First pick
Blackmud Creek Ravine
Wood or forest · 250 m outside town
175 ha15.6 km of path
3 h 30 minto walk all 15.6 km of path
1.2 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
0.3%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Rutherford · parks, protected land & trails
Elk Island National Park is 39 km from Rutherford
For a provincial park, Big Island Provincial Park lies 6.7 km off. Protected areas cover 0.3% of the land within 10 km; for the typical Canadian town it is 2.3%. One unnamed beach is mapped within 5 km.
Protected land
0.3%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
3
within 10 km, 2 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
39 km
Elk Island National Park
Nearest provincial park
6.7 km
Big Island Provincial Park
Beaches
1
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Against other towns
Rutherford beside other Canadian towns, figure by figure
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. There is no Outdoors grade for Canadian towns; the figures stand beside the country’s towns of 2,500+ without a letter.
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
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
Among 40 towns its size, Rutherford is 4th from the bottom for protected land
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (12,547 to 13,099 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
Rutherford0.3%
Towns its size2.4%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Rutherford2
Towns its size3
Towns in Alberta2
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Rutherford0
Towns its size0
Towns in Alberta0
Typical Canadian town0
For protected land nearby, Rutherford lags towns its size: 34 of 39 are ahead.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | View Royal BC | 21% | 45% | 35 | 3 | 20 |
| 2 | Westboro ON | 13% | 5.5% | 32 | 3 | 8 |
| 3 | Centre-Ville QC | 11% | 22% | 40 | 4 | 5 |
| 4 | North Saanich BC | 9.2% | 5.1% | 37 | 0 | 24 |
| 5 | Bridlewood AB | 7.7% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 6 | Windsor Park NS | 7.6% | 0% | 18 | 4 | 17 |
| 7 | Rothesay NB | 5.5% | 0% | 9 | 1 | 37 |
| 8 | Prince Rupert BC | 5.5% | 0% | 5 | 0 | 2 |
| 9 | Deerfield ON | 5.2% | 6.3% | 7 | 0 | 1 |
| 10 | Saint-Hippolyte QC | 4.2% | 6.9% | 21 | 2 | 5 |
| 11 | Carrville Corners ON | 4.1% | 0.5% | 33 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | Peel Village ON | 3.8% | 0.9% | 7 | 1 | 1 |
| 13 | Highland Creek ON | 3.5% | 0.6% | 14 | 0 | 5 |
| 14 | New Springbrook ON | 3.1% | 2.4% | 19 | 1 | 0 |
| 15 | Lakeview AB | 2.9% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 7 |
| 16 | New Brighton AB | 2.9% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 11 |
| 17 | Carignan QC | 2.7% | 2.1% | 35 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | Albert Park SK | 2.7% | 0% | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 19 | Grenet QC | 2.5% | 0% | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Ayr ON | 2.4% | 1.8% | 36 | 8 | 4 |
| 21 | Spring Valley ON | 2.4% | 8.4% | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | Regent Park ON | 2.3% | 0% | 10 | 8 | 40 |
| 23 | Yonge-Bay Corridor ON | 2.2% | 0% | 11 | 9 | 38 |
| 24 | Erin ON | 2.1% | 0.2% | 48 | 6 | 1 |
| 25 | Kings County, Subdivision B NS | 1.7% | 5.9% | 19 | 2 | 9 |
| 26 | Rawdon QC | 1.7% | 0% | 7 | 0 | 5 |
| 27 | Forest ON | 1.7% | 6.7% | 9 | 2 | 18 |
| 28 | Brighton ON | 1.3% | 4.2% | 14 | 2 | 2 |
| 29 | Winchester ON | 1.2% | 0.6% | 28 | 0 | 1 |
| 30 | Meaford ON | 1.1% | 2.1% | 70 | 4 | 21 |
| 31 | Dakota Crossing MB | 0.8% | 2.1% | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | Gander NL | 0.7% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| 33 | Amos QC | 0.5% | 0.2% | 8 | 0 | 1 |
| 34 | Lac Ste. Anne County AB | 0.5% | 0.4% | 33 | 0 | 2 |
| 35 | Alderwood ON | 0.3% | 0% | 5 | 1 | 12 |
| 36 | Varsity AB | 0.3% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| 37 | Rutherford AB | 0.3% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 38 | Sainte-Julienne QC | 0.2% | 1.7% | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| 39 | Downtown AB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 40 | Thompson MB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The map
The green map of Rutherford
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
8 named parks and woods to walk in near Rutherford
The biggest is Blackmud Creek Ravine, 175 ha. Biggest first, numbered as on the map.
8 named parks and woods, 224 ha in all
Parks & gardens 41 haWoods 183 ha
Blackmud Creek Ravine and Heritage Valley District Park together hold 89% of it.
Heritage Valley District Park
Park or garden · 130 m outside town
24 ha3 km of path
40 minto walk all 3 km of path
1.8 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Alexander Rutherford Park
Park or garden
7.1 ha1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1 km of path
0.7 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Blackmud Creek Park
Park or garden
4.7 ha0.1 km of path
1.0 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Monsignor Fee Otterson Park
Park or garden
4.1 ha0.3 km of path
0.6 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Southwest Mixedwood
Wood or forest
5.5 ha0.6 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
0.7 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Rutherford Park
Park or garden
0.9 ha0.3 km of path
Centralin the middle of Rutherford
Directionsto a point inside
Virginia Park Woodland
Wood or forest
2.6 ha
0.8 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
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.
Close to home
In Rutherford, 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%)
Rutherford100%
Towns in Alberta100%
Typical Canadian town83%
Against the typical Canadian town’s 83%, that is high.
Protected areas
3 protected areas lie within 10 km of Rutherford
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Rutherford0%
Within 10 km0.3%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
2 of the 3 are on public land. Biggest of the named areas: Big Island Provincial Park, 79 ha. The figures include one private conservation area, left unnamed.
Larch SanctuaryNature reserve · 24 ha · 2.0 km from the edge of town
Big Island Provincial ParkProvincial park · 79 ha · 6.7 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
The parks within reach of Rutherford
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
6.7 km west0.8 km²since 2023
National park
Elk Island National Park
39 km east194 km²since 1913
A provincial park is closer: Big Island Provincial Park, at 6.7 km.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
59 km of paths in and around Rutherford
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
59 km
in and around the town (12.4 km²)
Woodland
6.1%
about 0.8 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
RutherfordTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths4.8
036 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
RutherfordTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Woodland6.1%
0%50%100%
For path density, it beats 90% of Canadian towns. 57% of Canadian towns are more wooded.
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 Rutherford 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 walking route is mapped within 2 km of the neighbourhood. Mapping of trails as routes varies a great deal across Canada.
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 Rutherford: May, August and September
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Edmonton (Airport) (11 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) | -7 | -4 | 1 | 10 | 18 | 21 | 23 | 22 | 18 | 10 | 0 | -5 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 22 | 12 | 17 | 30 | 47 | 75 | 87 | 53 | 35 | 22 | 20 | 15 |
A typical year sees 127 cm of snow. In July the typical high is 23 °C; in January, -7 °C. Summer brings the most rain: 87 mm in July; February gets 12 mm. The climate in Rutherford →
Beaches
A beach within 5 km of Rutherford
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
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.
Things to do
Near Rutherford: one viewpoint on the map
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
Top of the list: playgrounds, 20 of them.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 1
Plus 1 viewpoint without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 1
Mactaggart Sanctuary1.9 km from town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 20
Alexander Rutherford Park Playgroundin town
DirectionsNeufeld Landing Parkin town
DirectionsMcEwan Playground0.5 km from town
DirectionsPlus 17 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Gardens to visit
Near Rutherford: 2 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.
Mill Woods Sports ParkGarden or park · 6.2 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 Rutherford
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
CallaghanCavanaghAllardPaisleyMacEwanTwin BrooksRutherford
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
For protected land, no neighbour of Rutherford doubles 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.
- 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.
- Beaches. A beach counts when its centre point lies within 5 km of the town’s outline. Names come from the map.
- Private land. Private conservation land is in the totals, not the lists. Many such areas are easements on working farms or woodlots.
Questions about the outdoors in Rutherford
Which is the biggest protected area near Rutherford?
Big Island Provincial Park, a provincial park of 79 ha.
What is the nearest provincial park to Rutherford?
It is Big Island Provincial Park, 6.7 km away.
When should you visit Rutherford for the outdoors?
On the normals, May, August and September: that is when days are long, highs reach 15 °C and rain is light.
How much land around Rutherford is protected?
Within 10 km, 0.3% of the land lies in protected areas.
Is there a beach near Rutherford?
There is an unnamed beach within 5 km.
How far is Rutherford from a national park?
It is Elk Island National Park, 39 km off.
Sources
Where Rutherford’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).