First pick
Newcastle Beach Recreation Area
Park or garden
17 ha0.1 km of path
2.1 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Ken Eckert · CC BY-SA 4.01%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Drumheller · parks, protected land & trails
A provincial park at Drumheller’s edge: Midland Provincial Park
The largest is Tolman Badlands Heritage Rangeland Natural Area: 5,762 ha, 6.9 km from the edge of town. There is no national park within 100 km of the town. Out to 10 km from the town’s edge, 1% of the land is protected; 2.3% is typical for a Canadian town.
Protected land
1%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
5
within 10 km, 3 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest provincial park
At the edge
Midland Provincial Park
Against other towns
Each figure for Drumheller, 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. There is no Outdoors grade for Canadian towns; the figures stand beside the country’s towns of 2,500+ without a letter.
Protected within 10 km1%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town4.9%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 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
Among 40 towns its size, Drumheller is 16th from the bottom for protected land
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (8,327 to 8,539 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
Drumheller1%
Towns its size2.6%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Drumheller3
Towns its size4
Towns in Alberta2
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Drumheller0
Towns its size0
Towns in Alberta0
Typical Canadian town0
Against towns its size, Drumheller is weakest for protected land nearby: 24 of 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alta Vista ON | 13% | 0.7% | 38 | 0 | 1 |
| 2 | Britannia ON | 13% | 12% | 31 | 4 | 9 |
| 3 | Mount Joy ON | 10% | 0% | 8 | 1 | 1 |
| 4 | Stone Mills ON | 10% | 11% | 58 | 1 | 0 |
| 5 | Wildfield ON | 9.1% | 14% | 23 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Muskoka Lakes ON | 6.3% | 11% | 26 | 1 | 12 |
| 7 | Saint-Vincent-de-Paul QC | 5.6% | 0% | 19 | 0 | 3 |
| 8 | Norton Park ON | 5.5% | 0% | 7 | 0 | 1 |
| 9 | Trinity Commons ON | 5.3% | 0% | 7 | 1 | 1 |
| 10 | Saint-Roch QC | 5.1% | 0% | 17 | 1 | 3 |
| 11 | Vaughan Metropolitan Centre ON | 4.7% | 0% | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | Somerset AB | 4.6% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 8 |
| 13 | Electoral Area A, Comox Valley BC | 4% | 4.1% | 97 | 2 | 19 |
| 14 | Heart Lake North ON | 3.9% | 43% | 8 | 1 | 1 |
| 15 | Trail BC | 3.5% | 0% | 6 | 0 | 2 |
| 16 | Electoral Area G, Nanaimo BC | 3.2% | 7.5% | 32 | 0 | 13 |
| 17 | Brownsburg-Chatham QC | 3.1% | 2% | 35 | 0 | 3 |
| 18 | Ogden AB | 2.9% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| 19 | Deer Lake BC | 2.9% | 0% | 22 | 4 | 25 |
| 20 | McNab/Braeside ON | 2.7% | 0.1% | 35 | 0 | 14 |
| 21 | Rocky Ridge AB | 2.5% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 22 | Douro-Dummer ON | 2.3% | 1.4% | 17 | 2 | 3 |
| 23 | Prairie View SK | 2.3% | 0% | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Goderich ON | 1.5% | 0% | 10 | 4 | 2 |
| 25 | Drumheller AB | 1% | 4.9% | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | St. John's MB | 0.9% | 0% | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Rosewood SK | 0.9% | 0% | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Hillhurst AB | 0.6% | 0% | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 29 | South-West Oxford ON | 0.5% | 0.3% | 10 | 6 | 3 |
| 30 | Bayfield ON | 0.5% | 0.1% | 6 | 2 | 11 |
| 31 | Springfield North MB | 0.5% | 0% | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | Lac-Beauport QC | 0.4% | 0.1% | 10 | 4 | 2 |
| 33 | Valley Gardens MB | 0.4% | 0% | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Marlborough Park AB | 0.3% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | Albert Park/Radisson Heights AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 36 | King Edward Park AB | 0.2% | 0% | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 37 | Wild Rose AB | 0.2% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 38 | Garneau AB | 0.1% | 0% | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 39 | Aylmer ON | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Huron-Kinloss ON | 0% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 8 |
The map
The green map of Drumheller
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
4 named parks and woods to walk in near Drumheller
The biggest is Newcastle Beach Recreation Area, 17 ha. Biggest first, numbered as on the map.
4 named parks and woods, 25 ha in all
Parks & gardens 25 ha
97% of the area is in just two places: Newcastle Beach Recreation Area and Riverside Park.
Riverside Park
Park or garden
7.4 ha1.2 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.2 km of path
1.4 km 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
A park is within a short walk for 6 in 10 in Drumheller
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 (59%)Further (41%)
Drumheller59%
Towns in Alberta100%
Typical Canadian town83%
Around 3,400 residents are further than 400 m from a park. The typical Canadian town reaches 83%.
Protected areas
Within 10 km of Drumheller, 1% is protected land
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Drumheller4.9%
Within 10 km1%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
On public land: 3 of the 5. The others are private conservation land. The largest named one is Tolman Badlands Heritage Rangeland Natural Area, at 5,762 ha. 2 areas belong to private owners or land trusts and aren’t named here.
Midland Provincial ParkProvincial park · 617 ha · reaches Drumheller
Tolman Badlands Heritage Rangeland Natural AreaNature reserve · 5,762 ha · 6.9 km from the edge of town
Hand Hills Ecological ReserveNature reserve · 2,314 ha · 9.9 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
Midland Provincial Park starts at the edge of Drumheller
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
Midland Provincial Park
At the edge6.2 km²since 1979
Canada’s national parks are all more than 100 km from Drumheller, so the parks here are provincial.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
Drumheller and its edge hold 17 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
17 km
in and around the town (198.6 km²)
Woodland
0.1%
about 0.3 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
DrumhellerTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0.1
024 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
DrumhellerTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Woodland0.1%
0%50%100%
It is less wooded than 92% of Canadian towns. 88% of Canadian towns have more footpath per km².
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 Drumheller
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
OpenStreetMap lists no walking route near the town, though paths on the ground may well exist.
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 Drumheller: May and July to September
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Queenstown (96 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) | 8.3 | 9.9 | 11.7 | 13.8 | 15.6 | 16.6 | 16.2 | 14.6 | 12.5 | 10.6 | 8.8 | 7.9 |
| High (°C) | -5 | -2 | 4 | 13 | 19 | 23 | 26 | 26 | 21 | 13 | 3 | -4 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 14 | 14 | 19 | 33 | 62 | 82 | 54 | 50 | 33 | 18 | 18 | 15 |
June is the wettest month (82 mm) and February the driest (14 mm). Summer highs reach 26 °C in July; in January they stay near -5 °C. The climate in Drumheller →
Things to do
Near Drumheller: 3 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.
Count 8 playgrounds, the biggest group.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 3
Plus 3 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Picnic sites 2
McMullen Island Day Use Areain town
DirectionsWayne Picnic Areain town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 8
Paleo Playgroundin town
DirectionsRosedale Playgroundin town
DirectionsWild West Playgroundin town
DirectionsPlus 5 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Plus 1 dog park without a name on the map.
Campsites 6
11 Bridges Campgroundin town
DirectionsBadlands Campgroundin town
DirectionsRiver Grove Campground and Cabinsin town
DirectionsRosedale Community Campgroundin town
DirectionsWayne Community Camproundin town
DirectionsPlus 1 campsite without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Drumheller
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page. Distances here run 36–48 km: that is how far the nearest places with figures are from Drumheller.
Starland CountyKneehill CountyThree HillsDrumheller
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drumheller | 1% | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Starland County 36 km | 5.5% | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| Kneehill County 47 km | 1.3% | 26 | 0 | 0 |
| Three Hills 48 km | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Around Starland County the protected share is at least double.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Walking routes. A route counts when 300 m or more of it lies within 2 km of the town. Coverage of trails on OpenStreetMap varies by region.
- 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.
- National and provincial parks. Distances run from the town’s edge to the park’s, so 0 km means they touch.
- 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.
Questions about the outdoors in Drumheller
What is the largest protected area near Drumheller?
It is Tolman Badlands Heritage Rangeland Natural Area, a nature reserve covering 5,762 ha.
How much land around Drumheller is protected?
Within 10 km, 1% of the land lies in protected areas.
What is the nearest national park to Drumheller?
The nearest national park is more than 100 km from Drumheller.
How far is the nearest provincial park from Drumheller?
Midland Provincial Park begins at the town’s edge.
When should you visit Drumheller 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.
Sources
Where Drumheller’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).