First pick
Charlesworth Park
Park or garden · 200 m outside town
9.7 ha1.4 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.4 km of path
1.0 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
0.1%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Walker · parks, protected land & trails
Elk Island National Park lies 32 km beyond Walker’s edge
The nearest provincial park, Big Island Provincial Park, is 13 km away. Of the country within 10 km, 0.1% lies in protected areas; the median Canadian town has 2.3%. OpenStreetMap shows 4 unnamed beaches within 5 km.
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
32 km
Elk Island National Park
Nearest provincial park
13 km
Big Island Provincial Park
Beaches
4
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Against other towns
How Walker 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. 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 km0.1%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 routes0Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches4Beaches mapped on OpenStreetMap within 5 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Walker has the 3rd least protected land nearby of 40 towns its size
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (13,146 to 13,630 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
Walker0.1%
Towns its size3.9%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Walker1
Towns its size5
Towns in Alberta2
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Walker0
Towns its size0
Towns in Alberta0
Typical Canadian town0
For protected land nearby, Walker lags towns its size: 37 of 39 are ahead.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Semiahmoo Town Centre BC | 21% | 0.8% | 103 | 2 | 4 |
| 2 | Bathurst NB | 20% | 2.6% | 13 | 1 | 17 |
| 3 | West Point Grey BC | 14% | 0.5% | 11 | 1 | 65 |
| 4 | Glebe-Dows Lake ON | 12% | 11% | 36 | 5 | 5 |
| 5 | Quantztown ON | 8.5% | 0% | 12 | 1 | 1 |
| 6 | Beaurivage QC | 8.1% | 0% | 30 | 0 | 1 |
| 7 | Sidney BC | 7% | 0.6% | 22 | 0 | 7 |
| 8 | Saint-Jean-Vianney QC | 6.9% | 0% | 20 | 0 | 5 |
| 9 | Durand ON | 6.3% | 0% | 24 | 1 | 3 |
| 10 | Pine Grove ON | 6.2% | 37% | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | Cloverdale BC | 6% | 0.4% | 160 | 5 | 0 |
| 12 | Bonnyville No. 87 AB | 5.5% | 1% | 13 | 0 | 20 |
| 13 | Dolbeau-Mistassini QC | 5.4% | 6.6% | 19 | 0 | 12 |
| 14 | Madoc ON | 5.1% | 0% | 7 | 1 | 1 |
| 15 | E-F-K-Section (bramalea) ON | 5% | 0% | 7 | 0 | 1 |
| 16 | Springdale ON | 4.9% | 0% | 7 | 0 | 1 |
| 17 | Montcalm QC | 4.7% | 0% | 17 | 1 | 3 |
| 18 | Aloha Estates BC | 4.3% | 2% | 111 | 2 | 0 |
| 19 | Vanier QC | 4.2% | 0% | 15 | 1 | 3 |
| 20 | L'Aéroport QC | 4% | 0% | 33 | 1 | 3 |
| 21 | Stittsville North ON | 3.7% | 0% | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | Thornhill Woods ON | 3.5% | 2% | 29 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | Centennial Scarborough ON | 3.5% | 8.1% | 14 | 0 | 7 |
| 24 | Stratford PE | 2.7% | 0.9% | 19 | 12 | 13 |
| 25 | Ionview ON | 2.6% | 0% | 16 | 0 | 5 |
| 26 | Yonge-St.Clair ON | 2.5% | 0% | 14 | 3 | 4 |
| 27 | Douglasdale/Glen AB | 2.2% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 19 |
| 28 | Palmerston-Little Italy ON | 2.1% | 0% | 11 | 6 | 17 |
| 29 | West Queen West ON | 2.1% | 0% | 11 | 6 | 24 |
| 30 | Corso Italia-Davenport ON | 1.4% | 0% | 11 | 2 | 8 |
| 31 | Kincardine ON | 1% | 0.9% | 7 | 0 | 19 |
| 32 | Signal Hill AB | 0.9% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | Streetsville ON | 0.7% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Perth East ON | 0.5% | 1.7% | 6 | 2 | 1 |
| 35 | Mount Dennis ON | 0.2% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 36 | Rossmere-A MB | 0.2% | 0% | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 37 | Huntington Hills AB | 0.2% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | Walker AB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 39 | Lorette MB | 0% | 0% | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Redstone AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The map
The green map of Walker
The neighbourhood’s parks, woods, protected land and paths, with its named places numbered.
Green: OpenStreetMap parks, gardens, playing fields and woods. Hatched: CPCAD protected areas.© OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL); CPCAD (OGL-Canada)
Places to walk
Walk in Walker: 5 named parks and woods
Largest first: Charlesworth Park leads with 9.7 ha. Numbers match the map.
5 named parks and woods, 23 ha in all
Parks & gardens 23 ha
Between them, Charlesworth Park and Summerside Community League Park cover 67%.
Summerside Community League Park
Park or garden · 310 m outside town
6.1 ha
0.8 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Walker Park
Park or garden
4.5 ha0.1 km of path
Centralin the middle of Walker
Directionsto a point inside
The Orchards At Ellerslie Park
Park or garden · 110 m outside town
2.2 ha0.3 km of path
1.0 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Orchards Dog Park
Park or garden · 330 m outside town
0.9 ha
1.6 km southfrom 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 Walker, 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%)
Walker100%
Towns in Alberta100%
Typical Canadian town83%
Few do better: the typical Canadian town is at 83%.
Protected areas
Walker has 1 protected area within 10 km
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Walker0%
Within 10 km0.1%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
It is public land.
Larch SanctuaryNature reserve · 24 ha · 7.1 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 Walker
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
13 km west0.8 km²since 2023
National park
Elk Island National Park
32 km east194 km²since 1913
Closer to home, Big Island Provincial Park is 13 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
Walker and its edge hold 36 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
36 km
in and around the town (12.1 km²)
Woodland
1.8%
about 0.2 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
WalkerTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths3
024 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
WalkerTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Woodland1.8%
0%50%100%
Paths are denser here than in 71% of Canadian towns. For woods, 76% 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
No named walking route passes Walker 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.
OpenStreetMap has no named walking route within 2 km of the neighbourhood. Trails may exist without being mapped 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
The best months for walking in Walker: May, August and September
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Edmonton (Airport) (15 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 |
Winter brings about 127 cm of snow. The warmest days come in July (23 °C highs), the coldest in January (-7 °C). July is warm and wet, 87 mm; the driest month, February, has 12 mm. The climate in Walker →
Beaches
4 unnamed beaches near Walker
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Water 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
28 things to do outdoors near Walker
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
There are 27 playgrounds, more than of anything else.
Every named place, with directions
Playgrounds 27
Aurora Toddler Parkin town
DirectionsThe Orchards Residents Association Playground1.8 km from town
DirectionsPlus 25 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Orchards Dog Park0.4 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 Walker
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 · 3.4 km from town
DirectionsWilliam Hawrelak 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 Walker
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
CharlesworthEllerslieSummersideThe Orchards At EllerslieAnthony Henday South EastSakawWalker
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walker | 0.1% | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Charlesworth 0.9 km | 0.1% | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Ellerslie 1.7 km | 0.1% | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Summerside 1.7 km | 0.1% | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| The Orchards At Ellerslie 2.1 km | 0.1% | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Anthony Henday South East 2.2 km | 0.2% | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| Sakaw 2.6 km | 0.2% | 2 | 0 | 4 |
None of its neighbours has twice the protected land around it that Walker has.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Protected land. CPCAD maps each protected area; the page counts how much of the 10 km around the town they cover, lakes and sea included.
- Beaches. The count includes unnamed stretches mapped as beach, which can make a lakeside town’s figure large.
- Walking routes. Routes are what OpenStreetMap’s volunteers have mapped as named walking or hiking routes; many good trails aren’t mapped that way.
- Private land. Areas held by land trusts or private owners stay unnamed here, though they count in the shares.
- National and provincial parks. Distances run from the town’s edge to the park’s, so 0 km means they touch.
Questions about the outdoors in Walker
Is Walker near a national park?
Elk Island National Park, 32 km from the edge of town.
When is the best time for walking in Walker?
May, August and September: long days, mild highs and little rain.
What is the biggest park or reserve near Walker?
It is Larch Sanctuary, a nature reserve covering 24 ha.
What is the nearest beach to Walker?
The beaches mapped within 5 km have no names on the map.
How far is the nearest provincial park from Walker?
Big Island Provincial Park, 13 km away.
Are there protected areas near Walker?
Yes: 0.1% of the land within 10 km is protected.
Sources
Where Walker’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).