First pick
Normand Boucher Community Arboretum
Park or garden
0.5 ha
61 km southfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
0.9%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Northern Lights County · parks, protected land & trails
Notikewin Provincial Park begins where Northern Lights County ends
OpenStreetMap shows 67 unnamed beaches within 5 km. The nearest national park is more than 100 km away. 0.9% of the land and water within 10 km is protected (the typical Canadian town: 2.3%).
Protected land
0.9%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
30
within 10 km, 6 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest provincial park
At the edge
Notikewin Provincial Park
Beaches
67
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
Where Northern Lights County stands out outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
A provincial park at the edgeNotikewin Provincial Park reaches the townBeaches67 beaches within 5 km
For someone who likes to get outside, Northern Lights County’s draw is a provincial park at its edge, with its beaches close behind.
Against other towns
Northern Lights County against 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 km0.9%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town0.6%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas6Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes0Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches67Beaches mapped on OpenStreetMap within 5 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Northern Lights County has the 18th least protected land nearby of 40 towns its size
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (4,055 to 4,175 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
Northern Lights County0.9%
Towns its size2%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Northern Lights County6
Towns its size3
Towns in Alberta2
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Northern Lights County0
Towns its size1
Towns in Alberta0
Typical Canadian town0
Northern Lights County beats most towns its size for public protected areas; 14 of 39 do better. It trails them for walking routes, where 21 of 39 have more.
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 | Fort Nelson BC | 11% | 9.8% | 36 | 0 | 330 |
| 5 | Carleton-sur-Mer QC | 10% | 0.1% | 26 | 0 | 4 |
| 6 | Merivale Gardens - Grenfell Glen - Pineglen - Country Place ON | 9.5% | 23% | 29 | 0 | 1 |
| 7 | Spring Valley ON | 6.4% | 0% | 12 | 1 | 0 |
| 8 | L'Ange-Gardien QC | 6.3% | 0% | 37 | 0 | 4 |
| 9 | Balfour ON | 5.7% | 0% | 19 | 1 | 3 |
| 10 | Electoral Area B, Cariboo BC | 5.4% | 4.8% | 10 | 1 | 3 |
| 11 | Lake of Bays ON | 4.8% | 1.8% | 12 | 1 | 6 |
| 12 | Woodlands MB | 4.8% | 6.6% | 12 | 1 | 1 |
| 13 | Electoral Area E, Kitimat-Stikine BC | 4.8% | 0% | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Inch Park ON | 4.8% | 0% | 21 | 1 | 3 |
| 15 | North Norfolk MB | 4.5% | 0.5% | 10 | 0 | 6 |
| 16 | Barry's Bay ON | 3.9% | 1.9% | 13 | 0 | 4 |
| 17 | Pioneer Tower West ON | 2.3% | 3.9% | 23 | 2 | 0 |
| 18 | West River PE | 2.2% | 2.9% | 18 | 8 | 15 |
| 19 | Haut-Madawaska NB | 2.2% | 7.7% | 8 | 0 | 7 |
| 20 | Sainte-Anne-des-Lacs QC | 2% | 2.9% | 19 | 2 | 2 |
| 21 | Elbow Park AB | 2% | 0% | 3 | 1 | 3 |
| 22 | Kirkfield MB | 1% | 0.3% | 14 | 1 | 37 |
| 23 | Northern Lights County AB | 0.9% | 0.6% | 30 | 0 | 67 |
| 24 | Island Lakes MB | 0.6% | 0% | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | Banff Trail AB | 0.6% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 26 | Sunalta AB | 0.6% | 0% | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 27 | Beaumaris AB | 0.5% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Perth South ON | 0.3% | 0.3% | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| 29 | Patterson AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 30 | Tuxedo Park AB | 0.3% | 0% | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 31 | Leger AB | 0.3% | 0% | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 32 | Malmo Plains AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 33 | Meyokumin AB | 0.2% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| 34 | Matt Berry AB | 0.1% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | Lac-Etchemin QC | 0% | 0% | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| 36 | Crossfield AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 37 | Balwin AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 38 | Forest Heights AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 39 | Killarney AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 40 | McCauley AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 3 | 1 |
The map
Where the green is in Northern Lights County
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
2 parks and woods to walk in, in or near Northern Lights County
Normand Boucher Community Arboretum is the largest, at 0.5 ha; the rest follow by size, numbered as on the map.
Spurce Court Park
Park or garden · 150 m outside town
0.2 ha
62 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 Northern Lights County, parks are rarely a short walk away
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 (0%)Further (100%)
Northern Lights County0%
Towns in Alberta100%
Typical Canadian town83%
Around 4,100 residents are further than 400 m from a park. For comparison, the typical Canadian town has 83%.
Protected areas
Notikewin Provincial Park touches Northern Lights County
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Northern Lights County0.6%
Within 10 km0.9%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
6 of the 30 are on public land. Chinchaga Wildland Provincial Park is the biggest, 80,284 ha. 24 more areas within 10 km are private land, held by landowners or conservation groups: counted here, not named.
Notikewin Provincial ParkProvincial park · 10,130 ha · reaches Northern Lights County
Milligan Hills ParkProvincial park · 7,226 ha · 2.3 km from the edge of town
Greene Valley Provincial ParkProvincial park · 3,191 ha · 2.9 km from the edge of town
Peace River Wildland Provincial ParkProvincial park · 24,493 ha · 5.4 km from the edge of town
Chinchaga Wildland Provincial ParkProvincial park · 80,284 ha · 6.4 km from the edge of town
1 area recorded only by its type (a provincial layer such as wildlife habitat areas) is counted, not listed.
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
Notikewin Provincial Park meets Northern Lights County
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
Notikewin Provincial Park
At the edge101 km²since 1979
Provincial park
Milligan Hills Park
2.3 km north-west72 km²since 1999
Provincial park
Greene Valley Provincial Park
2.9 km south32 km²since 2000
Provincial park
Peace River Wildland Provincial Park
5.4 km south245 km²since 2001
Provincial park
Chinchaga Wildland Provincial Park
6.4 km west803 km²since 1999
Canada’s national parks are all more than 100 km from Northern Lights County, so the parks here are provincial. There are 5 provincial parks 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
108 km of paths in and around Northern Lights County
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
108 km
in and around the town (21,646 km²)
Footpaths · km per km²
Northern Lights CountyTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0
024 km per km²
99% 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
OpenStreetMap shows no walking route near Northern Lights County
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
No named walking or hiking route is mapped near the town; local paths may simply not be on OpenStreetMap 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
Walking season in Northern Lights County: May and July to September
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Peace River (64 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) | 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) | -10 | -6 | -1 | 9 | 17 | 21 | 23 | 22 | 16 | 8 | -3 | -8 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 23 | 13 | 15 | 19 | 40 | 68 | 62 | 43 | 40 | 21 | 20 | 20 |
Daytime highs run from -10 °C in January up to 23 °C in July. The wettest month, June, brings 68 mm, against 13 mm in February. The climate in Northern Lights County →
Beaches
67 beaches within 5 km of Northern Lights County, none named
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 Northern Lights County: 1 viewpoints, 1 waterfalls
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
Playgrounds lead the count with 17.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 1
Plus 1 viewpoint without a name on the map.
Waterfalls 1
Plus 1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 16
Figure Eight Lake Provincial Recreation Areain town
DirectionsKinleyin town
DirectionsLac Cardinal Point Uplandsin town
DirectionsNorth Whitemudin town
DirectionsRasmussen Wetlandin town
DirectionsScoterin town
DirectionsSouth Whitemudin town
DirectionsWarrensvillein town
DirectionsPlus 8 nature reserves more.
Picnic sites 4
Tompkins Landing0.1 km from town
DirectionsKinsmen Rotary Picnic Park0.9 km from town
DirectionsRotary Park & Kinsmen Funland1.1 km from town
DirectionsPlus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 17
North Star Playgroundin town
DirectionsMillenium Playground0.1 km from town
DirectionsManning & Dist. Lion's Club Playground0.4 km from town
DirectionsElks Playground0.4 km from town
DirectionsRotary Playground1.1 km from town
DirectionsKinsmen Funland Playground1.2 km from town
DirectionsPlus 11 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 11
Condy Meadowsin town
DirectionsFigure Eight Lake Campgroundin town
DirectionsHotchkiss Community Campground & Ball Diamondsin town
DirectionsShady Lanes Campgroundin town
DirectionsTwin Lakes Campgroundin town
DirectionsLa Crete Ferry Campground0.2 km from town
DirectionsManning Lions Park Campground0.3 km from town
DirectionsPeace River Adventures Campground1.6 km from town
DirectionsPlus 3 campsites without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Northern Lights County
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page. Northern Lights County has few close neighbours with figures, so the list reaches 17–72 km out.
ManningPeace RiverPeace No. 135GrimshawNorthern Sunrise CountyNorthern Lights County
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Lights County | 0.9% | 30 | 0 | 67 |
| Manning 17 km | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Peace River 65 km | 8.4% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Peace No. 135 67 km | 8% | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| Grimshaw 70 km | 0.5% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Northern Sunrise County 72 km | 0.9% | 8 | 0 | 17 |
Peace River and Peace No. 135 have at least twice the protected share around them.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Protected land. The 10 km band starts at the town’s outline, not its centre, so a large municipality reaches further than a small town.
- Beaches. The count includes unnamed stretches mapped as beach, which can make a lakeside town’s figure large.
- 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.
- Walking routes. Only named route relations count; a park’s own path network may not show unless it is mapped as a route.
- 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 Northern Lights County
How far is the nearest provincial park from Northern Lights County?
Notikewin Provincial Park, which reaches the edge of town.
What is the biggest park or reserve near Northern Lights County?
Chinchaga Wildland Provincial Park, a provincial park of 80,284 ha.
When is the best time for walking in Northern Lights County?
May and July to September: long days, mild highs and little rain.
Are there protected areas near Northern Lights County?
Within 10 km, 0.9% of the land lies in protected areas.
What is the nearest national park to Northern Lights County?
None within 100 km of Northern Lights County.
What is the nearest beach to Northern Lights County?
The beaches mapped within 5 km have no names on the map.
Sources
Where Northern Lights County’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).