Photo: Mack Male from Edmonton, AB, Canada · CC BY-SA 2.0Edmonton is 21 km from Elk Island National Park
Named trails close by number 14, the Amisk Wacîw Mêskanaw and River Loop Trail among them. Swimmers have 6 beaches within 5 km, Accidental Beach the nearest. Out to 10 km from the town’s edge, 1.3% of the land is protected; 2.3% is typical for a Canadian town.
Where Edmonton stands out outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
For someone who likes to get outside, Edmonton’s draw is Elk Island National Park within easy reach, with its choice of walking routes close behind.
How Edmonton 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.
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Among 40 towns its size, Edmonton is 11th from the bottom for protected land
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (106,752 to 1,238,295 residents), by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected. Hover for each one’s figures; click for its page.
Against towns its size, Edmonton does best for walking routes: 1 of the other 39 has more. On public protected areas it is behind: 27 of 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coquitlam BC | 25% | 28% | 130 | 5 | 69 |
| 2 | Delta BC | 24% | 17% | 181 | 9 | 19 |
| 3 | Richmond BC | 21% | 3.2% | 73 | 2 | 31 |
| 4 | Kamloops BC | 14% | 13% | 16 | 0 | 11 |
| 5 | Kelowna BC | 13% | 3.8% | 36 | 0 | 42 |
| 6 | Saanich BC | 11% | 9.4% | 43 | 7 | 56 |
| 7 | Strathcona County AB | 9.4% | 1.4% | 38 | 7 | 6 |
| 8 | Trois-Rivières QC | 8.4% | 1.2% | 44 | 1 | 10 |
| 9 | Cape Breton NS | 8.2% | 8.6% | 176 | 1 | 74 |
| 10 | Pickering ON | 7.6% | 11% | 46 | 1 | 11 |
| 11 | Greater Sudbury / Grand Sudbury ON | 6.7% | 3.5% | 43 | 5 | 18 |
| 12 | Saguenay QC | 6% | 6.1% | 29 | 0 | 11 |
| 13 | Kingston ON | 5% | 6.2% | 54 | 2 | 5 |
| 14 | Ajax ON | 4.9% | 5.8% | 31 | 1 | 8 |
| 15 | Lévis QC | 4.1% | 0.6% | 62 | 1 | 8 |
| 16 | Sherbrooke QC | 4.1% | 0.8% | 23 | 2 | 3 |
| 17 | Whitby ON | 3.9% | 4.7% | 37 | 1 | 3 |
| 18 | Abbotsford BC | 3.9% | 0.5% | 37 | 2 | 10 |
| 19 | Terrebonne QC | 3.8% | 3.6% | 60 | 0 | 3 |
| 20 | Langley BC | 3.5% | 2.9% | 144 | 8 | 10 |
| 21 | Barrie ON | 2.6% | 0% | 9 | 0 | 8 |
| 22 | Burlington ON | 2.5% | 1.6% | 27 | 2 | 17 |
| 23 | Oshawa ON | 2.4% | 0.3% | 30 | 1 | 4 |
| 24 | St. John's NL | 2.2% | 1.2% | 6 | 1 | 41 |
| 25 | Richmond Hill ON | 1.9% | 8.4% | 51 | 1 | 0 |
| 26 | Nanaimo BC | 1.9% | 6.7% | 42 | 2 | 33 |
| 27 | Cambridge ON | 1.7% | 0.4% | 33 | 10 | 2 |
| 28 | Bowmanville ON | 1.6% | 3% | 25 | 2 | 9 |
| 29 | Milton ON | 1.3% | 0% | 38 | 15 | 3 |
| 30 | Edmonton AB | 1.3% | 0.3% | 24 | 14 | 6 |
| 31 | St. Catharines ON | 1.2% | 1.7% | 15 | 4 | 7 |
| 32 | Niagara Falls ON | 1.1% | 1.7% | 15 | 3 | 4 |
| 33 | Chatham ON | 1% | 1% | 21 | 0 | 8 |
| 34 | Guelph ON | 0.9% | 3.1% | 15 | 10 | 5 |
| 35 | Oakville ON | 0.9% | 4.1% | 8 | 1 | 9 |
| 36 | Red Deer AB | 0.7% | 1.2% | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| 37 | Waterloo ON | 0.6% | 0% | 17 | 12 | 1 |
| 38 | Lethbridge AB | 0.4% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Brantford ON | 0.3% | 0% | 15 | 3 | 0 |
| 40 | Thunder Bay ON | 0.1% | 0.4% | 3 | 0 | 4 |
The green map of Edmonton
The city’s parks, woods, protected land and paths, with its named places numbered.
30 named parks and woods to walk in near Edmonton
Largest first: Terwillegar Park leads with 225 ha. Numbers match the map.
Many small places make up the total; the biggest is 24%.
West River's Edge Park
Mill Creek Ravine Park
Whitemud Park
Whitemud Creek Ravine
Strathcona Science Provincial Park
Hermitage Park
Rundle Park
All 30 named parks and green spaces
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.
Nearly all of Edmonton is a short walk from 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.
Few do better: the typical Canadian town is at 83%. About 41,000 residents live further than 400 m from one.
1.3% of the country within 10 km of Edmonton is protected
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Of those 24, 6 are public and the remainder private. The largest named one is Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park, at 2,055 ha. Another 18 are privately owned conservation land; they count in the figures but aren’t named, as private land isn’t a place to visit.
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.
The parks within reach of Edmonton
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.
Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park
Big Island Provincial Park
Elk Island National Park
Within 10 km are 2 provincial parks.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
2,076 km of paths in and around Edmonton
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 · km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
Woods cover less of it than in 58% of Canadian towns. Paths are denser here than in 60% 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.
14 walking routes near Edmonton
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
Plus 2 more waymarked walks on the map.
The Amisk Wacîw Mêskanaw is the big one locally: 83.8 km. For a short stroll, 9 are under 3 km.
Source: OpenStreetMap (route relations hiking, foot and walking), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Trans Canada Trail sections as OSM maps them.
The best months for walking in Edmonton: May, August and September
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Edmonton (City) (5.5 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 83 mm in July, warm and wet, and 12 mm in February. In July the typical high is 24 °C; in January, -6 °C. A typical year sees 124 cm of snow. The climate in Edmonton →
Beaches near Edmonton: 6 within 5 km
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
5 more are mapped without a name. No national or provincial register of beach water quality is published as open data, so check the local health unit before swimming.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Near Edmonton: 31 viewpoints, 3 waterfalls
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
There are 779 playgrounds, more than of anything else. The highest named peak nearby is Rabbit Hill, at 713 m.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 31
Plus 23 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 7
Plus 3 hills and peaks without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 5
Picnic sites 81
Plus 73 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 779
Plus 771 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 29
Plus 21 dog parks without a name on the map.
Campsites 2
Slipways 4
Plus 2 slipways without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
4 gardens within reach of Edmonton
Gardens and arboretums within 15 km of the town’s edge, and the historic gardens, parks and estates in the town itself, nearest first.
Sources: 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 to Edmonton
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edmonton | 1.3% | 24 | 14 | 6 |
| Garneau 0.7 km | 0.1% | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| Queen Alexandra 0.8 km | 0.1% | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Strathcona 1.0 km | 0.1% | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| McKernan 1.5 km | 0.1% | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Downtown 2.0 km | 0.1% | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Allendale 2.1 km | 0.1% | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Edmonton holds its own on protected land: no neighbour has twice its share.
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.
- 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.
- National and provincial parks. Distances run from the town’s edge to the park’s, so 0 km means they touch.
- Beaches. Beaches are OpenStreetMap’s, named or not; in the north many are unnamed shoreline imports.
Questions about the outdoors in Edmonton
What is the nearest national park to Edmonton?
Elk Island National Park, 21 km from the edge of town.
How much land around Edmonton is protected?
Within 10 km, 1.3% of the land lies in protected areas.
Where can you swim near Edmonton?
Accidental Beach, in town, is the nearest mapped beach.
Are there hiking trails near Edmonton?
OpenStreetMap maps the Amisk Wacîw Mêskanaw, River Loop Trail and Strathcona County Regional Trail close by, with others.
What is the biggest park or reserve near Edmonton?
It is Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park, a provincial park covering 2,055 ha.
When should you visit Edmonton for the outdoors?
May, August and September: long days, mild highs and little rain.
Is there a provincial park near Edmonton?
Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park touches the town.
The sources behind Edmonton’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).