Suffield National Wildlife AreaWildlife area · 45,836 ha · reaches Cypress County
Cypress Hills Provincial ParkProvincial park · 20,866 ha · reaches Cypress County
Cypress Hills Provincial ParkProvincial park · 18,371 ha · reaches Cypress County
Onefour Heritage Rangeland Natural AreaNature reserve · 11,131 ha · reaches Cypress County
Milk River Natural AreaNature reserve · 5,505 ha · reaches Cypress County
Hargrave Coulees Natural AreaNature reserve · 1,812 ha · reaches Cypress County
Dinosaur Provincial ParkProvincial park · 8,077 ha · 1.6 km from the edge of town
Prairie Unit number 01Nature reserve · 2,158 ha · 2.1 km from the edge of town
Bitter LakeProtected area · 17,744 ha · 2.1 km from the edge of town
Kennedy Coulee Ecological ReserveNature reserve · 1,077 ha · 2.4 km from the edge of town
1 more named area within 10 km is in the comparison figures.
3 areas recorded only by their type (provincial layers such as wildlife habitat areas) are counted, not listed.
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
From the edge of Cypress County, Cypress Hills Provincial Park begins
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
Cypress Hills Provincial Park
At the edge209 km²since 1951
Provincial park
Cypress Hills Provincial Park
At the edge184 km²
Provincial park
Dinosaur Provincial Park
1.6 km north-west81 km²since 1955
For a national park, people in Cypress County travel more than 100 km. 3 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
197 km of paths in and around Cypress 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
197 km
in and around the town (14,065 km²)
Footpaths · km per km²
Cypress CountyTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0
024 km per km²
For path density, 97% of Canadian towns do better.
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 Cypress County
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
Local
High-vista Trail5.5 km
Source: OpenStreetMap (route relations hiking, foot and walking), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Trans Canada Trail sections as OSM maps them.
When to get out
Walking season in Cypress County: May and July to September
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Medicine Hat (4.8 km), and daylight at the town’s latitude. Good months: 12½+ hours of daylight, highs of 15–30 °C, little rain.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 8.5 | 10.0 | 11.7 | 13.7 | 15.4 | 16.3 | 15.9 | 14.4 | 12.5 | 10.6 | 8.9 | 8.1 |
| High (°C) | -3 | -1 | 6 | 14 | 19 | 23 | 28 | 27 | 21 | 13 | 5 | -1 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 14 | 10 | 16 | 23 | 45 | 76 | 35 | 34 | 31 | 20 | 14 | 12 |
The wettest month, June, brings 76 mm, against 10 mm in February. January brings highs of -3 °C, July highs of 28 °C. About 85 cm of snow falls in a year. The climate in Cypress County →
Beaches
3 beaches within 5 km of Cypress County, none named
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
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
Near Cypress County: 10 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.
10Viewpoints2Hills and peaks2Nature reserves3Picnic sites82Playgrounds2Dog parks10Campsites5Slipways
The highest named peak nearby is Highest Point in Saskatchewan, at 1,392 m. There are 82 playgrounds, more than of anything else.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 10
Head of the Mountainin town
DirectionsScenic Lookout1.9 km from town
DirectionsPlus 8 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 2
Herman's Hill761 m · in town
DirectionsHighest Point in Saskatchewan1,392 m · 1.4 km from town
DirectionsNature reserves 2
Bullshead Reservoir Provincial Recreation Areain town
DirectionsPlus 1 nature reserve without a name on the map.
Picnic sites 3
Strathcona South Cook Hut1.1 km from town
DirectionsStrathcona North Cook Hut1.1 km from town
DirectionsPlus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 82
Plus 82 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 10
Aspen Ridge Group Use Campgroundin town
DirectionsBattle Creek Campgroundin town
DirectionsEagles Nest Ranchin town
DirectionsGraburn Campgroundin town
DirectionsHighway 41 Campgroundin town
DirectionsLodgepolein town
DirectionsNicole Springs Campgroundin town
DirectionsReesor Lake Campgroundin town
DirectionsPlus 2 campsites more.
Slipways 5
Plus 5 slipways without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Cypress County
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
Medicine HatRedcliffCypress County
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cypress County | 7.9% | 46 | 1 | 3 |
| Medicine Hat 4.8 km | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Redcliff 12 km | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1 |
No place nearby has double Cypress County’s share of protected land.
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.
- Beaches. The count includes unnamed stretches mapped as beach, which can make a lakeside town’s figure large.
- 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.
- Walking routes. The list is OpenStreetMap’s, so a missing trail may just be unmapped. The Trans Canada Trail appears where OSM maps it.
- Private land. CPCAD includes conservation land held privately; the page counts it and leaves the names out.
Questions about the outdoors in Cypress County
Is there a provincial park near Cypress County?
Cypress Hills Provincial Park touches the town.
What is the biggest park or reserve near Cypress County?
It is Canadian Forces Base Suffield National Wildlife Area, a wildlife area covering 45,836 ha.
What is the best season to get outdoors in Cypress County?
On the normals, May and July to September: that is when days are long, highs reach 15 °C and rain is light.
Is there protected land near Cypress County?
Protected areas cover 7.9% of the land within 10 km.
What is the nearest national park to Cypress County?
The nearest national park is more than 100 km from Cypress County.
Is there a beach near Cypress County?
The beaches mapped within 5 km have no names on the map.
What walking routes are near Cypress County?
Try the High-vista Trail.
Sources
The sources behind Cypress County’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).