First pick
Blackmud Creek Ravine
Wood or forest
175 ha15.6 km of path
3 h 30 minto walk all 15.6 km of path
3.2 km southfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
0.3%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Bearspaw · parks, protected land & trails
Elk Island National Park is 36 km from Bearspaw
For a provincial park, Big Island Provincial Park lies 7.8 km off. 0.3% of the land and water within 10 km is protected (the typical Canadian town: 2.3%). Within 5 km lie 2 beaches, unnamed on the map.
Protected land
0.3%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
2
within 10 km, 2 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
36 km
Elk Island National Park
Nearest provincial park
7.8 km
Big Island Provincial Park
Beaches
2
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Against other towns
Bearspaw 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. Canada’s grades don’t include the outdoors, so this page compares the figures rather than grading them.
Protected within 10 km0.3%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 areas2Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes0Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches2Beaches mapped on OpenStreetMap within 5 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Bearspaw has the 9th least protected land nearby of 40 towns its size
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (5,112 to 5,277 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
Bearspaw0.3%
Towns its size2.2%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Bearspaw2
Towns its size5
Towns in Alberta2
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Bearspaw0
Towns its size1
Towns in Alberta0
Typical Canadian town0
Where Bearspaw trails its peers is walking routes; 22 of 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grand Bay-Westfield NB | 29% | 1% | 21 | 1 | 39 |
| 2 | Electoral Area A, Cowichan Valley BC | 23% | 0.9% | 58 | 4 | 24 |
| 3 | Oliver BC | 19% | 0.8% | 24 | 0 | 1 |
| 4 | Metchosin BC | 18% | 9.6% | 31 | 2 | 22 |
| 5 | Lake Echo NS | 16% | 33% | 25 | 2 | 5 |
| 6 | Montréal-Ouest QC | 16% | 0% | 24 | 0 | 2 |
| 7 | Inverness NS | 13% | 5.1% | 141 | 4 | 20 |
| 8 | Upper Tantallon NS | 13% | 19% | 157 | 3 | 12 |
| 9 | Témiscouata-sur-le-Lac QC | 11% | 1% | 3 | 6 | 3 |
| 10 | Saint-Denis-de-Brompton QC | 9.4% | 1.6% | 19 | 2 | 3 |
| 11 | Montréal-Est QC | 7.7% | 0.4% | 38 | 0 | 1 |
| 12 | Antigonish NS | 7.6% | 0% | 10 | 1 | 0 |
| 13 | Gourley ON | 6.5% | 0% | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Uplands SK | 5.4% | 0% | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | Trumpeter Area AB | 5.4% | 1.6% | 9 | 7 | 0 |
| 16 | Electoral Area B, Central Kootenay BC | 4.5% | 7.4% | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | Heritage SK | 4% | 0% | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| 18 | Rushdale ON | 3.9% | 0% | 18 | 1 | 0 |
| 19 | Crown Point East ON | 3.1% | 0% | 23 | 1 | 6 |
| 20 | Centre Hastings ON | 2.5% | 1.4% | 30 | 2 | 3 |
| 21 | Coverdale NB | 1.9% | 4.4% | 17 | 1 | 0 |
| 22 | Southdale ON | 1.9% | 0% | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | Waverley Heights MB | 1.7% | 0% | 22 | 0 | 1 |
| 24 | Mt. Hope Huron Park ON | 1.5% | 0% | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | Earl Grey MB | 1.4% | 0% | 25 | 3 | 0 |
| 26 | West Alexander MB | 1.4% | 0% | 19 | 4 | 0 |
| 27 | Kneehill County AB | 1.3% | 1.1% | 26 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Shaughnessy Park MB | 1.1% | 0% | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | Marystown NL | 0.6% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| 30 | St. Boniface Industrial Park MB | 0.6% | 0.1% | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | Bannerman AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 32 | Bearspaw AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 33 | Ogilvie Ridge AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 34 | Saint-Cyrille-de-Wendover QC | 0.1% | 0.5% | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 35 | Edmonton Energy And Technology Park AB | 0.1% | 0.8% | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 36 | Ritchie AB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 37 | Tweddle Place AB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 38 | Carstairs AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Didsbury AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Rundle Heights AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 1 | 0 |
The map
The green map of Bearspaw
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
8 named parks and woods to walk in near Bearspaw
Largest first: Blackmud Creek Ravine leads with 175 ha. Numbers match the map.
8 named parks and woods, 224 ha in all
Parks & gardens 49 haWoods 175 ha
Most of it sits in Blackmud Creek Ravine and Ermineskin Park: 84% together.
Ermineskin Park
Park or garden · 230 m outside town
14 ha0.9 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.9 km of path
1.7 km northfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Keheewin Park
Park or garden
8.3 ha0.2 km of path
0.8 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Big Bear Park
Park or garden
4.7 ha0.8 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.8 km of path
Centralin the middle of Bearspaw
Directionsto a point inside
Skyrattler Park
Park or garden · 340 m outside town
4.1 ha
1.7 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
Every resident of Bearspaw lives near 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%)
Bearspaw100%
Towns in Alberta100%
Typical Canadian town83%
Against the typical Canadian town’s 83%, that is high.
Protected areas
2 protected areas lie within 10 km of Bearspaw
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Bearspaw0%
Within 10 km0.3%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Governments or Indigenous nations hold all 2. The largest named one is Big Island Provincial Park, at 79 ha.
Larch SanctuaryNature reserve · 24 ha · 1.9 km from the edge of town
Big Island Provincial ParkProvincial park · 79 ha · 7.8 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
Parks around Bearspaw
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
Big Island Provincial Park
7.8 km west0.8 km²since 2023
National park
Elk Island National Park
36 km east194 km²since 1913
Big Island Provincial Park, a provincial park, is nearer at 7.8 km.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
Bearspaw and its edge hold 47 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
47 km
in and around the town (14.1 km²)
Woodland
7.6%
about 1.1 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
BearspawTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths3.4
024 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
BearspawTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Woodland7.6%
0%50%100%
It is less wooded than 53% of Canadian towns. Few places match it for paths: more than 76% of Canadian towns have fewer.
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 named walking route passes Bearspaw on the map
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 walking or hiking route is mapped near the neighbourhood; local paths may simply not be on OpenStreetMap as routes.
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 Bearspaw: May, August and September
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Edmonton (City) (14 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) | 8.0 | 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 |
Some 124 cm of snow falls each winter. Summer highs reach 24 °C in July; in January they stay near -6 °C. Rain peaks with the heat: 83 mm in July, against 12 mm in February. The climate in Bearspaw →
Beaches
2 beaches within 5 km of Bearspaw, none named
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Whether the water is fit for a swim isn’t in any open national dataset; public health posts the local advisories.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
A viewpoint near Bearspaw
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
Playgrounds lead the count with 22.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 1
Plus 1 viewpoint without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 1
Mactaggart Sanctuary1.9 km from town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 22
McEwan Playground0.9 km from town
DirectionsAlexander Rutherford Park Playground1.9 km from town
DirectionsPlus 20 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Central Bark Off-Leash Dog Park0.4 km from town
DirectionsSource: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Gardens to visit
Near Bearspaw: 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.
Mill Woods Sports ParkGarden or park · 3.6 km from town
DirectionsWilliam Hawrelak ParkGarden or park · 8.4 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 Bearspaw
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
SkyrattlerErmineskinTwin BrooksMacEwanBlue QuillCavanaghBearspaw
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bearspaw | 0.3% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Skyrattler 1.6 km | 0.3% | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Ermineskin 1.7 km | 0.3% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Twin Brooks 2.1 km | 0.3% | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| MacEwan 2.4 km | 0.3% | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| Blue Quill 2.4 km | 0.3% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Cavanagh 2.5 km | 0.2% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
None of its neighbours has twice the protected land around it that Bearspaw has.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- National and provincial parks. Distances run from the town’s edge to the park’s, so 0 km means they touch.
- Beaches. Beaches are OpenStreetMap’s, named or not; in the north many are unnamed shoreline imports.
- Private land. CPCAD includes conservation land held privately; the page counts it and leaves the names out.
- 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. 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.
Questions about the outdoors in Bearspaw
Is there protected land near Bearspaw?
Yes: 0.3% of the land within 10 km is protected.
What is the nearest national park to Bearspaw?
The nearest is Elk Island National Park, 36 km away.
What is the nearest beach to Bearspaw?
There are beaches within 5 km, none of them named.
Is there a provincial park near Bearspaw?
The closest is Big Island Provincial Park, at 7.8 km.
When is the best time for walking in Bearspaw?
May, August and September: long days, mild highs and little rain.
What is the biggest park or reserve near Bearspaw?
Big Island Provincial Park: 79 ha, a provincial park.
Sources
Where Bearspaw’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.
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).