First pick
Clareview Park
Park or garden · 120 m outside town
20 ha3.1 km of path
40 minto walk all 3.1 km of path
1.5 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: LaserToaster5 · CC BY-SA 4.00.2%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Kirkness · parks, protected land & trails
Within 28 km of Kirkness: Elk Island National Park
The closest provincial park is Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park, 16 km from the edge of town. 2 protected areas lie within 10 km. 0.2% of the land and water within 10 km is protected (the typical Canadian town: 2.3%).
Protected land
0.2%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
2
within 10 km, 0 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
28 km
Elk Island National Park
Nearest provincial park
16 km
Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park
Walking routes
1
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Beaches
1
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Against other towns
Kirkness 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. Outdoors isn’t graded in Canada. The page compares each figure with other towns and leaves it there.
Protected within 10 km0.2%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 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
Kirkness sits 9th from last of 40 towns its size for protected land around it
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (5,192 to 5,368 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
Kirkness0.2%
Towns its size1.5%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Kirkness0
Towns its size3
Towns in Alberta2
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Kirkness1
Towns its size0
Towns in Alberta0
Typical Canadian town0
For public protected areas, Kirkness lags towns its size: 32 of 39 are ahead.
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 | Oliver BC | 19% | 0.8% | 24 | 0 | 1 |
| 3 | Metchosin BC | 18% | 9.6% | 31 | 2 | 22 |
| 4 | Lake Echo NS | 16% | 33% | 25 | 2 | 5 |
| 5 | Montréal-Ouest QC | 16% | 0% | 24 | 0 | 2 |
| 6 | Upper Tantallon NS | 13% | 19% | 157 | 3 | 12 |
| 7 | Témiscouata-sur-le-Lac QC | 11% | 1% | 3 | 6 | 3 |
| 8 | Saint-Denis-de-Brompton QC | 9.4% | 1.6% | 19 | 2 | 3 |
| 9 | Electoral Area L, Cariboo BC | 9.1% | 9.1% | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | Central Frontenac ON | 8.2% | 8.2% | 39 | 1 | 7 |
| 11 | The Ravines of Rainbow Creek ON | 6.9% | 8.2% | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | Gourley ON | 6.5% | 0% | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | Uplands SK | 5.4% | 0% | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Trumpeter Area AB | 5.4% | 1.6% | 9 | 7 | 0 |
| 15 | Electoral Area B, Central Kootenay BC | 4.5% | 7.4% | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | Aldergrove AB | 3.7% | 0% | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | Crown Point East ON | 3.1% | 0% | 23 | 1 | 6 |
| 18 | Southdale ON | 1.9% | 0% | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | Waverley Heights MB | 1.7% | 0% | 22 | 0 | 1 |
| 20 | Normand Park MB | 1.5% | 3.1% | 18 | 0 | 1 |
| 21 | South West Industrial SK | 1.4% | 0% | 19 | 0 | 1 |
| 22 | Mount Royal SK | 1.3% | 0% | 16 | 0 | 3 |
| 23 | Windsor QC | 1% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Westdale MB | 1% | 1% | 10 | 0 | 37 |
| 25 | Marystown NL | 0.6% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| 26 | St. Boniface Industrial Park MB | 0.6% | 0.1% | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Deer Lake NL | 0.4% | 3.8% | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| 28 | Norwood ON | 0.3% | 0% | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 29 | Bearspaw AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 30 | Ogilvie Ridge AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 31 | Belmont AB | 0.2% | 0% | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 32 | Kirkness AB | 0.2% | 0% | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 33 | Saint-Cyrille-de-Wendover QC | 0.1% | 0.5% | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 34 | Edmonton Energy And Technology Park AB | 0.1% | 0.8% | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 35 | Ritchie AB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 36 | Tweddle Place AB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 37 | Saint-Joseph-de-Beauce QC | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 38 | Carstairs AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Westlock AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Belvedere AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The map
Where the green is in Kirkness
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
Walk in Kirkness: 5 named parks and woods
Clareview Park is the largest, at 20 ha; the rest follow by size, numbered as on the map.
5 named parks and woods, 39 ha in all
Parks & gardens 39 ha
Add Clareview Park to Kirkness Park and you have 73% of it.
Kirkness Park
Park or garden
8.5 ha0.2 km of path
Centralin the middle of Kirkness
Directionsto a point inside
Hairsine Park
Park or garden · 190 m outside town
6.4 ha0.8 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.8 km of path
0.9 km southfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Ebbers Park
Park or garden
3.7 ha0.3 km of path
1.1 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
James A. Christianson Park
Park or garden
0.5 ha
0.7 km south-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
In Kirkness, 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%)
Kirkness100%
Towns in Alberta100%
Typical Canadian town83%
That beats the typical Canadian town, where it is 83%.
Protected areas
2 protected areas lie within 10 km of Kirkness
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Kirkness0%
Within 10 km0.2%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
They belong to private owners or land trusts, so the page leaves their names out.
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 Kirkness
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
16 km west21 km²since 2005
National park
Elk Island National Park
28 km east194 km²since 1913
Closer to home, Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park is 16 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
Kirkness and its edge hold 46 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
46 km
in and around the town (10.2 km²)
Woodland
0.7%
about 0.1 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
KirknessTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths4.5
036 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
KirknessTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Woodland0.7%
0%50%100%
84% of Canadian towns are more wooded. Few places match it for paths: more than 88% 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
Kirkness 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
Get out in Kirkness in May, August and September
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Edmonton (City) (9.9 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 | 16.6 | 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 |
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. Some 124 cm of snow falls each winter. The climate in Kirkness →
Beaches
A beach within 5 km of Kirkness
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
Near Kirkness: 21 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.
21 playgrounds top the list.
Every named place, with directions
Playgrounds 21
Fraser Playground0.5 km from town
DirectionsBrintnell Playground0.6 km from town
DirectionsTreehouse Indoor Playground0.8 km from town
Directionssplash pad1.3 km from town
DirectionsPlus 17 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Gardens to visit
William Hawrelak Park, 12 km from Kirkness, is the garden 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.
William 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 Kirkness
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
FraserBannermanEdmonton Energy And Technology ParkMillerBrintnellClareview Town CentreKirkness
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kirkness | 0.2% | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Fraser 0.9 km | 0.2% | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Bannerman 1.0 km | 0.3% | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Edmonton Energy And Technology Park 1.1 km | 0.1% | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Miller 1.3 km | 0.3% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Brintnell 1.7 km | 0.3% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Clareview Town Centre 1.7 km | 0.2% | 2 | 1 | 0 |
Its neighbours have no more than twice Kirkness’ protected share.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Protected land. The share is of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s outline, from CPCAD’s mapped areas; marine areas count, so a coastal town can score high on water.
- Private land. Areas held by land trusts or private owners stay unnamed here, though they count in the shares.
- 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.
- National and provincial parks. A park at 0 km touches or overlaps the town’s outline; directions point from the town’s centre.
- Beaches. A beach counts when its centre point lies within 5 km of the town’s outline. Names come from the map.
Questions about the outdoors in Kirkness
Are there hiking trails near Kirkness?
OpenStreetMap maps the Amisk Wacîw Mêskanaw close by.
Is there a beach near Kirkness?
There is an unnamed beach within 5 km.
How much land around Kirkness is protected?
Within 10 km, 0.2% of the land lies in protected areas.
How far is the nearest provincial park from Kirkness?
The closest is Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park, at 16 km.
How far is Kirkness from a national park?
The nearest is Elk Island National Park, 28 km away.
When should you visit Kirkness for the outdoors?
May, August and September: long days, mild highs and little rain.
Sources
Where Kirkness’ 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).