First pick
Snye Point Park
Park or garden
11 ha0.6 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
4.1 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: jasonwoodhead23 · CC BY 2.034%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Fort McMurray · parks, protected land & trails
Wood Buffalo National Park begins at the edge of Fort McMurray
Within 10 km of the town, 34% of the land is protected, against 2.3% around a typical Canadian town. Within its own boundary, 35% of the town is protected. Swimmers have 289 beaches within 5 km, Indian Beach the nearest.
Protected land
34%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
21
within 10 km, 20 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
At the edge
Wood Buffalo National Park
Nearest provincial park
At the edge
Clearwater River Provincial Park
Walking routes
1
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Beaches
289
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
Where Fort McMurray stands out outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
Next to a national parkWood Buffalo National Park starts at the edge of townProtected land all round34% of the land within 10 km, more than 99% of Canadian townsBeaches289 beaches within 5 kmProtected land in town35% of Fort McMurray itself lies in protected areas
Fort McMurray’s best card is Wood Buffalo National Park on its doorstep, with protected land around it close behind.
Against other towns
How Fort McMurray 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.
Protected within 10 km34%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town35%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas20Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes1Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches289Beaches mapped on OpenStreetMap within 5 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Fort McMurray has the most protected land nearby of 40 towns its size
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (61,739 to 107,345 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 McMurray34%
Towns its size3.7%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Fort McMurray20
Towns its size10
Towns in Alberta2
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Fort McMurray1
Towns its size1
Towns in Alberta0
Typical Canadian town0
Fort McMurray leads its size group for protected land nearby: none of the other 39 has more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fort McMurray AB | 34% | 35% | 21 | 1 | 289 |
| 2 | Maple Ridge BC | 26% | 21% | 101 | 1 | 41 |
| 3 | North Vancouver BC | 15% | 22% | 18 | 11 | 169 |
| 4 | Port Coquitlam BC | 15% | 5.6% | 125 | 3 | 30 |
| 5 | Saint John NB | 14% | 11% | 63 | 3 | 97 |
| 6 | Chilliwack BC | 11% | 7.7% | 36 | 4 | 26 |
| 7 | Strathcona County AB | 9.4% | 1.4% | 38 | 7 | 6 |
| 8 | Repentigny QC | 8.3% | 1.6% | 41 | 0 | 2 |
| 9 | Cape Breton NS | 8.2% | 8.6% | 176 | 1 | 74 |
| 10 | New Westminster BC | 8% | 0% | 83 | 4 | 9 |
| 11 | Victoria BC | 8% | 0.9% | 20 | 4 | 34 |
| 12 | Fleetwood BC | 7.8% | 7.9% | 162 | 10 | 0 |
| 13 | Lindsay ON | 7.6% | 9.2% | 60 | 5 | 9 |
| 14 | North Vancouver BC | 7.5% | 0% | 13 | 4 | 66 |
| 15 | North Bay ON | 7.4% | 5.6% | 4 | 4 | 13 |
| 16 | Mirabel QC | 5.9% | 0.3% | 76 | 1 | 2 |
| 17 | Brossard QC | 5.6% | 9.1% | 31 | 0 | 6 |
| 18 | Bolton ON | 4.8% | 5.9% | 113 | 11 | 3 |
| 19 | Fredericton NB | 4.3% | 0% | 26 | 2 | 16 |
| 20 | Chomedey QC | 3.9% | 0.1% | 43 | 0 | 2 |
| 21 | St. Albert AB | 3.4% | 2.1% | 7 | 7 | 1 |
| 22 | Welland ON | 3.2% | 0% | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | Granby QC | 2.5% | 3.6% | 18 | 0 | 6 |
| 24 | Simcoe ON | 2.3% | 4.7% | 102 | 5 | 36 |
| 25 | Moncton NB | 2.2% | 1.7% | 17 | 0 | 2 |
| 26 | Aurora ON | 2.2% | 0.6% | 42 | 1 | 0 |
| 27 | Georgetown ON | 1.8% | 3.5% | 38 | 6 | 2 |
| 28 | Grande Prairie AB | 1.7% | 0% | 6 | 1 | 6 |
| 29 | Sault Ste. Marie ON | 1.6% | 7.5% | 10 | 0 | 3 |
| 30 | Newmarket ON | 1.3% | 1.8% | 27 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | Belleville ON | 1.2% | 1.8% | 18 | 1 | 0 |
| 32 | Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu QC | 1.1% | 1.2% | 18 | 1 | 3 |
| 33 | Blainville QC | 1.1% | 0% | 27 | 2 | 0 |
| 34 | Saint-Jérôme QC | 1% | 0.1% | 16 | 0 | 3 |
| 35 | Peterborough ON | 0.6% | 0% | 6 | 1 | 2 |
| 36 | Prince George BC | 0.3% | 0.5% | 5 | 1 | 51 |
| 37 | Sarnia ON | 0.2% | 0.3% | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| 38 | Drummondville QC | 0.1% | 0.2% | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 39 | Medicine Hat AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 40 | Airdrie AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The map
Fort McMurray on the map: green space, protected land and paths
The town’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
18 parks and woods to walk in, in or near Fort McMurray
The biggest is Snye Point Park, 11 ha. Biggest first, numbered as on the map.
18 named parks and woods, 34 ha in all
Parks & gardens 34 ha
The bulk, 46%, is Snye Point Park and Helen Pacholko Park.
Borealis Park
Park or garden
3.7 ha0.9 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.9 km of path
3.3 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Helen Pacholko Park
Park or garden
4.9 ha0.2 km of path
2.2 km southfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Howard Pew
Park or garden
4.4 ha0.4 km of path
7.2 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Thickwood Off Leash Dog park
Park or garden
1.3 ha0.1 km of path
2.7 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Nelson Lane Park
Park or garden
0.9 ha0.1 km of path
3.5 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Cree Road Park
Park or garden
0.8 ha0.2 km of path
3.3 km westfrom the centre
Cree Road Park Trail
Directionsto a point inside
All 18 named parks and green spaces
Snye Point ParkPark or garden · 11 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsBorealis ParkPark or garden · 3.7 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsHelen Pacholko ParkPark or garden · 4.9 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsHoward PewPark or garden · 4.4 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsThickwood Off Leash Dog parkPark or garden · 1.3 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsNelson Lane ParkPark or garden · 0.9 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsCree Road ParkPark or garden · 0.8 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsRoss A. Henniger ParkPark or garden · 1.1 ha
DirectionsFort McMurray Boys & Girls ClubPark or garden · 1.0 ha
DirectionsMission ParkPark or garden · 1.0 ha · just outside town
DirectionsLions ParkPark or garden · 0.9 ha
DirectionsCarteret Drive ParkPark or garden · 0.9 ha
DirectionsBeacon Hill Splash Pad and PlaygroundsPark or garden · 0.7 ha
DirectionsKid CityPark or garden · 0.6 ha · just outside town
DirectionsKiyam ParkPark or garden · 0.6 ha
DirectionsMarine ParkPark or garden · 0.3 ha
DirectionsGregoire Dog ParkPark or garden · 0.2 ha
DirectionsBeacon Hill Dog ParkPark or garden · 0.2 ha
DirectionsSource: 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
8 in 10 people in Fort McMurray live near 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 (78%)Further (22%)
Fort McMurray78%
Towns in Alberta100%
Typical Canadian town83%
The typical Canadian town reaches 83%. About 18,000 residents live further than 400 m from one.
Protected areas
34% of the country within 10 km of Fort McMurray is protected
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Fort McMurray35%
Within 10 km34%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Of those 21, 20 are public and the remainder private. Biggest of the named areas: Wood Buffalo National Park, 4,477,832 ha. One further area is privately owned conservation land; it counts in the figures but isn’t named, as a person’s land isn’t a place to visit.
Wood Buffalo National ParkNational park · 4,477,832 ha · reaches Fort McMurray
Kazan Wildland Provincial ParkProvincial park · 659,513 ha · reaches Fort McMurray
Birch River Wildland Provincial ParkProvincial park · 332,290 ha · reaches Fort McMurray
Kitaskino Nuwenëné WildlandProvincial park · 314,774 ha · reaches Fort McMurray
Richardson Wildland Provincial ParkProvincial park · 312,129 ha · reaches Fort McMurray
Clearwater River Provincial ParkProvincial park · 236,310 ha · reaches Fort McMurray
Marguerite River Wildland Provincial ParkProvincial park · 195,989 ha · reaches Fort McMurray
Dillon River Wildland Provincial ParkProvincial park · 191,425 ha · reaches Fort McMurray
Gipsy-Gordon Wildland Provincial ParkProvincial park · 186,667 ha · reaches Fort McMurray
Birch Mountains Wildland Provincial ParkProvincial park · 146,149 ha · reaches Fort McMurray
10 more named areas within 10 km are in the figures.
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 Fort McMurray
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
National park
Wood Buffalo National Park
At the edge44,778 km²since 1922
Provincial park
Kazan Wildland Provincial Park
At the edge6,595 km²since 2018
Provincial park
Birch River Wildland Provincial Park
At the edge3,323 km²since 2018
Provincial park
Kitaskino Nuwenëné Wildland
At the edge3,148 km²since 2019
Provincial park
Richardson Wildland Provincial Park
At the edge3,121 km²since 2018
Provincial park
Clearwater River Provincial Park
At the edge2,363 km²
7 provincial parks lie within 10 km.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
525 km of paths in and around Fort McMurray
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
525 km
in and around the town (65,617.5 km²)
Footpaths · km per km²
Fort McMurrayTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0
024 km per km²
For path density, 98% of Canadian towns do better.
Source: OpenStreetMap, © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Mapping varies by place: a dense figure can mean keen local mappers as much as many paths.
Walking routes
Fort McMurray has 1 named walking route
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
Local
Thebacha Trail5.4 km
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 Fort McMurray: May, August and September
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Fort Mcmurray, 17 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) | 7.4 | 9.4 | 11.6 | 14.2 | 16.4 | 17.8 | 17.2 | 15.2 | 12.7 | 10.2 | 8.0 | 6.8 |
| High (°C) | -12 | -7 | 0 | 9 | 17 | 22 | 24 | 22 | 16 | 7 | -3 | -10 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 16 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 31 | 78 | 77 | 56 | 44 | 26 | 17 | 13 |
June is the wettest month (78 mm) and February the driest (13 mm). Summer highs reach 24 °C in July; in January they stay near -12 °C. Some 111 cm of snow falls each winter. The climate in Fort McMurray →
Beaches
Indian Beach, 0.1 km away, is the beach near Fort McMurray
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Indian Beach0.1 km from town
Directions288 further beaches go unnamed. Beach water tests aren’t published as open data across Canada, so swimming advisories come from the local health unit.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
4 viewpoints near Fort McMurray
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
4Viewpoints18Hills and peaks15Nature reserves1Picnic sites104Playgrounds4Dog parks1Campsites2Slipways
The map shows 104 playgrounds, ahead of the rest.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 4
Salt River Meadow Trail Bench and Lookout0.0 km from town
DirectionsSalt River Meadow Trail Picnic Table0.4 km from town
DirectionsThe Lookout1.2 km from town
DirectionsPlus 1 viewpoint without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 18
Plus 15 hills and peaks more.
Nature reserves 15
Cascade Rapids Remote Public Land Recreation Areain town
DirectionsChristina River Remote Public Land Recreation Areain town
DirectionsClausen's Landing Remote Public Land Recreation Areain town
DirectionsEngstrom Lake Provincial Recreation Areain town
DirectionsEngstrom Remote Public Land Recreation Areain town
DirectionsGreentree Remote Public Land Recreation Areain town
DirectionsLa Saline Natural Areain town
DirectionsMaqua Lake Provincial Recreation Areain town
DirectionsPlus 7 nature reserves more.
Picnic sites 1
Salt River Day Use Areain town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 104
Don Thaddeus Xavier Parkin town
DirectionsPlus 103 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 4
Beacon Hill Dog Parkin town
DirectionsDog Parkin town
DirectionsGregoire Dog Parkin town
DirectionsThickwood Off Leash Dog parkin town
DirectionsCampsites 1
Civeo Grey Wolf Lodgein town
DirectionsSource: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Fort McMurray
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page. Fort McMurray has no close neighbour with figures; the nearest is 125 km away.
La LocheFort McMurray
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort McMurray | 34% | 21 | 1 | 289 |
| La Loche 125 km | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
For protected land, no neighbour of Fort McMurray doubles its share.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Beaches. The count includes unnamed stretches mapped as beach, which can make a lakeside town’s figure large.
- Private land. CPCAD includes conservation land held privately; the page counts it and leaves the names out.
- 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.
- National and provincial parks. Distances run from the town’s edge to the park’s, so 0 km means they touch.
- 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.
Questions about the outdoors in Fort McMurray
Is Fort McMurray near a national park?
Yes: Wood Buffalo National Park reaches the edge of Fort McMurray.
What is the largest protected area near Fort McMurray?
Wood Buffalo National Park: 4,477,832 ha, a national park.
What is the best season to get outdoors in Fort McMurray?
On the normals, May, August and September: that is when days are long, highs reach 15 °C and rain is light.
What is the nearest beach to Fort McMurray?
Indian Beach, 0.1 km from town, is the nearest mapped beach.
What walking routes are near Fort McMurray?
OpenStreetMap maps the Thebacha Trail close by.
How far is the nearest provincial park from Fort McMurray?
Clearwater River Provincial Park begins at the town’s edge.
Are there protected areas near Fort McMurray?
Yes: 34% of the land within 10 km is protected.
Sources
Where Fort McMurray’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).