First pick
Mill Creek Ravine
Wood or forest
103 ha25.1 km of path
5 h 35 minto walk all 25.1 km of path
0.7 km northfrom the centre
PapaschaseStragglerNo Where Man+4 paths
Directionsto a point inside
0.3%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Minchau · parks, protected land & trails
Within 30 km of Minchau: Elk Island National Park
Big Island Provincial Park is the closest provincial park, at 14 km. 3 beaches are mapped within 5 km, none with a name. The protected share within 10 km is 0.3%, where a typical Canadian town has 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
30 km
Elk Island National Park
Nearest provincial park
14 km
Big Island Provincial Park
Beaches
3
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Against other towns
Minchau 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. No letter: the outdoors is described for Canadian towns, not graded.
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
Minchau has the 10th least protected land nearby of 40 towns its size
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (2,522 to 2,632 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
Minchau0.3%
Towns its size1.8%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Minchau2
Towns its size4
Towns in Alberta2
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Minchau0
Towns its size0
Towns in Alberta0
Typical Canadian town0
Against towns its size, Minchau 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 | Tsawwassen BC | 31% | 0% | 24 | 0 | 8 |
| 2 | Division No. 7, Subdivision E NL | 30% | 28% | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 3 | Gracefield QC | 19% | 19% | 34 | 0 | 6 |
| 4 | East Preston NS | 16% | 6.3% | 20 | 1 | 5 |
| 5 | Bonfield ON | 15% | 23% | 4 | 0 | 2 |
| 6 | Outlook SK | 11% | 0.1% | 8 | 0 | 1 |
| 7 | Sainte-Croix QC | 9.6% | 0.3% | 32 | 0 | 3 |
| 8 | Castlemore Estates ON | 7.8% | 6.5% | 26 | 0 | 1 |
| 9 | Chase BC | 7% | 0% | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | Sainte-Victoire-de-Sorel QC | 6.9% | 0% | 41 | 0 | 1 |
| 11 | Roberval QC | 6.1% | 1.2% | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague QC | 5.8% | 0% | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | Saint-Polycarpe QC | 4.2% | 0% | 11 | 0 | 2 |
| 14 | Macassa ON | 4.1% | 0% | 18 | 1 | 0 |
| 15 | Saint-Damien QC | 4% | 3.2% | 22 | 1 | 9 |
| 16 | Boothill SK | 3.9% | 76% | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| 17 | Unity SK | 3.4% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | Sherwood ON | 3.4% | 0% | 19 | 2 | 0 |
| 19 | City Commercial Core ON | 1.8% | 0% | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Lambeth ON | 1.8% | 0% | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | High Prairie AB | 1.7% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | Hébertville QC | 1.6% | 0.1% | 12 | 0 | 4 |
| 23 | Electoral Area G, Cowichan Valley BC | 1.6% | 0.7% | 46 | 1 | 14 |
| 24 | Brockville MB | 1.5% | 0% | 24 | 0 | 1 |
| 25 | Caswell Hill SK | 1.4% | 0% | 16 | 0 | 3 |
| 26 | Logy Bay-Middle Cove-Outer Cove NL | 1.1% | 0% | 3 | 1 | 20 |
| 27 | Elmwood AB | 0.8% | 0% | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 28 | Berwick NS | 0.6% | 0% | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | Munroe West MB | 0.4% | 0% | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Brooke-Alvinston ON | 0.3% | 0.2% | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | Minchau AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 32 | Sweet Grass AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | Lunenburg NS | 0.1% | 0% | 19 | 0 | 5 |
| 34 | Salisbury NB | 0.1% | 2.1% | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | Dufferin MB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 36 | Saint-Éphrem-de-Beauce QC | 0% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 37 | Rosetown SK | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | Magrath AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Nanton AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Sexsmith AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The map
Minchau 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
10 parks and woods to walk in, in or near Minchau
Largest first: Mill Creek Ravine leads with 103 ha. Numbers match the map.
10 named parks and woods, 130 ha in all
Parks & gardens 27 haWoods 103 ha
Between them, Mill Creek Ravine and Sister Mary Ann Casey Park cover 85%.
Sister Mary Ann Casey Park
Park or garden · 300 m outside town
7.0 ha1.1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.1 km of path
0.9 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Minchau Park
Park or garden
6.8 ha0.9 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.9 km of path
Centralin the middle of Minchau
Directionsto a point inside
Silver Berry Park
Park or garden · 300 m outside town
4.8 ha0.9 km of path
15 minto walk all 0.9 km of path
1.6 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Weinlos Park
Park or garden · 210 m outside town
2.8 ha
Centralin the middle of Minchau
Directionsto a point inside
Wild Rose Park
Park or garden · 200 m outside town
1.2 ha0.2 km of path
1.4 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Barbara Danelesko Park
Park or garden
0.8 ha0.2 km of path
Centralin the middle of Minchau
Directionsto a point inside
All 10 named parks and green spaces
Mill Creek RavineWood or forest · 103 ha · 25.1 km of path
DirectionsSister Mary Ann Casey ParkPark or garden · 7.0 ha · 1.1 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsMinchau ParkPark or garden · 6.8 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsSilver Berry ParkPark or garden · 4.8 ha · 0.9 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsWeinlos ParkPark or garden · 2.8 ha · just outside town
DirectionsGraunke ParkPark or garden · 2.4 ha
DirectionsWild Rose ParkPark or garden · 1.2 ha · 0.2 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsBarbara Danelesko ParkPark or garden · 0.8 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsTukquanow ParkPark or garden · 0.6 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsCharles B. Hill 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 Minchau, 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%)
Minchau100%
Towns in Alberta100%
Typical Canadian town83%
A typical Canadian town reaches only 83%.
Protected areas
2 protected areas lie within 10 km of Minchau
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Minchau0%
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 is the biggest, 69 ha.
Sherwood Park Natural AreaNature reserve · 69 ha · 7.3 km from the edge of town
Larch SanctuaryNature reserve · 24 ha · 8.4 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 Minchau
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
14 km west0.8 km²since 2023
National park
Elk Island National Park
30 km east194 km²since 1913
Big Island Provincial Park, a provincial park, is nearer at 14 km.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
Minchau has 53 km of footpaths in and around it
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
53 km
in and around the town (7.7 km²)
Woodland
6.8%
about 0.5 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
MinchauTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths6.9
048 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
MinchauTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Woodland6.8%
0%50%100%
For woods, 56% of Canadian towns have more. Few places match it for paths: more than 98% 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
No named walking route passes Minchau 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.
No named walking or hiking route is mapped near the neighbourhood; local paths may simply not be on OpenStreetMap 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
Get out in Minchau in May, August and September
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Edmonton (City), 14 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 |
Winter brings about 124 cm of snow. July is warm and wet, 83 mm; the driest month, February, has 12 mm. The warmest days come in July (24 °C highs), the coldest in January (-6 °C). The climate in Minchau →
Beaches
3 unnamed beaches near Minchau
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Canada publishes no open register of beach water tests; the local public health unit posts swimming advisories.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
Near Minchau: 33 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.
Playgrounds lead the count with 32.
Every named place, with directions
Playgrounds 32
Kittlitz Park Playground0.9 km from town
DirectionsSilver Berry Park Playground1.0 km from town
DirectionsPlus 30 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Off-Leash Area1.3 km from town
DirectionsSource: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Gardens to visit
2 gardens and historic parks to visit near Minchau
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 · 1.5 km from town
DirectionsWilliam Hawrelak 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 Minchau
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
WeinlosHillviewBissetKiniski GardensGreenviewPollard MeadowsMinchau
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minchau | 0.3% | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Weinlos 0.5 km | 0.3% | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Hillview 0.9 km | 0.2% | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Bisset 1.2 km | 0.3% | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Kiniski Gardens 1.3 km | 0.2% | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Greenview 1.4 km | 0.2% | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Pollard Meadows 1.5 km | 0.3% | 2 | 0 | 4 |
None of the places nearby has twice as much protected land around it as Minchau.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- National and provincial parks. A park at 0 km touches or overlaps the town’s outline; directions point from the town’s centre.
- Beaches. Beaches are OpenStreetMap’s, named or not; in the north many are unnamed shoreline imports.
- Protected land. Measured on CPCAD’s outlines: the part of a 10 km band around the town that lies in a protected or conserved area, water included.
- Private land. CPCAD includes conservation land held privately; the page counts it and leaves the names out.
- Walking routes. Routes are what OpenStreetMap’s volunteers have mapped as named walking or hiking routes; many good trails aren’t mapped that way.
Questions about the outdoors in Minchau
What is the nearest beach to Minchau?
The beaches mapped within 5 km have no names on the map.
How much land around Minchau is protected?
Within 10 km, 0.3% of the land lies in protected areas.
Is Minchau near a national park?
The nearest is Elk Island National Park, 30 km away.
Is there a provincial park near Minchau?
The closest is Big Island Provincial Park, at 14 km.
When is the best time for walking in Minchau?
On the normals, May, August and September: that is when days are long, highs reach 15 °C and rain is light.
What is the largest protected area near Minchau?
Sherwood Park Natural Area, a nature reserve of 69 ha.
Sources
The sources behind Minchau’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).