First pick
Ellingson Park
Park or garden · 350 m outside town
2.8 ha0.1 km of path
0.9 km southfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Own work · CC BY-SA 3.00.1%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in McKernan · parks, protected land & trails
McKernan is 37 km from Elk Island National Park
The closest provincial park is Big Island Provincial Park, 10 km from the edge of town. 0.1% of the land and water within 10 km is protected (the typical Canadian town: 2.3%). Walkers have 2 mapped routes close by, starting with the Amisk Wacîw Mêskanaw and Wander Trail.
Protected land
0.1%
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
37 km
Elk Island National Park
Nearest provincial park
10 km
Big Island Provincial Park
Walking routes
2
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Beaches
1
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Against other towns
McKernan 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 km0.1%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 routes2Named 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
McKernan has the 6th least protected land nearby of 40 towns its size
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (2,845 to 2,918 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
McKernan0.1%
Towns its size1.5%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
McKernan1
Towns its size4
Towns in Alberta2
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
McKernan2
Towns its size0
Towns in Alberta0
Typical Canadian town0
Against towns its size, McKernan is weakest for protected land nearby: 33 of 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | O'Leary PE | 25% | 4.9% | 53 | 9 | 22 |
| 2 | Labelle QC | 25% | 19% | 22 | 1 | 8 |
| 3 | Algonquin Highlands ON | 18% | 16% | 8 | 0 | 10 |
| 4 | Head of St Margarets Bay NS | 16% | 4.1% | 46 | 1 | 5 |
| 5 | Parry Sound, Unorganized, Centre Part ON | 15% | 16% | 43 | 0 | 19 |
| 6 | South Keys ON | 8.3% | 0.1% | 27 | 0 | 1 |
| 7 | Navan - Sarsfield ON | 8% | 0.3% | 41 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | Leeming ON | 6.6% | 0% | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | Saint-Anicet QC | 6.1% | 4.9% | 24 | 0 | 1 |
| 10 | Shaver ON | 5.6% | 0% | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | Crerar ON | 4.8% | 0% | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | Saint-Isidore QC | 4.7% | 0% | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | Moosomin SK | 4.4% | 0% | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Normanview West SK | 3.7% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | Regent Park SK | 3.5% | 0% | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | Saint-Basile QC | 3.3% | 0% | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | Perry ON | 2.9% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 5 |
| 18 | Minnedosa MB | 2.9% | 0% | 31 | 0 | 1 |
| 19 | Black River-Matheson ON | 2.4% | 0.3% | 7 | 0 | 3 |
| 20 | Grant Park MB | 1.5% | 0% | 24 | 0 | 1 |
| 21 | Norwood West MB | 1.5% | 0% | 22 | 4 | 0 |
| 22 | Dundonald SK | 1.4% | 0% | 14 | 0 | 1 |
| 23 | Westmount SK | 1.4% | 0% | 16 | 0 | 2 |
| 24 | Sicamous BC | 0.9% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| 25 | Bridgeport North ON | 0.9% | 4.2% | 14 | 1 | 0 |
| 26 | Bedford QC | 0.8% | 0% | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Black Diamond AB | 0.7% | 0% | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Weedon QC | 0.6% | 0.4% | 8 | 0 | 2 |
| 29 | Saint-Paul-d'Abbotsford QC | 0.6% | 0.3% | 22 | 0 | 1 |
| 30 | Athabasca AB | 0.4% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | Paisley AB | 0.4% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 32 | Grassie MB | 0.3% | 0% | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | Saint-Gabriel-de-Brandon QC | 0.2% | 0% | 6 | 1 | 7 |
| 34 | Port Credit NHD (West) ON | 0.1% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| 35 | McKernan AB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 36 | Tipaskan AB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 37 | Harbour Grace NL | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| 38 | Botwood NL | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Springdale NL | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 40 | Overlanders AB | 0% | 0% | 1 | 1 | 0 |
The map
Where the green is in McKernan
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 McKernan: 13 named parks and woods
Ellingson Park is the largest, at 2.8 ha; the rest follow by size, numbered as on the map.
13 named parks and woods, 16 ha in all
Parks & gardens 16 ha
The green is scattered, with no place over 17%.
Belgravia Park
Park or garden · 210 m outside town
1.5 ha0.7 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.7 km of path
Centralin the middle of McKernan
Directionsto a point inside
Braithwaithe Park
Park or garden
1.5 ha0.5 km of path
5 minto walk all 0.5 km of path
0.7 km northfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Corbett Quad
Park or garden · 170 m outside town
1.4 ha0.5 km of path
5 minto walk all 0.5 km of path
0.9 km northfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Tipton Park
Park or garden · 210 m outside town
1.4 ha0.3 km of path
1.0 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Corbett Field
Park or garden
1.7 ha0.1 km of path
0.8 km northfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
McKernan Park
Park or garden
1.1 ha0.3 km of path
Centralin the middle of McKernan
Directionsto a point inside
Garneau Park
Park or garden · 380 m outside town
1.5 ha
1.1 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
All 13 named parks and green spaces
Ellingson ParkPark or garden · 2.8 ha · 0.1 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsBelgravia ParkPark or garden · 1.5 ha · 0.7 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsBraithwaithe ParkPark or garden · 1.5 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsCorbett QuadPark or garden · 1.4 ha · 0.5 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsTipton ParkPark or garden · 1.4 ha · 0.3 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsCorbett FieldPark or garden · 1.7 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsMcKernan ParkPark or garden · 1.1 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsGarneau ParkPark or garden · 1.5 ha · just outside town
DirectionsCharles Simmonds ParkPark or garden · 1.5 ha
DirectionsGowan ParkPark or garden · 0.7 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsJoe Morris ParkPark or garden · 0.5 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsQueen Alexandra ParkPark or garden · 0.4 ha · just outside town
DirectionsViolet Archer ParkPark or garden · 0.3 ha
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
Every resident of McKernan 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%)
McKernan100%
Towns in Alberta100%
Typical Canadian town83%
Few do better: the typical Canadian town is at 83%.
Protected areas
1 protected area lies within 10 km of McKernan
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside McKernan0%
Within 10 km0.1%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Governments hold it.
Larch SanctuaryNature reserve · 24 ha · 6.1 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
Parks around McKernan
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
10 km south-west0.8 km²since 2023
National park
Elk Island National Park
37 km east194 km²since 1913
Nearer still is Big Island Provincial Park, a provincial park 10 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
McKernan and its edge hold 60 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
60 km
in and around the town (8.8 km²)
Woodland
8.4%
about 0.7 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
McKernanTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths6.8
048 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
McKernanTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Woodland8.4%
0%50%100%
Few places match it for paths: more than 98% of Canadian towns have fewer. For woods, 52% of Canadian towns have more.
Source: OpenStreetMap, © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Mapping varies by place: a dense figure can mean keen local mappers as much as many paths.
Walking routes
McKernan has 2 named walking routes
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
RegionalLocal
Amisk Wacîw Mêskanaw83.8 km
Wander Trail1.0 km
Among local routes, the Amisk Wacîw Mêskanaw is longest at 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
The best months for walking in McKernan: May, August and September
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Edmonton (City) (6.6 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 around 124 cm of snow over a winter. July is the warmest month, with highs around 24 °C; January the coldest, at -6 °C. July brings both the warmest days and the most rain (83 mm); February is driest (12 mm). The climate in McKernan →
Beaches
For a swim near McKernan: Accidental Beach, 3.8 km off
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Accidental Beach3.8 km from town
DirectionsWater 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
Near McKernan: 5 viewpoints on the map
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
69 picnic sites top the list.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 5
Keillor Point0.6 km from town
DirectionsRiverSide 1001.7 km from town
DirectionsPlus 3 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Picnic sites 69
Site 21.3 km from town
DirectionsSite #51.5 km from town
DirectionsSite 41.5 km from town
DirectionsSite 31.6 km from town
DirectionsSite 61.8 km from town
DirectionsSite 11.8 km from town
DirectionsSite 51.9 km from town
DirectionsPlus 62 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 49
McKernan Playgroundin town
DirectionsBeaver Lodge1.6 km from town
DirectionsIce Cave & Melt Water Play Area1.6 km from town
DirectionsPlus 46 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 4
South Bark0.7 km from town
DirectionsBuena Vista Dog Park0.8 km from town
DirectionsPleasantview Dog Park1.0 km from town
DirectionsBelgravia Dog Park1.0 km from town
DirectionsSlipways 2
Emily Murphy Park Canoe Launch2.0 km from town
DirectionsPlus 1 slipway 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 McKernan
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 · 1.4 km from town
DirectionsChinese Garden PagodaGarden or park · 3.7 km from town
DirectionsMill Woods Sports ParkGarden or park · 7.4 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 McKernan
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
Queen AlexandraBelgraviaGarneauAllendaleMalmo PlainsStrathconaMcKernan
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McKernan | 0.1% | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Queen Alexandra 0.8 km | 0.1% | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Belgravia 1.1 km | 0.2% | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| Garneau 1.1 km | 0.1% | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| Allendale 1.3 km | 0.1% | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Malmo Plains 2.3 km | 0.3% | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Strathcona 2.3 km | 0.1% | 1 | 2 | 1 |
Next door, protected shares stay within twice McKernan’s.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Beaches. The count includes unnamed stretches mapped as beach, which can make a lakeside town’s figure large.
- 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.
- National and provincial parks. Distances run from the town’s edge to the park’s, so 0 km means they touch.
- 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.
- Walking routes. The list is OpenStreetMap’s, so a missing trail may just be unmapped. The Trans Canada Trail appears where OSM maps it.
Questions about the outdoors in McKernan
What is the biggest park or reserve near McKernan?
Larch Sanctuary: 24 ha, a nature reserve.
How far is the nearest provincial park from McKernan?
The closest is Big Island Provincial Park, at 10 km.
Where can you walk near McKernan?
Try the Amisk Wacîw Mêskanaw and Wander Trail; more are on the map.
Is there a beach near McKernan?
Accidental Beach, 3.8 km from town; it is the one beach mapped within 5 km.
Is there protected land near McKernan?
Yes: 0.1% of the land within 10 km is protected.
When is the best time for walking in McKernan?
May, August and September: long days, mild highs and little rain.
Is McKernan near a national park?
The nearest is Elk Island National Park, 37 km away.
Sources
Sources for this page on McKernan
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).