First pick
McLeod Park
Park or garden
15 ha0.3 km of path
0.7 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
–Not graded
Outdoors in York · parks, protected land & trails
Within 30 km of York: Elk Island National Park
Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park is the closest provincial park, at 14 km. Of the country within 10 km, 0% lies in protected areas; the median Canadian town has 2.3%. One protected area lies within 10 km.
Protected land
0%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
1
within 10 km, 0 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
30 km
Elk Island National Park
Nearest provincial park
14 km
Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park
Against other towns
How York 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. Canada’s grades don’t include the outdoors, so this page compares the figures rather than grading them.
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 routes0Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Of 40 towns its size, none has less protected land around it than York
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (3,966 to 4,103 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
York0%
Towns its size1%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
York0
Towns its size3
Towns in Alberta2
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
York0
Towns its size0
Towns in Alberta0
Typical Canadian town0
For public protected areas, York lags towns its size: 27 of 39 are ahead.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mistissini QC | 26% | 1.4% | 6 | 0 | 1 |
| 2 | Saint-Ferréol-les-Neiges QC | 12% | 0% | 25 | 2 | 2 |
| 3 | Electoral Area C, Okanagan-Similkameen BC | 12% | 12% | 52 | 0 | 2 |
| 4 | Okanagan Falls BC | 9.1% | 18% | 34 | 0 | 30 |
| 5 | Oakes ON | 7.4% | 0% | 15 | 1 | 0 |
| 6 | East Lawrencetown NS | 5.9% | 2.4% | 20 | 0 | 23 |
| 7 | Centremount ON | 5.6% | 0% | 22 | 1 | 3 |
| 8 | Alexander MB | 4.9% | 1.3% | 7 | 2 | 18 |
| 9 | Stinson ON | 4.9% | 0% | 21 | 1 | 3 |
| 10 | Woodlands MB | 4.8% | 6.6% | 12 | 1 | 1 |
| 11 | Inch Park ON | 4.8% | 0% | 21 | 1 | 3 |
| 12 | North Norfolk MB | 4.5% | 0.5% | 10 | 0 | 6 |
| 13 | Belmead AB | 3.7% | 0% | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Saint-Adolphe-d'Howard QC | 3% | 0.2% | 20 | 4 | 9 |
| 15 | Saint-Faustin--Lac-Carré QC | 3% | 0.2% | 14 | 7 | 8 |
| 16 | Callander ON | 2.9% | 2.3% | 6 | 0 | 3 |
| 17 | Haut-Madawaska NB | 2.2% | 7.7% | 8 | 0 | 7 |
| 18 | Sainte-Anne-des-Lacs QC | 2% | 2.9% | 19 | 2 | 2 |
| 19 | Kentley ON | 1.4% | 0% | 13 | 1 | 9 |
| 20 | Kirkfield MB | 1% | 0.3% | 14 | 1 | 37 |
| 21 | Haddow AB | 0.9% | 0% | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| 22 | Smoky Lake County AB | 0.7% | 0.5% | 25 | 0 | 1 |
| 23 | University Heights AB | 0.6% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 24 | Mission Gardens MB | 0.5% | 2.3% | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | Perth South ON | 0.3% | 0.3% | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| 26 | Leila North MB | 0.3% | 0% | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Templeton-Sinclair MB | 0.3% | 0% | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Tuxedo Park AB | 0.3% | 0% | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 29 | Fraser AB | 0.2% | 0% | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 30 | Meyokumin AB | 0.2% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| 31 | Saint-Prosper QC | 0.1% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | Matt Berry AB | 0.1% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | Lac-Etchemin QC | 0% | 0% | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| 34 | Morris-Turnberry ON | 0% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | Swan River MB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 36 | Crossfield AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 37 | Balwin AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 38 | McCauley AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| 39 | Parkdale AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| 40 | York AB | 0% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
The map
Where the green is in York
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
8 parks and woods to walk in, in or near York
Largest first: McLeod Park leads with 15 ha. Numbers match the map.
8 named parks and woods, 36 ha in all
Parks & gardens 36 ha
Between them, McLeod Park and Londonderry Athletic Grounds cover 75%.
Londonderry Athletic Grounds
Park or garden · 210 m outside town
12 ha0.2 km of path
0.9 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Braids Park
Park or garden · 140 m outside town
1.9 ha0.3 km of path
0.7 km southfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Henri Legay Park
Park or garden
1.3 ha0.2 km of path
0.9 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Robert Brett Park
Park or garden · 280 m outside town
1.2 ha
0.9 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Josef Chelen Park
Park or garden · 320 m outside town
0.7 ha
1.1 km south-westfrom 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 York, 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%)
York100%
Towns in Alberta100%
Typical Canadian town83%
Few do better: the typical Canadian town is at 83%.
Protected areas
York 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 York0%
Within 10 km0%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
It is private land, held by a landowner or a conservation group, so it is counted here but not named.
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 York
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
14 km west21 km²since 2005
National park
Elk Island National Park
30 km east194 km²since 1913
A provincial park is closer: Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park, 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
Paths to walk: 35 km in and around York
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
35 km
in and around the town (9.1 km²)
Woodland
0.1%
about 0 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
YorkTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths3.8
02.55 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
YorkTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Woodland0.1%
0%50%100%
Paths are denser here than in 81% of Canadian towns. It is less wooded than 93% 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
OpenStreetMap shows no walking route near York
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
Nothing near the neighbourhood is mapped as a named walking route, which often means the trails just haven’t been entered 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 York: May, August and September
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Edmonton (City) (6.8 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 |
Snowfall averages 124 cm a year. The wettest month is the warmest, July (83 mm); February has 12 mm. Daytime highs run from -6 °C in January up to 24 °C in July. The climate in York →
Things to do
Outdoors around York: 40 places to go
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
The map shows 40 playgrounds, ahead of the rest.
Every named place, with directions
Playgrounds 40
splash padin town
DirectionsTreehouse Indoor Playground0.6 km from town
DirectionsG. Edmund Kelly Spray Park1.5 km from town
DirectionsBrintnell Playground1.5 km from town
DirectionsPlus 36 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Gardens to visit
A garden to visit near York: William Hawrelak Park, 10 km away
Gardens and arboretums within 15 km of the town’s edge, and the historic gardens, parks and estates in the town itself, nearest first.
William Hawrelak ParkGarden or park · 10 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 York
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
CasselmanBelvedereKilkennyKildareDelwoodClareview Town CentreYork
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
For protected land, no neighbour of York doubles its share.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- National and provincial parks. Distances run from the town’s edge to the park’s, so 0 km means they touch.
- Private land. Private conservation land is in the totals, not the lists. Many such areas are easements on working farms or woodlots.
- Walking routes. Only named route relations count; a park’s own path network may not show unless it is mapped as a route.
- 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.
Questions about the outdoors in York
When is the best time for walking in York?
May, August and September, on the 1991–2020 normals and the daylight: long days, highs of 15 °C or more, light rain for the place.
Is York near a national park?
Elk Island National Park, 30 km from the edge of town.
Are there protected areas near York?
Within 10 km, 0% of the land lies in protected areas.
How far is the nearest provincial park from York?
Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park, 14 km away.
Sources
Sources for this page on York
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).