First pick
Glengarry Park
Park or garden · 220 m outside town
16 ha3.1 km of path
40 minto walk all 3.1 km of path
1.6 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
–Not graded
Outdoors in Balwin · parks, protected land & trails
Elk Island National Park is 32 km from Balwin
A provincial park, Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park, lies 12 km away. 0% of the land and water within 10 km is protected (the typical Canadian town: 2.3%). Accidental Beach is the one beach within 5 km.
Protected land
0%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
0
within 10 km, 0 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
32 km
Elk Island National Park
Nearest provincial park
12 km
Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park
Beaches
1
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Against other towns
Balwin against 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. Outdoors isn’t graded in Canada. The page compares each figure with other towns and leaves it there.
Protected within 10 km0%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 areas0Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes0Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches1Beaches mapped on OpenStreetMap within 5 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Balwin sits 4th from last of 40 towns its size for protected land around it
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (4,030 to 4,155 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
Balwin0%
Towns its size1%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Balwin0
Towns its size3
Towns in Alberta2
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Balwin0
Towns its size1
Towns in Alberta0
Typical Canadian town0
Against towns its size, Balwin 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 | Mistissini QC | 26% | 1.4% | 6 | 0 | 1 |
| 2 | Saint-Ferréol-les-Neiges QC | 12% | 0% | 25 | 2 | 2 |
| 3 | Electoral Area C, Okanagan-Similkameen BC | 12% | 12% | 52 | 0 | 2 |
| 4 | Fort Nelson BC | 11% | 9.8% | 36 | 0 | 330 |
| 5 | Oakes ON | 7.4% | 0% | 15 | 1 | 0 |
| 6 | L'Ange-Gardien QC | 6.3% | 0% | 37 | 0 | 4 |
| 7 | Centremount ON | 5.6% | 0% | 22 | 1 | 3 |
| 8 | Alexander MB | 4.9% | 1.3% | 7 | 2 | 18 |
| 9 | Lake of Bays ON | 4.8% | 1.8% | 12 | 1 | 6 |
| 10 | Woodlands MB | 4.8% | 6.6% | 12 | 1 | 1 |
| 11 | Electoral Area E, Kitimat-Stikine BC | 4.8% | 0% | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | Inch Park ON | 4.8% | 0% | 21 | 1 | 3 |
| 13 | North Norfolk MB | 4.5% | 0.5% | 10 | 0 | 6 |
| 14 | Barry's Bay ON | 3.9% | 1.9% | 13 | 0 | 4 |
| 15 | Pioneer Tower West ON | 2.3% | 3.9% | 23 | 2 | 0 |
| 16 | West River PE | 2.2% | 2.9% | 18 | 8 | 15 |
| 17 | Haut-Madawaska NB | 2.2% | 7.7% | 8 | 0 | 7 |
| 18 | Sainte-Anne-des-Lacs QC | 2% | 2.9% | 19 | 2 | 2 |
| 19 | Elbow Park AB | 2% | 0% | 3 | 1 | 3 |
| 20 | Kirkfield MB | 1% | 0.3% | 14 | 1 | 37 |
| 21 | Northern Lights County AB | 0.9% | 0.6% | 30 | 0 | 67 |
| 22 | Smoky Lake County AB | 0.7% | 0.5% | 25 | 0 | 1 |
| 23 | Island Lakes MB | 0.6% | 0% | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Sunalta AB | 0.6% | 0% | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 25 | University Heights AB | 0.6% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 26 | Beaumaris AB | 0.5% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Perth South ON | 0.3% | 0.3% | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| 28 | Tuxedo Park AB | 0.3% | 0% | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 29 | Leger AB | 0.3% | 0% | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 30 | Malmo Plains AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 31 | Meyokumin AB | 0.2% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| 32 | Saint-Prosper QC | 0.1% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | Matt Berry AB | 0.1% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Lac-Etchemin QC | 0% | 0% | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| 35 | Swan River MB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 36 | Crossfield AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 37 | Balwin AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 38 | Forest Heights AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 39 | McCauley AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| 40 | York AB | 0% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
The map
Parks, woods and paths around Balwin
Green space, woods, protected areas and footpaths in and around the neighbourhood; 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
5 named parks and woods to walk in near Balwin
Glengarry Park is the largest, at 16 ha; the rest follow by size, numbered as on the map.
5 named parks and woods, 25 ha in all
Parks & gardens 25 ha
Between them, Glengarry Park and Delwood Park cover 83%.
Delwood Park
Park or garden · 280 m outside town
4.5 ha0.2 km of path
1.0 km northfrom 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
All of Balwin is within a short walk of 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 (100%)Further (0%)
Balwin100%
Towns in Alberta100%
Typical Canadian town83%
Few do better: the typical Canadian town is at 83%.
Protected areas
There is no protected land within 10 km of Balwin
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
For protected land, people look to Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park, 12 km off.
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 Balwin
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
Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park
12 km west21 km²since 2005
National park
Elk Island National Park
32 km east194 km²since 1913
Closer to home, Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park is 12 km away.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
Paths to walk: 20 km in and around Balwin
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
20 km
in and around the town (9.7 km²)
Woodland
under 0.1%
about 0 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
BalwinTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths2.1
024 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
BalwinTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Woodlandunder 0.1%
0%50%100%
Few places match it for paths: more than 57% of Canadian towns have fewer. It is less wooded than 96% 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 Balwin
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
No named route shows within 2 km of the neighbourhood; volunteers map trails unevenly from one region to the next.
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 Balwin: May, August and September
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Edmonton (City), 4.8 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) | 8.0 | 9.7 | 11.7 | 13.9 | 15.9 | 17.0 | 16.5 | 14.8 | 12.6 | 10.4 | 8.5 | 7.5 |
| High (°C) | -6 | -3 | 2 | 10 | 18 | 21 | 24 | 23 | 18 | 10 | 1 | -5 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 20 | 12 | 17 | 29 | 44 | 70 | 83 | 61 | 39 | 21 | 18 | 12 |
Expect around 124 cm of snow over a winter. July is the warmest month, with highs around 24 °C; January the coldest, at -6 °C. Summer storms make July the wettest month, 83 mm; February sees 12 mm. The climate in Balwin →
Beaches
For a swim near Balwin: Accidental Beach, 4.9 km off
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Accidental Beach4.9 km from town
DirectionsFor water quality, look to the local health unit: no open beach-testing data covers Canada.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
Outdoors around Balwin: 59 places to go
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
58 playgrounds top the list.
Every named place, with directions
Dog parks 1
Plus 1 dog park without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Gardens to visit
Near Balwin: 2 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.
Chinese Garden PagodaGarden or park · 4.6 km from town
DirectionsWilliam Hawrelak ParkGarden or park · 8.0 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 Balwin
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
DelwoodKillarneyEastwoodBelvedereMontroseGlengarryBalwin
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
None of its neighbours has twice the protected land around it that Balwin has.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- 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.
- 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.
- Beaches. A beach counts when its centre point lies within 5 km of the town’s outline. Names come from the map.
Questions about the outdoors in Balwin
What is the nearest national park to Balwin?
The nearest is Elk Island National Park, 32 km away.
Is there a beach near Balwin?
Accidental Beach, 4.9 km from town; it is the one beach mapped within 5 km.
When should you visit Balwin for the outdoors?
May, August and September: long days, mild highs and little rain.
How far is the nearest provincial park from Balwin?
The closest is Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park, at 12 km.
Sources
Sources for this page on Balwin
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).