First pick
O-day'min Park
Park or garden · 390 m outside town
1.7 ha0.9 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.9 km of path
1.2 km southfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Odysseus1479 · CC BY-SA 3.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Central McDougall · parks, protected land & trails
Elk Island National Park is 35 km from Central McDougall
The closest provincial park is Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park, 11 km from the edge of town. OpenStreetMap shows 3 walking routes nearby, including the Amisk Wacîw Mêskanaw and Edmonton Pedway Network. Out to 10 km from the town’s edge, 0% of the land is protected; 2.3% is typical for a Canadian town.
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
35 km
Elk Island National Park
Nearest provincial park
11 km
Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park
Walking routes
3
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Beaches
1
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
What Central McDougall has going for it outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
Walking routes3 named routes within 2 kmLittle protected land0% within 10 km; the typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Central McDougall’s best card is its choice of walking routes. What it lacks is protected land nearby.
Against other towns
How Central McDougall 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. Outdoors isn’t one of Canada’s graded subjects, so there’s no letter here: each figure is set against other Canadian towns instead.
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 routes3Named 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
Of 40 towns its size, none has less protected land around it than Central McDougall
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (4,702 to 4,884 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
Central McDougall0%
Towns its size2%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Central McDougall0
Towns its size3
Towns in Alberta2
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Central McDougall3
Towns its size0
Towns in Alberta0
Typical Canadian town0
For public protected areas, Central McDougall lags towns its size: 33 of 39 are ahead.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dundas NB | 29% | 1.3% | 12 | 0 | 6 |
| 2 | Rivière-Rouge QC | 17% | 6.6% | 36 | 0 | 18 |
| 3 | Bathurst NB | 13% | 9.9% | 42 | 1 | 23 |
| 4 | Château-Richer QC | 12% | 0.3% | 38 | 0 | 2 |
| 5 | Central Okanagan BC | 11% | 13% | 52 | 1 | 25 |
| 6 | Greenboro East ON | 11% | 0% | 19 | 0 | 1 |
| 7 | Qualicum - Redwood ON | 11% | 0% | 25 | 2 | 5 |
| 8 | Guysborough NS | 8.9% | 15% | 308 | 1 | 56 |
| 9 | Sutton QC | 6.6% | 12% | 47 | 14 | 0 |
| 10 | Rosenthal AB | 6.1% | 0% | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | Marmora ON | 5.5% | 8.7% | 30 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | Cornwallis MB | 5.5% | 3.7% | 26 | 0 | 1 |
| 13 | North End East ON | 4.8% | 0% | 23 | 0 | 3 |
| 14 | Electoral Area H, Nanaimo BC | 3.3% | 1.2% | 56 | 11 | 6 |
| 15 | Roxton Pond QC | 2.6% | 7.3% | 9 | 0 | 5 |
| 16 | Glenwood AB | 2.6% | 0% | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | Shippagan NB | 2.5% | 18% | 26 | 0 | 47 |
| 18 | Amaranth ON | 2.3% | 0.2% | 27 | 1 | 1 |
| 19 | Canora AB | 2.3% | 0% | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| 20 | Electoral Area B, Nanaimo BC | 2.1% | 3.2% | 38 | 0 | 10 |
| 21 | Woodlands County AB | 1.8% | 1.4% | 25 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | Pembina Strip MB | 1.7% | 0% | 19 | 0 | 1 |
| 23 | Maybank MB | 1.5% | 0% | 23 | 0 | 1 |
| 24 | Electoral Area D, Columbia-Shuswap BC | 1.4% | 0% | 9 | 0 | 4 |
| 25 | Electoral Area D, Fraser-Fort George BC | 0.9% | 0.1% | 4 | 0 | 12 |
| 26 | Hampton NB | 0.8% | 0.9% | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | St. Stephen NB | 0.7% | 0.2% | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Richmond AB | 0.7% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 29 | Saint-Jacques QC | 0.3% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Rossmere-B MB | 0.3% | 0% | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | Baturyn AB | 0.3% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | Empire Park AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | Macewan Glen AB | 0.2% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 34 | Grand Valley ON | 0.1% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | Kindersley SK | 0.1% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 36 | South Common ON | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 37 | Saint-Agapit QC | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 38 | Flin Flon (Part) MB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Barrhead AB | 0% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Central McDougall AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 3 | 1 |
The map
Parks, woods and paths around Central McDougall
The neighbourhood’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
8 named parks and woods to walk in near Central McDougall
The biggest is O-day'min Park, 1.7 ha. Biggest first, numbered as on the map.
8 named parks and woods, 8 ha in all
Parks & gardens 8.3 ha
Add O-day'min Park to Central McDougall Park and you have 41% of it.
Railtown Park
Park or garden · 140 m outside town
1.5 ha0.8 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.8 km of path
1.2 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Central McDougall Park
Park or garden
1.7 ha0.5 km of path
5 minto walk all 0.5 km of path
Centralin the middle of Central McDougall
Directionsto a point inside
ICE District Fan Park
Park or garden
1.1 ha
0.7 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Alex Decoteau Park
Park or garden · 260 m outside town
0.3 ha0.4 km of path
1.0 km southfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Victoria Cross Memorial Park
Park or garden
0.5 ha
0.9 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Miyonohk
Park or garden · 270 m outside town
0.2 ha0.1 km of path
1.0 km southfrom 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
In Central McDougall, a park is close to every home
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%)
Central McDougall100%
Towns in Alberta100%
Typical Canadian town83%
The typical Canadian town manages 83%, so this is better.
Protected areas
There is no protected land within 10 km of Central McDougall
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, 11 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 Central McDougall
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
11 km north-west21 km²since 2005
National park
Elk Island National Park
35 km east194 km²since 1913
Nearer still is Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park, a provincial park 11 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
Central McDougall and its edge hold 44 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
44 km
in and around the town (9.2 km²)
Woodland
0.5%
about 0 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
Central McDougallTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths4.8
036 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
Central McDougallTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Woodland0.5%
0%50%100%
Woods cover less of it than in 86% of Canadian towns. Paths are denser here than in 90% 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
3 walking routes near Central McDougall
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
RegionalOther waymarked
Amisk Wacîw Mêskanaw83.8 km
Edmonton Pedway Network3.2 km
NAIT Pwedway System0.4 km
For a longer outing, the Amisk Wacîw Mêskanaw runs 83.8 km.
Source: OpenStreetMap (route relations hiking, foot and walking), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Trans Canada Trail sections as OSM maps them.
When to get out
Central McDougall is best on foot in May, August and September
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Edmonton (City), 2.3 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. July is warm and wet, 83 mm; the driest month, February, has 12 mm. The climate in Central McDougall →
Beaches
The beach near Central McDougall: Accidental Beach, 1.6 km away
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Accidental Beach1.6 km from town
DirectionsWater quality isn’t shown: there’s no open national record of beach tests. Local health authorities post advisories.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
Near Central McDougall: 7 viewpoints, 1 waterfalls
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
The highest named peak nearby is Bellamy Hill, at 686 m. There are 54 playgrounds, more than of anything else.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 7
Frederick G. Todd Lookout0.9 km from town
DirectionsRiverdale Lookout1.2 km from town
DirectionsRiverSide 1001.8 km from town
DirectionsPlus 4 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 6
Bellamy Hill686 m · 0.6 km from town
DirectionsMcDougall Hill670 m · 0.6 km from town
DirectionsGrierson Hill678 m · 0.7 km from town
DirectionsPlus 3 hills and peaks without a name on the map.
Waterfalls 1
EPCOR Waterfall0.3 km from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 9
Site 41.6 km from town
DirectionsSite 61.6 km from town
DirectionsSite 31.6 km from town
DirectionsSite 51.6 km from town
DirectionsSite 21.7 km from town
DirectionsSite 11.7 km from town
DirectionsPlus 3 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 54
splash pad0.7 km from town
DirectionsRiverdale School Playground1.7 km from town
DirectionsPlus 52 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 3
104th Avenue Off-Leash Dog Parkin town
DirectionsPlus 2 dog parks without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Gardens to visit
Near Central McDougall: 3 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 · 1.0 km from town
DirectionsWilliam Hawrelak ParkGarden or park · 3.3 km from town
DirectionsMill Woods Sports ParkGarden or park · 11 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 Central McDougall
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
Queen Mary ParkMcCauleyDowntownBoyle StreetWîhkwêntôwinAlberta AvenueCentral McDougall
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central McDougall | 0% | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Queen Mary Park 1.1 km | 0.1% | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| McCauley 1.2 km | 0% | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Downtown 1.6 km | 0.1% | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Boyle Street 1.7 km | 0% | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Wîhkwêntôwin 1.8 km | 0.1% | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Alberta Avenue 2.2 km | 0% | 0 | 3 | 1 |
For protected land, no neighbour of Central McDougall doubles its share.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Beaches. The count includes unnamed stretches mapped as beach, which can make a lakeside town’s figure large.
- National and provincial parks. The nearest national park and the nearest provincial park are always shown when they are within 100 km.
- 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. 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.
- Walking routes. The list is OpenStreetMap’s, so a missing trail may just be unmapped. The Trans Canada Trail appears where OSM maps it.
Questions about the outdoors in Central McDougall
What is the nearest provincial park to Central McDougall?
Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park, 11 km away.
What is the nearest beach to Central McDougall?
Try Accidental Beach, 1.6 km from town.
Are there hiking trails near Central McDougall?
Try the Amisk Wacîw Mêskanaw, Edmonton Pedway Network and NAIT Pwedway System; more are on the map.
When is the best time for walking in Central McDougall?
May, August and September: long days, mild highs and little rain.
What is the nearest national park to Central McDougall?
Elk Island National Park, 35 km from the edge of town.
Sources
The sources behind Central McDougall’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).