First pick
Meadows District Park
Park or garden
20 ha3.6 km of path
50 minto walk all 3.6 km of path
1.5 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
0.2%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Laurel · parks, protected land & trails
Laurel is 28 km from Elk Island National Park
The closest provincial park is Big Island Provincial Park, 16 km from the edge of town. Out to 10 km from the town’s edge, 0.2% of the land is protected; 2.3% is typical for a Canadian town. 3 beaches are mapped within 5 km, none with a name.
Protected land
0.2%
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
28 km
Elk Island National Park
Nearest provincial park
16 km
Big Island Provincial Park
Beaches
3
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Against other towns
How Laurel 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 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 areas1Areas 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
Laurel sits 2nd from last of 40 towns its size for protected land around it
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (15,001 to 15,570 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
Laurel0.2%
Towns its size3.1%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Laurel1
Towns its size8
Towns in Alberta2
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Laurel0
Towns its size0
Towns in Alberta0
Typical Canadian town0
Against towns its size, Laurel is weakest for protected land nearby: 36 of 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Whistler BC | 56% | 26% | 11 | 3 | 8 |
| 2 | Pincourt QC | 33% | 0.6% | 38 | 0 | 4 |
| 3 | Lachine-Ouest QC | 19% | 0.1% | 28 | 0 | 4 |
| 4 | Beauharnois QC | 17% | 2.2% | 32 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Les Rapides QC | 16% | 0% | 34 | 0 | 2 |
| 6 | Arbutus Ridge BC | 15% | 0% | 12 | 2 | 62 |
| 7 | Gaspé QC | 13% | 21% | 41 | 13 | 51 |
| 8 | Brookside - Briarbrook - Morgans Grant ON | 8.1% | 0% | 14 | 0 | 1 |
| 9 | Dupéré QC | 7.7% | 0% | 23 | 0 | 1 |
| 10 | Pointe-Saint-Charles QC | 7.7% | 0% | 24 | 1 | 6 |
| 11 | Vieux-Longueuil QC | 6.4% | 0% | 24 | 0 | 5 |
| 12 | Lougheed BC | 5.6% | 0% | 53 | 2 | 49 |
| 13 | Saint-François QC | 5.4% | 1% | 56 | 0 | 1 |
| 14 | Lairet QC | 5% | 0% | 15 | 0 | 4 |
| 15 | Sainte-Adèle QC | 4.8% | 8% | 24 | 1 | 5 |
| 16 | Parksville BC | 4.4% | 13% | 24 | 0 | 11 |
| 17 | Vallée-de-la-Lièvre QC | 4.3% | 16% | 39 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | Lachute QC | 3.5% | 0.9% | 27 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | Buttonville ON | 3.2% | 0% | 34 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Limoges ON | 3.1% | 5.7% | 31 | 0 | 2 |
| 21 | Royal Orchard ON | 3% | 0% | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| 22 | François-Perrault QC | 2.6% | 0% | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | Taylor-Massey ON | 2.3% | 13% | 12 | 1 | 15 |
| 24 | Doon South ON | 2.3% | 16% | 22 | 2 | 0 |
| 25 | Byron ON | 2.1% | 0% | 14 | 1 | 0 |
| 26 | Pleasant View ON | 1.9% | 0% | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | East Willowdale ON | 1.7% | 0% | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Lawrence Park South ON | 1.7% | 0% | 15 | 2 | 1 |
| 29 | Hamilton Road ON | 1.7% | 0% | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Stonebridge SK | 1.7% | 0% | 18 | 0 | 1 |
| 31 | Saint-Vincent-de-Paul QC | 1.5% | 0% | 23 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | Pembroke ON | 1% | 0% | 6 | 0 | 3 |
| 33 | Campbellford ON | 0.8% | 0.5% | 24 | 7 | 0 |
| 34 | Dorchester ON | 0.6% | 1% | 17 | 2 | 2 |
| 35 | High River AB | 0.6% | 0% | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 36 | Thorncliffe AB | 0.3% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 37 | Central Elgin ON | 0.2% | 0.3% | 8 | 7 | 6 |
| 38 | Edenbridge-Humber Valley ON | 0.2% | 2.1% | 6 | 1 | 6 |
| 39 | Laurel AB | 0.2% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 40 | Edgemont AB | 0% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 2 |
The map
Parks, woods and paths around Laurel
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
Walk in Laurel: 7 named parks and woods
Meadows District Park is the largest, at 20 ha; the rest follow by size, numbered as on the map.
7 named parks and woods, 40 ha in all
Parks & gardens 40 ha
Meadows District Park and Laurel Park together hold 71% of it.
Laurel Park
Park or garden
7.9 ha1.3 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.3 km of path
1.1 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Silver Berry Park
Park or garden · 360 m outside town
5.4 ha0.6 km of path
5 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
1.3 km northfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Mabuhay Park
Park or garden
2.3 ha0.4 km of path
0.6 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Daly Grove Park
Park or garden · 290 m outside town
2.9 ha
1.0 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Aster Playground
Park or garden · 240 m outside town
0.5 ha
1.5 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Muchias Park
Park or garden · 230 m outside town
0.4 ha
1.3 km north-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
Every resident of Laurel 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%)
Laurel100%
Towns in Alberta100%
Typical Canadian town83%
The typical Canadian town manages 83%, so this is better.
Protected areas
Laurel 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 Laurel0%
Within 10 km0.2%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
A government owns it.
Sherwood Park Natural AreaNature reserve · 69 ha · 5.8 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
Big parks near Laurel
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
16 km west0.8 km²since 2023
National park
Elk Island National Park
28 km east194 km²since 1913
Nearer still is Big Island Provincial Park, a provincial park 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
Laurel and its edge hold 50 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
50 km
in and around the town (13.2 km²)
Woodland
0.5%
about 0.1 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
LaurelTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths3.8
02.55 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
LaurelTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Woodland0.5%
0%50%100%
For woods, 86% of Canadian towns have more. Paths are denser here than in 81% 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
No named walking route passes Laurel 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.
OpenStreetMap has no named walking route within 2 km of the neighbourhood. Trails may exist without being mapped as routes.
Source: OpenStreetMap (route relations hiking, foot and walking), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Trans Canada Trail sections as OSM maps them.
When to get out
Laurel is best on foot in May, August and September
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Edmonton (City), 16 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 |
The yearly snowfall is near 124 cm. The wettest month is the warmest, July (83 mm); February has 12 mm. From -6 °C in January to 24 °C in July: that is the range of daytime highs. The climate in Laurel →
Beaches
3 unnamed beaches near Laurel
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Water 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
Outdoors around Laurel: 26 places to go
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
There are 26 playgrounds, more than of anything else.
Every named place, with directions
Playgrounds 26
Silver Berry Park Playground0.4 km from town
DirectionsTamarack Playground0.7 km from town
DirectionsBlair McPherson Playground1.7 km from town
DirectionsKittlitz Park Playground1.8 km from town
DirectionsPlus 22 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Gardens to visit
Near Laurel: 2 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.
Mill Woods Sports ParkGarden or park · 2.8 km from town
DirectionsWilliam Hawrelak ParkGarden or park · 13 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 Laurel
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
Daly GroveCrawford PlainsBissetSilver BerryPollard MeadowsWeinlosLaurel
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laurel | 0.2% | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Daly Grove 1.0 km | 0.3% | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Crawford Plains 1.4 km | 0.3% | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Bisset 1.6 km | 0.3% | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Silver Berry 1.7 km | 0.2% | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Pollard Meadows 1.9 km | 0.3% | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Weinlos 2.5 km | 0.3% | 2 | 0 | 3 |
Next door, protected shares stay within twice Laurel’s.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- National and provincial parks. The nearest national park and the nearest provincial park are always shown when they are within 100 km.
- Beaches. The count includes unnamed stretches mapped as beach, which can make a lakeside town’s figure large.
- Walking routes. Routes are what OpenStreetMap’s volunteers have mapped as named walking or hiking routes; many good trails aren’t mapped that way.
- 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.
- Protected land. CPCAD maps each protected area; the page counts how much of the 10 km around the town they cover, lakes and sea included.
Questions about the outdoors in Laurel
What is the nearest beach to Laurel?
There are beaches within 5 km, none of them named.
Are there protected areas near Laurel?
Protected areas cover 0.2% of the land within 10 km.
What is the nearest provincial park to Laurel?
Big Island Provincial Park, 16 km away.
What is the largest protected area near Laurel?
It is Sherwood Park Natural Area, a nature reserve covering 69 ha.
How far is Laurel from a national park?
Elk Island National Park, 28 km from the edge of town.
When is the best time for walking in Laurel?
May, August and September: long days, mild highs and little rain.
Sources
Sources for this page on Laurel
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).