First pick
Strathearn Park
Park or garden
17 ha3.2 km of path
45 minto walk all 3.2 km of path
1.4 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Johntwrl · CC BY-SA 3.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Holyrood · parks, protected land & trails
Elk Island National Park is 32 km from Holyrood
A provincial park, Big Island Provincial Park, lies 15 km away. Of the country within 10 km, 0% lies in protected areas; the median Canadian town has 2.3%. One named trail is close: the Amisk Wacîw Mêskanaw.
Protected land
0%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
1
within 10 km, 1 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
32 km
Elk Island National Park
Nearest provincial park
15 km
Big Island Provincial Park
Walking routes
1
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Beaches
1
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Against other towns
How Holyrood 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 areas1Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes1Named 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
Holyrood sits 3rd from last of 40 towns its size for protected land around it
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (3,256 to 3,355 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
Holyrood0%
Towns its size1.9%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Holyrood1
Towns its size2
Towns in Alberta2
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Holyrood1
Towns its size0
Towns in Alberta0
Typical Canadian town0
Where Holyrood trails its peers is protected land nearby; 28 of 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saint-Jean-Port-Joli QC | 52% | 0.7% | 30 | 0 | 2 |
| 2 | Annapolis County, Subdivision D NS | 25% | 31% | 135 | 5 | 5 |
| 3 | Pictou NS | 24% | 0.5% | 7 | 1 | 6 |
| 4 | Division No. 19, Unorganized MB | 22% | 24% | 57 | 0 | 65 |
| 5 | North Kawartha ON | 18% | 36% | 20 | 3 | 4 |
| 6 | Electoral Area A, Sunshine Coast BC | 16% | 11% | 27 | 0 | 37 |
| 7 | Atholville NB | 12% | 3.1% | 24 | 1 | 3 |
| 8 | Inverness County, Subdivision C NS | 8.2% | 6.3% | 181 | 3 | 13 |
| 9 | Sheet Harbour NS | 7.7% | 7.8% | 124 | 2 | 17 |
| 10 | Saint-André-d'Argenteuil QC | 7.4% | 7.4% | 46 | 0 | 3 |
| 11 | Central Okanagan West BC | 6.7% | 5.4% | 49 | 1 | 35 |
| 12 | Enderby BC | 5.7% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 13 | Greeningdon ON | 5.4% | 0% | 17 | 1 | 0 |
| 14 | Grande-Rivière QC | 4.9% | 0% | 9 | 0 | 1 |
| 15 | Hill Park ON | 4.9% | 0% | 17 | 1 | 3 |
| 16 | Hampton NB | 3.7% | 1% | 14 | 2 | 1 |
| 17 | Rankin Inlet NU | 3.5% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | Saint-Jean-Baptiste QC | 2.2% | 2% | 35 | 0 | 3 |
| 19 | Wellington AB | 2.1% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Normanhurst ON | 2% | 0% | 15 | 1 | 7 |
| 21 | North Algona Wilberforce ON | 1.8% | 4.6% | 10 | 0 | 1 |
| 22 | Mill Courtland Woodside Park ON | 1.8% | 0% | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | Point Road MB | 1.5% | 0.2% | 23 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Bonavista NL | 0.7% | 0% | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| 25 | Stoke QC | 0.3% | 0% | 6 | 3 | 1 |
| 26 | Compton QC | 0.3% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 27 | Bulyea Heights AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 28 | Miller AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | Saint-Christophe-d'Arthabaska QC | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 30 | Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes QC | 0% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | Sainte-Clotilde QC | 0% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | Virden MB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | Gibbons AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Inuvik NT | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | Hay River NT | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| 36 | Arviat NU | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 72 |
| 37 | Eaux Claires AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | Holyrood AB | 0% | 0% | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 39 | Northmount AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Westwood AB | 0% | 0% | 1 | 1 | 1 |
The map
The green map of Holyrood
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
5 named parks and woods to walk in near Holyrood
Strathearn Park is the largest, at 17 ha; the rest follow by size, numbered as on the map.
5 named parks and woods, 25 ha in all
Parks & gardens 25 ha
Most of it sits in Strathearn Park and Dermot District Park: 81% together.
Dermot District Park
Park or garden
3.6 ha1.1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.1 km of path
1.1 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Kenilworth Park
Park or garden · 370 m outside town
1.9 ha0.6 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
1.2 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Idylwylde Park
Park or garden · 200 m outside town
0.5 ha0.3 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
Every resident of Holyrood 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%)
Holyrood100%
Towns in Alberta100%
Typical Canadian town83%
It is above the typical Canadian town (83%).
Protected areas
Holyrood has 1 protected area within 10 km
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Holyrood0%
Within 10 km0%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
A government owns it.
Larch SanctuaryNature reserve · 24 ha · 9.8 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
The parks within reach of Holyrood
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
15 km south-west0.8 km²since 2023
National park
Elk Island National Park
32 km east194 km²since 1913
Big Island Provincial Park, a provincial park, is nearer at 15 km.
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: 34 km in and around Holyrood
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
34 km
in and around the town (9 km²)
Woodland
3.3%
about 0.3 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
HolyroodTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths3.8
02.55 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
HolyroodTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Woodland3.3%
0%50%100%
68% of Canadian towns are more wooded. Paths are denser here than in 82% 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
Holyrood has 1 named walking route
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
Regional
Amisk Wacîw Mêskanaw83.8 km
Source: OpenStreetMap (route relations hiking, foot and walking), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Trans Canada Trail sections as OSM maps them.
When to get out
Walking season in Holyrood: May, August and September
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Edmonton (City) (6.4 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 |
Expect 83 mm in July, warm and wet, and 12 mm in February. From -6 °C in January to 24 °C in July: that is the range of daytime highs. The yearly snowfall is near 124 cm. The climate in Holyrood →
Beaches
Accidental Beach, 1.0 km away, is the beach near Holyrood
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Accidental Beach1.0 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
Holyrood has 5 viewpoints within 2 km
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
The map shows 64 playgrounds, ahead of the rest.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 5
Riverdale Lookout1.4 km from town
DirectionsFrederick G. Todd Lookout2.0 km from town
DirectionsPlus 3 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 1
Camel Humps Nature Reserve0.7 km from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 64
Kenilworth Splash pad0.5 km from town
DirectionsRiverdale School Playground1.0 km from town
DirectionsFulton Place Playground1.4 km from town
DirectionsHardisty School Playground1.4 km from town
DirectionsFulton Place Spray Park1.5 km from town
DirectionsPlus 59 playgrounds without a name on the map.
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
3 gardens within reach of Holyrood
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 · 1.6 km from town
DirectionsWilliam Hawrelak ParkGarden or park · 5.9 km from town
DirectionsMill Woods Sports ParkGarden or park · 7.6 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 Holyrood
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
OttewellForest HeightsBonnie DoonRiverdaleKing Edward ParkCapilanoHolyrood
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holyrood | 0% | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Ottewell 1.1 km | 0% | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Forest Heights 1.5 km | 0% | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Bonnie Doon 1.6 km | 0.1% | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Riverdale 1.7 km | 0% | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| King Edward Park 2.0 km | 0.2% | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Capilano 2.6 km | 0% | 0 | 1 | 1 |
No place nearby has double Holyrood’s share of protected land.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Private land. CPCAD includes conservation land held privately; the page counts it and leaves the names out.
- Beaches. A beach counts when its centre point lies within 5 km of the town’s outline. Names come from the map.
- National and provincial parks. National parks are Parks Canada’s; provincial parks are the province’s or territory’s, Québec’s parcs nationaux among them.
- Walking routes. Routes are what OpenStreetMap’s volunteers have mapped as named walking or hiking routes; many good trails aren’t mapped that way.
- Protected land. Protected here means in CPCAD, Canada’s official list: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and other conserved land, measured within 10 km of the town’s edge.
Questions about the outdoors in Holyrood
What is the largest protected area near Holyrood?
Larch Sanctuary: 24 ha, a nature reserve.
How much land around Holyrood is protected?
Protected areas cover 0% of the land within 10 km.
How far is the nearest provincial park from Holyrood?
Big Island Provincial Park, 15 km away.
Are there hiking trails near Holyrood?
The Amisk Wacîw Mêskanaw, mapped within 2 km.
Is there a beach near Holyrood?
Try Accidental Beach, 1.0 km from town.
Is Holyrood near a national park?
Elk Island National Park, 32 km from the edge of town.
When is the best time for walking in Holyrood?
On the normals, May, August and September: that is when days are long, highs reach 15 °C and rain is light.
Sources
Sources for this page on Holyrood
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).