First pick
Dawson Park
Park or garden · 80 m outside town
50 ha12.4 km of path
2 h 45 minto walk all 12.4 km of path
0.9 km south-eastfrom the centre
Dawson Park AccessBaker's FollyDawson Access+5 paths
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: WinterE229 (WinterforceMedia) · CC0–Not graded
Outdoors in McCauley · parks, protected land & trails
McCauley is 34 km from Elk Island National Park
The nearest provincial park, Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park, is 12 km away. 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
34 km
Elk Island National Park
Nearest provincial park
12 km
Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park
Walking routes
3
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Beaches
1
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
What McCauley 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%
For someone who likes to get outside, McCauley’s draw is its choice of walking routes. Less going for it: protected land nearby.
Against other towns
How McCauley 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. No letter: the outdoors is described for Canadian towns, not graded.
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
McCauley has the 3rd least protected land nearby of 40 towns its size
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (4,002 to 4,122 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
McCauley0%
Towns its size1.2%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
McCauley0
Towns its size3
Towns in Alberta2
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
McCauley3
Towns its size1
Towns in Alberta0
Typical Canadian town0
Against towns its size, McCauley does best for walking routes: 3 of the other 39 have more. For public protected areas, though, 27 of 39 are ahead.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mistissini QC | 26% | 1.4% | 6 | 0 | 1 |
| 2 | Saint-Ferréol-les-Neiges QC | 12% | 0% | 25 | 2 | 2 |
| 3 | Electoral Area C, Okanagan-Similkameen BC | 12% | 12% | 52 | 0 | 2 |
| 4 | Okanagan Falls BC | 9.1% | 18% | 34 | 0 | 30 |
| 5 | Oakes ON | 7.4% | 0% | 15 | 1 | 0 |
| 6 | L'Ange-Gardien QC | 6.3% | 0% | 37 | 0 | 4 |
| 7 | East Lawrencetown NS | 5.9% | 2.4% | 20 | 0 | 23 |
| 8 | Centremount ON | 5.6% | 0% | 22 | 1 | 3 |
| 9 | Alexander MB | 4.9% | 1.3% | 7 | 2 | 18 |
| 10 | Lake of Bays ON | 4.8% | 1.8% | 12 | 1 | 6 |
| 11 | Woodlands MB | 4.8% | 6.6% | 12 | 1 | 1 |
| 12 | Inch Park ON | 4.8% | 0% | 21 | 1 | 3 |
| 13 | North Norfolk MB | 4.5% | 0.5% | 10 | 0 | 6 |
| 14 | Saint-Faustin--Lac-Carré QC | 3% | 0.2% | 14 | 7 | 8 |
| 15 | Callander ON | 2.9% | 2.3% | 6 | 0 | 3 |
| 16 | Pioneer Tower West ON | 2.3% | 3.9% | 23 | 2 | 0 |
| 17 | Haut-Madawaska NB | 2.2% | 7.7% | 8 | 0 | 7 |
| 18 | Sainte-Anne-des-Lacs QC | 2% | 2.9% | 19 | 2 | 2 |
| 19 | Elbow Park AB | 2% | 0% | 3 | 1 | 3 |
| 20 | Kentley ON | 1.4% | 0% | 13 | 1 | 9 |
| 21 | Kirkfield MB | 1% | 0.3% | 14 | 1 | 37 |
| 22 | Northern Lights County AB | 0.9% | 0.6% | 30 | 0 | 67 |
| 23 | Haddow AB | 0.9% | 0% | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| 24 | Smoky Lake County AB | 0.7% | 0.5% | 25 | 0 | 1 |
| 25 | University Heights AB | 0.6% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 26 | Perth South ON | 0.3% | 0.3% | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| 27 | Tuxedo Park AB | 0.3% | 0% | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 28 | Leger AB | 0.3% | 0% | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 29 | Meyokumin AB | 0.2% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| 30 | Saint-Prosper QC | 0.1% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | Matt Berry AB | 0.1% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | Lac-Etchemin QC | 0% | 0% | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| 33 | Morris-Turnberry ON | 0% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Swan River MB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | Crossfield AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 36 | Balwin AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 37 | Forest Heights AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 38 | McCauley AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| 39 | Parkdale AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| 40 | York AB | 0% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
The map
The green map of McCauley
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
10 named parks and woods to walk in near McCauley
Largest first: Dawson Park leads with 50 ha. Numbers match the map.
10 named parks and woods, 118 ha in all
Parks & gardens 99 haWoods 19 ha
Dawson Park and Kinnaird Park together hold 61% of it.
Borden Park
Park or garden · 320 m outside town
22 ha4 km of path
55 minto walk all 4 km of path
2.0 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Kinnaird Park
Park or garden
22 ha1.8 km of path
25 minto walk all 1.8 km of path
1.8 km eastfrom the centre
Cookin' KinnairdMiner Shaft111 Avenue NW
Directionsto a point inside
Rat Creek Ravine
Wood or forest
19 ha1.7 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.7 km of path
1.8 km eastfrom the centre
Cookin' KinnairdMiner Shaft
Directionsto a point inside
Giovanni Caboto Park
Park or garden
1.7 ha0.3 km of path
Centralin the middle of McCauley
Directionsto a point inside
Stutchbury Park
Park or garden · 380 m outside town
1.5 ha
1.7 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
ICE District Fan Park
Park or garden · 120 m outside town
1.1 ha
1.1 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Sheriff Robertson Park
Park or garden
0.6 ha0.1 km of path
1.2 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
All 10 named parks and green spaces
Dawson ParkPark or garden · 50 ha · 12.4 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsBorden ParkPark or garden · 22 ha · 4 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsKinnaird ParkPark or garden · 22 ha · 1.8 km of path
DirectionsRat Creek RavineWood or forest · 19 ha · 1.7 km of path
DirectionsGiovanni Caboto ParkPark or garden · 1.7 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsStutchbury ParkPark or garden · 1.5 ha · just outside town
DirectionsICE District Fan ParkPark or garden · 1.1 ha · just outside town
DirectionsSheriff Robertson ParkPark or garden · 0.6 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsSheila Bowker ParkPark or garden · 0.5 ha · just outside town
DirectionsKinistinâw ParkPark or garden · 0.4 ha · just outside town
DirectionsSource: 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 McCauley, 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%)
McCauley100%
Towns in Alberta100%
Typical Canadian town83%
The typical Canadian town manages 83%, so this is better.
Protected areas
Within 10 km of McCauley, no land is protected
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park, 12 km away, is the closest provincial park.
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 McCauley
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
12 km north-west21 km²since 2005
National park
Elk Island National Park
34 km east194 km²since 1913
A provincial park is closer: Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park, at 12 km.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
McCauley and its edge hold 61 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
61 km
in and around the town (10.3 km²)
Woodland
3.5%
about 0.4 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
McCauleyTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths5.9
03.57 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
McCauleyTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Woodland3.5%
0%50%100%
Woods cover less of it than in 67% of Canadian towns. Paths are denser here than in 96% 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 mapped routes to walk from McCauley
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
The longest of the rest is the Amisk Wacîw Mêskanaw, 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
McCauley is best on foot in May, August and September
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Edmonton (City) (3.0 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 |
Some 124 cm of snow falls each winter. Expect 83 mm in July, warm and wet, and 12 mm in February. Summer highs reach 24 °C in July; in January they stay near -6 °C. The climate in McCauley →
Beaches
Accidental Beach, 1.3 km away, is the beach near McCauley
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Accidental Beach1.3 km from town
DirectionsWhether 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
Viewpoints and waterfalls near McCauley: 5 and 1
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
The tallest named summit close by is Bellamy Hill (686 m). The map shows 59 playgrounds, ahead of the rest.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 5
Riverdale Lookout0.7 km from town
DirectionsFrederick G. Todd Lookout1.1 km from town
DirectionsPlus 3 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 4
McDougall Hill670 m · 0.8 km from town
DirectionsGrierson Hill678 m · 0.8 km from town
DirectionsBellamy Hill686 m · 0.8 km from town
DirectionsPlus 1 peak without a name on the map.
Waterfalls 1
EPCOR Waterfall0.5 km from town
DirectionsNature reserves 1
Camel Humps Nature Reserve1.7 km from town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 59
Riverdale School Playground1.0 km from town
Directionssplash pad1.7 km from town
DirectionsPlus 57 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 5
104th Avenue Off-Leash Dog Park0.3 km from town
DirectionsPlus 4 dog parks without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Gardens to visit
Near McCauley: 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 · 0.8 km from town
DirectionsWilliam Hawrelak ParkGarden or park · 4.2 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 McCauley
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
Boyle StreetCentral McDougallAlberta AvenueParkdaleVirginia ParkDowntownMcCauley
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McCauley | 0% | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Boyle Street 0.7 km | 0% | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Central McDougall 1.2 km | 0% | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Alberta Avenue 1.6 km | 0% | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Parkdale 1.6 km | 0% | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Virginia Park 1.8 km | 0% | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Downtown 2.1 km | 0.1% | 1 | 2 | 1 |
For protected land, no neighbour of McCauley doubles its share.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Private land. Private conservation land is in the totals, not the lists. Many such areas are easements on working farms or woodlots.
- 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.
- 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.
- Beaches. Beaches are OpenStreetMap’s, named or not; in the north many are unnamed shoreline imports.
- National and provincial parks. The nearest national park and the nearest provincial park are always shown when they are within 100 km.
Questions about the outdoors in McCauley
What is the nearest national park to McCauley?
Elk Island National Park, 34 km from the edge of town.
What is the nearest beach to McCauley?
Try Accidental Beach, 1.3 km from town.
Where can you walk near McCauley?
OpenStreetMap maps the Amisk Wacîw Mêskanaw, Edmonton Pedway Network and NAIT Pwedway System close by, with others.
What is the nearest provincial park to McCauley?
Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park, 12 km away.
When is the best time for walking in McCauley?
On the normals, May, August and September: that is when days are long, highs reach 15 °C and rain is light.
Sources
The sources behind McCauley’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).