First pick
Mill Creek Ravine
Wood or forest
103 ha26.2 km of path
5 h 50 minto walk all 26.2 km of path
1.5 km southfrom the centre
PapaschaseStragglerNo Where Man+4 paths
Directionsto a point inside
0.3%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Jackson Heights · parks, protected land & trails
Jackson Heights is 29 km from Elk Island National Park
The closest provincial park is Big Island Provincial Park, 15 km from the edge of town. OpenStreetMap shows 3 unnamed beaches within 5 km. 0.3% of the land and water within 10 km is protected (the typical Canadian town: 2.3%).
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
29 km
Elk Island National Park
Nearest provincial park
15 km
Big Island Provincial Park
Beaches
3
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Against other towns
Jackson Heights 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. Outdoors isn’t graded in Canada. The page compares each figure with other towns and leaves it there.
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
Beaches3Beaches mapped on OpenStreetMap within 5 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Jackson Heights sits 9th from last of 40 towns its size for protected land around it
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (4,144 to 4,261 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
Jackson Heights0.3%
Towns its size1.5%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Jackson Heights2
Towns its size4
Towns in Alberta2
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Jackson Heights0
Towns its size0
Towns in Alberta0
Typical Canadian town0
Against towns its size, Jackson Heights is weakest for protected land nearby: 29 of 39 have more.
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 | Victoria County, Subdivision B NS | 12% | 17% | 244 | 1 | 21 |
| 6 | Westphal NS | 12% | 0.5% | 14 | 1 | 7 |
| 7 | Fort Nelson BC | 11% | 9.8% | 36 | 0 | 330 |
| 8 | Carleton-sur-Mer QC | 10% | 0.1% | 26 | 0 | 4 |
| 9 | Merivale Gardens - Grenfell Glen - Pineglen - Country Place ON | 9.5% | 23% | 29 | 0 | 1 |
| 10 | Spring Valley ON | 6.4% | 0% | 12 | 1 | 0 |
| 11 | Balfour ON | 5.7% | 0% | 19 | 1 | 3 |
| 12 | Electoral Area B, Cariboo BC | 5.4% | 4.8% | 10 | 1 | 3 |
| 13 | Electoral Area E, Kitimat-Stikine BC | 4.8% | 0% | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Port Hardy BC | 4.1% | 2.2% | 14 | 1 | 0 |
| 15 | Barry's Bay ON | 3.9% | 1.9% | 13 | 0 | 4 |
| 16 | Stellarton NS | 3.1% | 0% | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | Ormstown QC | 2.9% | 1.6% | 16 | 0 | 2 |
| 18 | Templemead ON | 2.3% | 0% | 15 | 2 | 0 |
| 19 | West River PE | 2.2% | 2.9% | 18 | 8 | 15 |
| 20 | Vermilion AB | 1.5% | 9.3% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | St. George MB | 1.5% | 0% | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | Calder AB | 1.4% | 0% | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 23 | Métabetchouan--Lac-à-la-Croix QC | 1% | 1% | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| 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 | Discovery Ridge AB | 0.5% | 32% | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 29 | Wildwood AB | 0.5% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 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 | Malmo Plains AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 34 | East Angus QC | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 1 | 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 | Killarney AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 39 | Mayliewan AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Ozerna AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The map
Jackson Heights 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
4 parks and woods to walk in, in or near Jackson Heights
The biggest is Mill Creek Ravine, 103 ha. Biggest first, numbered as on the map.
4 named parks and woods, 159 ha in all
Parks & gardens 56 haWoods 103 ha
Two places, Mill Creek Ravine and Jackie Parker Park, make up 91% of the total.
Jackie Parker Park
Park or garden
42 ha5.5 km of path
1 h 15 minto walk all 5.5 km of path
0.9 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Off-Leash Area
Park or garden · 50 m outside town
9.3 ha1.9 km of path
25 minto walk all 1.9 km of path
0.8 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Annie May Jackson Park
Park or garden
4.6 ha0.1 km of path
Centralin the middle of Jackson Heights
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
A park is within a short walk for 9 in 10 in Jackson Heights
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 (86%)Further (14%)
Jackson Heights86%
Towns in Alberta100%
Typical Canadian town83%
For comparison, the median Canadian town has 83%. That leaves about 600 people more than a short walk away.
Protected areas
2 protected areas lie within 10 km of Jackson Heights
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Jackson Heights0%
Within 10 km0.3%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Each of the 2 is held by a public body. Sherwood Park Natural Area covers 69 ha, the most of any named area.
Sherwood Park Natural AreaNature reserve · 69 ha · 7.2 km from the edge of town
Larch SanctuaryNature reserve · 24 ha · 8.9 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 Jackson Heights
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 west0.8 km²since 2023
National park
Elk Island National Park
29 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
38 km of paths in and around Jackson Heights
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
38 km
in and around the town (9 km²)
Woodland
5.4%
about 0.5 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
Jackson HeightsTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths4.3
02.55 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
Jackson HeightsTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Woodland5.4%
0%50%100%
For path density, it beats 86% of Canadian towns. 60% of Canadian towns are more wooded.
Source: OpenStreetMap, © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Mapping varies by place: a dense figure can mean keen local mappers as much as many paths.
Walking routes
OpenStreetMap shows no walking route near Jackson Heights
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
Walking season in Jackson Heights: May, August and September
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Edmonton (City), 12 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 |
Some 124 cm of snow falls each winter. Rain peaks with the heat: 83 mm in July, against 12 mm in February. Summer highs reach 24 °C in July; in January they stay near -6 °C. The climate in Jackson Heights →
Beaches
3 beaches within 5 km of Jackson Heights, none named
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
No national or provincial register of beach water quality is published as open data, so check the local health unit before swimming.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
Near Jackson Heights: 23 outdoor spots 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 (18).
Every named place, with directions
Nature reserves 1
Roper Pond Constructed Wetland1.5 km from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 3
Plus 3 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 18
Kittlitz Park Playground1.8 km from town
DirectionsPlus 17 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Off-Leash Area0.2 km from town
DirectionsSource: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Gardens to visit
2 gardens within reach of Jackson Heights
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 · 2.7 km from town
DirectionsWilliam Hawrelak ParkGarden or park · 9.6 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 Jackson Heights
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
Kiniski GardensGreenviewLarkspurMinchauHillviewWeinlosJackson Heights
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
No neighbouring place reaches twice Jackson Heights’ protected share.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Questions about the outdoors in Jackson Heights
Is Jackson Heights near a national park?
It is Elk Island National Park, 29 km off.
When should you visit Jackson Heights for the outdoors?
May, August and September: long days, mild highs and little rain.
What is the nearest provincial park to Jackson Heights?
It is Big Island Provincial Park, 15 km away.
Which is the biggest protected area near Jackson Heights?
It is Sherwood Park Natural Area, a nature reserve covering 69 ha.
How much land around Jackson Heights is protected?
Protected areas cover 0.3% of the land within 10 km.
Where can you swim near Jackson Heights?
There are beaches within 5 km, none of them named.
Sources
The sources behind Jackson Heights’ 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).