First pick
Fort Macleod Barracks Site
Park or garden
12 ha
1.3 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: John Wiley User:Jw4nvc - Santa Barbara, California · CC BY 3.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Fort Macleod · parks, protected land & trails
Willow Creek Provincial Park, 48 km away, is the closest provincial park to Fort Macleod
The protected share within 10 km is 0%, where a typical Canadian town has 2.3%. For a national park, Waterton Lakes National Park is 66 km away.
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
66 km
Waterton Lakes National Park
Nearest provincial park
48 km
Willow Creek Provincial Park
Against other towns
Fort Macleod 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%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
Among 40 towns its size, Fort Macleod is 3rd from the bottom for protected land
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (3,863 to 4,029 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
Fort Macleod0%
Towns its size1.5%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Fort Macleod0
Towns its size4
Towns in Alberta2
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Fort Macleod0
Towns its size0
Towns in Alberta0
Typical Canadian town0
For public protected areas, Fort Macleod lags towns its size: 32 of 39 are ahead.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electoral Area F, East Kootenay BC | 30% | 23% | 41 | 2 | 10 |
| 2 | L'Islet QC | 30% | 0.1% | 43 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Electoral Area J, Central Kootenay BC | 11% | 4.9% | 13 | 0 | 4 |
| 4 | Lamont County AB | 9.6% | 2.2% | 51 | 4 | 1 |
| 5 | Okanagan Falls BC | 9.1% | 18% | 34 | 0 | 30 |
| 6 | Cap-Santé QC | 8.3% | 0.1% | 26 | 0 | 2 |
| 7 | Colchester County, Subdivision A NS | 7.5% | 14% | 51 | 0 | 6 |
| 8 | Ainslie Wood West ON | 7.5% | 15% | 19 | 2 | 0 |
| 9 | East Lawrencetown NS | 5.9% | 2.4% | 20 | 0 | 23 |
| 10 | Stinson ON | 4.9% | 0% | 21 | 1 | 3 |
| 11 | Normanview Residents Group SK | 3.7% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | Fairview AB | 3.7% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 7 |
| 13 | Belmead AB | 3.7% | 0% | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | New Richmond QC | 3.4% | 0.5% | 19 | 0 | 3 |
| 15 | Saint-Adolphe-d'Howard QC | 3% | 0.2% | 20 | 4 | 9 |
| 16 | Saint-Faustin--Lac-Carré QC | 3% | 0.2% | 14 | 7 | 8 |
| 17 | Callander ON | 2.9% | 2.3% | 6 | 0 | 3 |
| 18 | Lisgar ON | 2.8% | 0% | 17 | 3 | 0 |
| 19 | Auditorium ON | 1.9% | 0% | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Norwood East MB | 1.5% | 0% | 21 | 4 | 0 |
| 21 | Keswick AB | 1.5% | 0% | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | Kentley ON | 1.4% | 0% | 13 | 1 | 9 |
| 23 | Bridgeport East ON | 1.2% | 0% | 20 | 1 | 0 |
| 24 | Forty Mile County No. 8 AB | 1.1% | 1.6% | 25 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | Haddow AB | 0.9% | 0% | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| 26 | Livingston AB | 0.6% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Mission Gardens MB | 0.5% | 2.3% | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Leila North MB | 0.3% | 0% | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | Templeton-Sinclair MB | 0.3% | 0% | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Pasadena NL | 0.2% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 31 | Fraser AB | 0.2% | 0% | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 32 | Maple AB | 0.2% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 33 | Watford ON | 0.1% | 0.2% | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 34 | Cardston AB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | Danville QC | 0% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 36 | Morris-Turnberry ON | 0% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 37 | Pincher Creek AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | Fort Macleod AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Belle Rive AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Parkdale AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 3 | 1 |
The map
Parks, woods and paths around Fort Macleod
Green space, woods, protected areas and footpaths in and around the town; 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
3 named parks and woods to walk in near Fort Macleod
Largest first: Fort Macleod Barracks Site leads with 12 ha. Numbers match the map.
Centennial Park
Park or garden
1.2 ha0.4 km of path
Centralin the middle of Fort Macleod
Directionsto a point inside
South East Park & Soccer Fields
Park or garden
1.9 ha
0.9 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
About 5 in 10 of Fort Macleod’s residents are 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.
Within 400 m (50%)Further (50%)
Fort Macleod50%
Towns in Alberta100%
Typical Canadian town83%
Around 2,000 residents are further than 400 m from a park. In the typical Canadian town the share is 83%, higher than here.
Protected areas
There is no protected land within 10 km of Fort Macleod
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
The nearest provincial park is Willow Creek Provincial Park, 48 km away.
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
66 km to Waterton Lakes National Park
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
Willow Creek Provincial Park
48 km north-west0.8 km²since 1957
National park
Waterton Lakes National Park
66 km south-west505 km²since 1895
Nearer still is Willow Creek Provincial Park, a provincial park 48 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
Paths to walk: 2 km in and around Fort Macleod
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
1.9 km
in and around the town (46 km²)
Woodland
0%
of the town and 1 km around it
Footpaths · km per km²
Fort MacleodTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0
024 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
Fort MacleodTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Woodland0%
0%50%100%
93% of Canadian towns have more footpath per km².
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 Fort Macleod 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.
There is no mapped walking route within 2 km of the town; a local trail club’s maps may show more.
Source: OpenStreetMap (route relations hiking, foot and walking), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Trans Canada Trail sections as OSM maps them.
When to get out
Walking season in Fort Macleod: July to September
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Claresholm, 35 km away). Good months: long days, highs of 15–30 °C, light rain.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 8.6 | 10.0 | 11.7 | 13.7 | 15.4 | 16.3 | 15.9 | 14.4 | 12.5 | 10.6 | 9.0 | 8.1 |
| High (°C) | 0 | 2 | 6 | 12 | 17 | 21 | 25 | 25 | 20 | 13 | 5 | 1 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 13 | 15 | 22 | 33 | 68 | 93 | 47 | 43 | 42 | 20 | 18 | 16 |
Some 111 cm of snow falls each winter. Most rain and snow falls in June, 93 mm; January sees 13 mm. Summer highs reach 25 °C in July; in January they stay near 0 °C. The climate in Fort Macleod →
Things to do
3 things to do outdoors near Fort Macleod
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
Every named place, with directions
Nature reserves 1
Oldman River Provincial Recreation Area1.2 km from town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 2
Plus 2 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Fort Macleod
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page. No closer places have figures: these lie 27–36 km from Fort Macleod.
Willow Creek No. 26NoblefordPiikani 147CoalhurstClaresholmFort Macleod
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Macleod | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Willow Creek No. 26 27 km | 1.5% | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| Nobleford 30 km | 0.1% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Piikani 147 31 km | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Coalhurst 34 km | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Claresholm 36 km | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
For protected land, Willow Creek No. 26 has twice as much or more.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Private land. Land owned by individuals, companies or conservation groups counts toward the figures but is never named: a person’s land isn’t a place to visit.
- 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.
- 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.
- National and provincial parks. National parks are Parks Canada’s; provincial parks are the province’s or territory’s, Québec’s parcs nationaux among them.
Questions about the outdoors in Fort Macleod
What is the nearest national park to Fort Macleod?
It is Waterton Lakes National Park, 66 km off.
What is the best season to get outdoors in Fort Macleod?
On the normals, July to September: that is when days are long, highs reach 15 °C and rain is light.
Is there a provincial park near Fort Macleod?
It is Willow Creek Provincial Park, 48 km away.
Sources
Where Fort Macleod’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.
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).