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
1.5 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
0.3%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Callaghan · parks, protected land & trails
Within 39 km of Callaghan: Elk Island National Park
7.7 km from town is Big Island Provincial Park, the nearest provincial park. The protected share within 10 km is 0.3%, where a typical Canadian town has 2.3%. One unnamed beach is mapped within 5 km.
Protected land
0.3%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
3
within 10 km, 2 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
39 km
Elk Island National Park
Nearest provincial park
7.7 km
Big Island Provincial Park
Beaches
1
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Against other towns
Callaghan beside other Canadian towns, figure by figure
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 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
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
Among 40 towns its size, Callaghan is 10th from the bottom for protected land
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (4,108 to 4,251 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
Callaghan0.3%
Towns its size1.5%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Callaghan2
Towns its size4
Towns in Alberta2
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Callaghan0
Towns its size0
Towns in Alberta0
Typical Canadian town0
For protected land nearby, Callaghan lags towns its size: 29 of 39 are ahead.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | La Pocatière QC | 35% | 0.2% | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| 2 | Anderson Walk BC | 23% | 8.2% | 180 | 8 | 4 |
| 3 | Electoral Area F, Central Kootenay BC | 22% | 2.9% | 13 | 2 | 12 |
| 4 | Electoral Area E, Cariboo BC | 16% | 17% | 10 | 0 | 1 |
| 5 | Westphal NS | 12% | 0.5% | 14 | 1 | 7 |
| 6 | Fort Nelson BC | 11% | 9.8% | 36 | 0 | 330 |
| 7 | Carleton-sur-Mer QC | 10% | 0.1% | 26 | 0 | 4 |
| 8 | Merivale Gardens - Grenfell Glen - Pineglen - Country Place ON | 9.5% | 23% | 29 | 0 | 1 |
| 9 | Spring Valley ON | 6.4% | 0% | 12 | 1 | 0 |
| 10 | Balfour ON | 5.7% | 0% | 19 | 1 | 3 |
| 11 | Electoral Area B, Cariboo BC | 5.4% | 4.8% | 10 | 1 | 3 |
| 12 | Electoral Area E, Kitimat-Stikine BC | 4.8% | 0% | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | Port Hardy BC | 4.1% | 2.2% | 14 | 1 | 0 |
| 14 | Barry's Bay ON | 3.9% | 1.9% | 13 | 0 | 4 |
| 15 | Stellarton NS | 3.1% | 0% | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | Templemead ON | 2.3% | 0% | 15 | 2 | 0 |
| 17 | Pioneer Tower West ON | 2.3% | 3.9% | 23 | 2 | 0 |
| 18 | West River PE | 2.2% | 2.9% | 18 | 8 | 15 |
| 19 | Elbow Park AB | 2% | 0% | 3 | 1 | 3 |
| 20 | Vermilion AB | 1.5% | 9.3% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | Calder AB | 1.4% | 0% | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 22 | Métabetchouan--Lac-à-la-Croix QC | 1% | 1% | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| 23 | Northern Lights County AB | 0.9% | 0.6% | 30 | 0 | 67 |
| 24 | Fraipont MB | 0.7% | 0% | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | Island Lakes MB | 0.6% | 0% | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | Banff Trail AB | 0.6% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 27 | Sunalta AB | 0.6% | 0% | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 28 | Wildwood AB | 0.5% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 29 | Beaumaris AB | 0.5% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Patterson AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 31 | Callaghan AB | 0.3% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 32 | Jackson Heights AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 33 | Leger AB | 0.3% | 0% | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 34 | Malmo Plains AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 35 | Crabtree QC | 0.1% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 36 | Napierville QC | 0% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 37 | Claresholm AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | Forest Heights AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 39 | Killarney AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 40 | Ozerna AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The map
Callaghan on the map: green space, protected land and paths
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
6 parks and woods to walk in, in or near Callaghan
Blackmud Creek Ravine is the largest, at 175 ha; the rest follow by size, numbered as on the map.
6 named parks and woods, 217 ha in all
Parks & gardens 40 haWoods 178 ha
Between them, Blackmud Creek Ravine and Heritage Valley District Park cover 91%.
Heritage Valley District Park
Park or garden · 280 m outside town
24 ha3 km of path
40 minto walk all 3 km of path
1.4 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Allard Park
Park or garden · 230 m outside town
7.3 ha0.8 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.8 km of path
0.9 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Blackmud Creek Park
Park or garden
4.7 ha0.1 km of path
1.7 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Monsignor Fee Otterson Park
Park or garden
4.1 ha0.3 km of path
1.3 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Virginia Park Woodland
Wood or forest
2.6 ha
1.6 km north-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
All of Callaghan 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%)
Callaghan100%
Towns in Alberta100%
Typical Canadian town83%
The usual figure for a Canadian town is 83%, lower than here.
Protected areas
3 protected areas lie within 10 km of Callaghan
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Callaghan0%
Within 10 km0.3%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Of the 3, 2 are public land; the others are privately held. Biggest of the named areas: Big Island Provincial Park, 79 ha. The figures include one private conservation area, left unnamed.
Larch SanctuaryNature reserve · 24 ha · 3.1 km from the edge of town
Big Island Provincial ParkProvincial park · 79 ha · 7.7 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
Big parks near Callaghan
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
7.7 km north-west0.8 km²since 2023
National park
Elk Island National Park
39 km east194 km²since 1913
A provincial park is closer: Big Island Provincial Park, at 7.7 km.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
Callaghan has 51 km of footpaths in and around it
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
51 km
in and around the town (9.7 km²)
Woodland
3.9%
about 0.4 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
CallaghanTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths5.2
03.57 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
CallaghanTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Woodland3.9%
0%50%100%
For path density, it beats 93% of Canadian towns. For woods, 65% of Canadian towns have more.
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 Callaghan 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.
There is no mapped walking route within 2 km of the neighbourhood; a local trail club’s maps may show more.
Source: OpenStreetMap (route relations hiking, foot and walking), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Trans Canada Trail sections as OSM maps them.
When to get out
Callaghan is best on foot in May, August and September
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Edmonton (Airport), 10 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) | -7 | -4 | 1 | 10 | 18 | 21 | 23 | 22 | 18 | 10 | 0 | -5 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 22 | 12 | 17 | 30 | 47 | 75 | 87 | 53 | 35 | 22 | 20 | 15 |
July is the warmest month, with highs around 23 °C; January the coldest, at -7 °C. July brings both the warmest days and the most rain (87 mm); February is driest (12 mm). Expect around 127 cm of snow over a winter. The climate in Callaghan →
Beaches
One unnamed beach near Callaghan
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
This page can’t show water quality: no open, Canada-wide record of beach testing exists. Check local advisories first.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
Near Callaghan: one viewpoint on the map
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
Most numerous: playgrounds (17).
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 1
Plus 1 viewpoint without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 17
Neufeld Landing Park0.1 km from town
DirectionsAlexander Rutherford Park Playground1.0 km from town
DirectionsMcEwan Playground1.3 km from town
DirectionsPlus 14 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Gardens to visit
2 gardens within reach of Callaghan
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 · 6.5 km from town
DirectionsWilliam Hawrelak ParkGarden or park · 12 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 Callaghan
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
AllardRutherfordCavanaghPaisleyMacEwanChappelleCallaghan
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
For protected land, no neighbour of Callaghan doubles its share.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Private land. Private conservation land is in the totals, not the lists. Many such areas are easements on working farms or woodlots.
- Protected land. The 10 km band starts at the town’s outline, not its centre, so a large municipality reaches further than a small town.
- National and provincial parks. The nearest national park and the nearest provincial park are always shown when they are within 100 km.
- Walking routes. The list is OpenStreetMap’s, so a missing trail may just be unmapped. The Trans Canada Trail appears where OSM maps it.
- Beaches. Beaches are OpenStreetMap’s, named or not; in the north many are unnamed shoreline imports.
Questions about the outdoors in Callaghan
What is the biggest park or reserve near Callaghan?
Big Island Provincial Park, a provincial park of 79 ha.
What is the nearest provincial park to Callaghan?
It is Big Island Provincial Park, 7.7 km away.
What is the best season to get outdoors in Callaghan?
May, August and September: long days, mild highs and little rain.
Where can you swim near Callaghan?
One beach is mapped within 5 km, though without a name.
What is the nearest national park to Callaghan?
It is Elk Island National Park, 39 km off.
Are there protected areas near Callaghan?
Protected areas cover 0.3% of the land within 10 km.
Sources
The sources behind Callaghan’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.
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).