First pick
Highlands Park
Park or garden
4.9 ha0.9 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.9 km of path
0.8 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: WinterE229 WinterforceMedia · CC0–Not graded
Outdoors in Montrose · parks, protected land & trails
Elk Island National Park lies 30 km beyond Montrose’s edge
13 km from town is Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park, the nearest provincial park. The protected share within 10 km is 0%, where a typical Canadian town has 2.3%. The Amisk Wacîw Mêskanaw is the one mapped walking route close by.
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
30 km
Elk Island National Park
Nearest provincial park
13 km
Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park
Walking routes
1
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Beaches
1
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Against other towns
Montrose 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%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
Montrose sits 3rd from last of 40 towns its size for protected land around it
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (3,322 to 3,434 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
Montrose0%
Towns its size1.7%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Montrose0
Towns its size2
Towns in Alberta2
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Montrose1
Towns its size0
Towns in Alberta0
Typical Canadian town0
For public protected areas, Montrose lags towns its size: 28 of 39 are ahead.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saint-Jean-Port-Joli QC | 52% | 0.7% | 30 | 0 | 2 |
| 2 | Division No. 19, Unorganized MB | 22% | 24% | 57 | 0 | 65 |
| 3 | North Kawartha ON | 18% | 36% | 20 | 3 | 4 |
| 4 | Meaghers Grant NS | 15% | 32% | 103 | 4 | 28 |
| 5 | Sables-Spanish Rivers ON | 14% | 9.7% | 10 | 0 | 2 |
| 6 | Atholville NB | 12% | 3.1% | 24 | 1 | 3 |
| 7 | Kensington, Part 1 PE | 11% | 0.9% | 21 | 11 | 6 |
| 8 | Cumberland County, Subdivision A NS | 10% | 24% | 90 | 1 | 10 |
| 9 | Portneuf QC | 9.8% | 0.2% | 29 | 5 | 6 |
| 10 | Sheet Harbour NS | 7.7% | 7.8% | 124 | 2 | 17 |
| 11 | Electoral Area E (West Boundary), Kootenay Boundary BC | 6.5% | 1.6% | 24 | 0 | 36 |
| 12 | Havre-Saint-Pierre QC | 3.7% | 2.7% | 29 | 0 | 12 |
| 13 | Electoral Area B, North Okanagan BC | 3.7% | 4% | 17 | 0 | 30 |
| 14 | Rankin Inlet NU | 3.5% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | Merrickville ON | 2.9% | 5.8% | 12 | 5 | 2 |
| 16 | Saint-Jean-Baptiste QC | 2.2% | 2% | 35 | 0 | 3 |
| 17 | Trillium Industrial Park ON | 2.2% | 6.2% | 23 | 2 | 0 |
| 18 | Glenview West ON | 1.9% | 0% | 13 | 1 | 6 |
| 19 | Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier QC | 1.8% | 3.9% | 27 | 1 | 12 |
| 20 | West Jasper Place AB | 1.8% | 0% | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 21 | Riverdale East ON | 1.6% | 0% | 14 | 3 | 8 |
| 22 | North St. Boniface MB | 1.4% | 7.7% | 20 | 4 | 0 |
| 23 | Richmond QC | 0.7% | 0% | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 24 | Channel-Port aux Basques NL | 0.4% | 0% | 1 | 1 | 16 |
| 25 | Compton QC | 0.3% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 26 | Coach Hill AB | 0.3% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 27 | Ramsay Heights AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 28 | Royal Gardens AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | Placentia NL | 0.2% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| 30 | Lewisporte NL | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes QC | 0% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | Sainte-Mélanie QC | 0% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | Virden MB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Gibbons AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | Inuvik NT | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 36 | Arviat NU | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 72 |
| 37 | Eaux Claires AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | Montrose AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 39 | Northmount AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Virginia Park AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 2 | 1 |
The map
The green map of Montrose
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 Montrose: 11 named parks and woods
Highlands Park is the largest, at 4.9 ha; the rest follow by size, numbered as on the map.
11 named parks and woods, 27 ha in all
Parks & gardens 27 ha
Many small places make up the total; the biggest is 20%.
Exhibition Lands Racetrack Infield
Park or garden · 360 m outside town
5.5 ha0.4 km of path
1.6 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Montrose Park
Park or garden
3.7 ha0.6 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
Centralin the middle of Montrose
Directionsto a point inside
Gaby Haas Park
Park or garden · 150 m outside town
4.2 ha
1.2 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Santa Rosa Park
Park or garden
1.4 ha0.2 km of path
Centralin the middle of Montrose
Directionsto a point inside
Highlands Park North
Park or garden · 90 m outside town
1.7 ha
0.8 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Highlands Park South
Park or garden · 320 m outside town
0.7 ha0.3 km of path
1.0 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
All 11 named parks and green spaces
Highlands ParkPark or garden · 4.9 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsExhibition Lands Racetrack InfieldPark or garden · 5.5 ha · 0.4 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsMontrose ParkPark or garden · 3.7 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsSpartan ParkPark or garden · 3.9 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsGaby Haas ParkPark or garden · 4.2 ha · just outside town
DirectionsSanta Rosa ParkPark or garden · 1.4 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsHighlands Park NorthPark or garden · 1.7 ha · just outside town
DirectionsHighlands Park SouthPark or garden · 0.7 ha · 0.3 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsJames Kidney ParkPark or garden · 0.8 ha · 0.2 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsNewton ParkPark or garden · 0.5 ha · just outside town
DirectionsThistle ParlkPark or garden · 0.3 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
All of Montrose is within a short walk of 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%)
Montrose100%
Towns in Alberta100%
Typical Canadian town83%
Few do better: the typical Canadian town is at 83%.
Protected areas
There is no protected land within 10 km of Montrose
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, 13 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 Montrose
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
13 km west21 km²since 2005
National park
Elk Island National Park
30 km east194 km²since 1913
Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park, a provincial park, is nearer at 13 km.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
Paths to walk: 34 km in and around Montrose
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
34 km
in and around the town (12.6 km²)
Woodland
1.2%
about 0.1 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
MontroseTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths2.7
024 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
MontroseTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Woodland1.2%
0%50%100%
Few places match it for paths: more than 67% of Canadian towns have fewer. It is less wooded than 80% 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
1 walking route near Montrose
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
The best months for walking in Montrose: May, August and September
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Edmonton (City) (5.3 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. Rain peaks with the heat: 83 mm in July, against 12 mm in February. Summer highs reach 24 °C in July; in January they stay near -6 °C. The climate in Montrose →
Beaches
For a swim near Montrose: Accidental Beach, 3.5 km off
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Accidental Beach3.5 km from town
DirectionsNo open data on beach water quality covers every province, so check with public health before a swim.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
A viewpoint near Montrose
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 60.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 1
Plus 1 viewpoint without a name on the map.
Picnic sites 1
Site 00.8 km from town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 60
Capilano Playground1.6 km from town
DirectionsTreehouse Indoor Playground1.9 km from town
DirectionsPlus 58 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 2
Plus 2 dog parks without a name on the map.
Slipways 1
Boat launch1.1 km from town
DirectionsSource: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Gardens to visit
Near Montrose: 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 · 3.4 km from town
DirectionsWilliam Hawrelak ParkGarden or park · 7.4 km from town
DirectionsMill Woods Sports 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 Montrose
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
HighlandsNewtonBalwinEastwoodBelvedereVirginia ParkMontrose
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
Montrose holds its own on protected land: no neighbour has twice its share.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- 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. Distances run from the town’s edge to the park’s, so 0 km means they touch.
- 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. CPCAD includes conservation land held privately; the page counts it and leaves the names out.
Questions about the outdoors in Montrose
Is there a beach near Montrose?
The nearest is Accidental Beach, 3.5 km from town.
Are there hiking trails near Montrose?
OpenStreetMap maps the Amisk Wacîw Mêskanaw close by.
What is the nearest provincial park to Montrose?
The closest is Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park, at 13 km.
When is the best time for walking in Montrose?
May, August and September: long days, mild highs and little rain.
How far is Montrose from a national park?
The nearest is Elk Island National Park, 30 km away.
Sources
Where Montrose’s 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).