First pick
Rotary Athletic Park of Olds
Park or garden
12 ha2.3 km of path
30 minto walk all 2.3 km of path
1.5 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center · Public domain–Not graded
Outdoors in Olds · parks, protected land & trails
Big Hill Springs Provincial Park, 60 km away, is the closest provincial park to Olds
The protected share within 10 km is 0%, where a typical Canadian town has 2.3%. Banff National Park is the closest national park, 89 km from town.
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
89 km
Banff National Park
Nearest provincial park
60 km
Big Hill Springs Provincial Park
Against other towns
Olds 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
Of 40 towns its size, none has less protected land around it than Olds
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (9,451 to 9,852 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
Olds0%
Towns its size2.2%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Olds0
Towns its size4
Towns in Alberta2
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Olds0
Towns its size0
Towns in Alberta0
Typical Canadian town0
For public protected areas, Olds lags towns its size: 35 of 39 are ahead.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electoral Area C (Puntledge - Black Creek), Comox Valley BC | 22% | 12% | 74 | 1 | 7 |
| 2 | Shediac NB | 18% | 5.4% | 20 | 0 | 4 |
| 3 | Revelstoke BC | 16% | 0.3% | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Lac-Deschênes QC | 14% | 49% | 32 | 3 | 10 |
| 5 | Manor Park ON | 11% | 4.1% | 41 | 2 | 2 |
| 6 | Antigonish County, Subdivision A NS | 11% | 9.3% | 128 | 1 | 17 |
| 7 | South Cambie BC | 8.6% | 0% | 13 | 2 | 49 |
| 8 | Oromocto NB | 6.6% | 3.8% | 19 | 0 | 5 |
| 9 | Castlegar BC | 6% | 0% | 6 | 0 | 3 |
| 10 | Lakelands Village ON | 5.2% | 0% | 7 | 1 | 1 |
| 11 | Otterburn Park QC | 5% | 0% | 23 | 0 | 3 |
| 12 | Silverado AB | 4.7% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| 13 | Qualicum Beach BC | 4.4% | 1.2% | 24 | 0 | 7 |
| 14 | Glastonbury AB | 4.2% | 0% | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | Charlesbourg QC | 3.9% | 0% | 17 | 1 | 6 |
| 16 | Northeast SK | 3.7% | 0% | 6 | 2 | 1 |
| 17 | Shawnessy AB | 3.1% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 9 |
| 18 | Richmond ON | 2.5% | 0.2% | 17 | 3 | 0 |
| 19 | Laurentian Valley ON | 2.4% | 0.9% | 21 | 0 | 3 |
| 20 | Guildwood ON | 2.2% | 0% | 17 | 0 | 6 |
| 21 | Rosenberg ON | 2.2% | 9.1% | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | North London ON | 1.9% | 0% | 12 | 1 | 0 |
| 23 | Steeles Corners ON | 1.8% | 0% | 26 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Lorraine QC | 1.6% | 0.2% | 25 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | Avalon SK | 1.6% | 0.7% | 21 | 0 | 1 |
| 26 | Daniel McIntyre MB | 1.5% | 0% | 21 | 4 | 0 |
| 27 | Sainte-Catherine-de-la-Jacques-Cartier QC | 1.4% | 0.1% | 27 | 0 | 16 |
| 28 | Wiarton ON | 1.4% | 2.4% | 64 | 3 | 55 |
| 29 | Notre-Dame-des-Prairies QC | 1.2% | 0% | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Willowgrove SK | 0.8% | 0% | 9 | 1 | 2 |
| 31 | Roberval QC | 0.6% | 0.1% | 8 | 0 | 7 |
| 32 | Thamesford ON | 0.5% | 0.4% | 15 | 4 | 0 |
| 33 | Rustic ON | 0.3% | 0% | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| 34 | Aspen Woods AB | 0.3% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 35 | Plympton-Wyoming ON | 0.2% | 0% | 5 | 0 | 2 |
| 36 | Devonshire ON | 0.2% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 37 | Mineola ON | 0.1% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| 38 | Saint-Rémi QC | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Coaldale AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Olds AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The map
Where the green is in Olds
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
12 parks and woods to walk in, in or near Olds
Largest first: Rotary Athletic Park of Olds leads with 12 ha. Numbers match the map.
12 named parks and woods, 59 ha in all
Parks & gardens 59 ha
The green is scattered, with no place over 21%.
Hartman Green
Park or garden
9.4 ha1.5 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.5 km of path
Centralin the middle of Olds
Directionsto a point inside
Olds College Water Treatment Wetlands
Park or garden
9.1 ha1.5 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.5 km of path
2.3 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Deer Ridge Tree Reserve
Park or garden
9.2 ha1.4 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.4 km of path
1.1 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Centennial Park
Park or garden
3.3 ha0.3 km of path
1.1 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Frank Wong Memorial Park
Park or garden
1.5 ha0.5 km of path
5 minto walk all 0.5 km of path
1.2 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Lions Balsam Park
Park or garden
0.8 ha0.4 km of path
Centralin the middle of Olds
Directionsto a point inside
All 12 named parks and green spaces
Rotary Athletic Park of OldsPark or garden · 12 ha · 2.3 km of path
DirectionsHartman GreenPark or garden · 9.4 ha · 1.5 km of path
DirectionsOlds College Water Treatment WetlandsPark or garden · 9.1 ha · 1.5 km of path
DirectionsDeer Ridge Tree ReservePark or garden · 9.2 ha · 1.4 km of path
DirectionsO. R. Hedges ParkPark or garden · 11 ha
DirectionsCentennial ParkPark or garden · 3.3 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsFrank Wong Memorial ParkPark or garden · 1.5 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsLions Balsam ParkPark or garden · 0.8 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsNeil Leatherdale ParkPark or garden · 1.0 ha
DirectionsHerb Samis ParkPark or garden · 0.5 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsHighlands ParkPark or garden · 0.5 ha
DirectionsRalph Maybank Memorial 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
A park is within a short walk for 9 in 10 in Olds
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 (94%)Further (5.6%)
Olds94%
Towns in Alberta100%
Typical Canadian town83%
For comparison, the median Canadian town has 83%. About 500 residents live further than 400 m from one.
Protected areas
There is no protected land within 10 km of Olds
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
For protected land, people look to Big Hill Springs Provincial Park, 60 km off.
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
89 km to Banff 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
Big Hill Springs Provincial Park
60 km south0.3 km²since 1957
National park
Banff National Park
89 km west6,641 km²since 1885
Nearer still is Big Hill Springs Provincial Park, a provincial park 60 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
28 km of paths in and around Olds
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
28 km
in and around the town (34.8 km²)
Woodland
under 0.1%
about 0 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
OldsTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0.8
024 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
OldsTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Woodlandunder 0.1%
0%50%100%
94% of Canadian towns are more wooded. For path density, 60% 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
No named walking route passes Olds 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.
No walking route is mapped within 2 km of the town. Mapping of trails as routes varies a great deal across Canada.
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 Olds: May and September
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Sundre (38 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) | 8.3 | 9.9 | 11.7 | 13.8 | 15.6 | 16.7 | 16.2 | 14.6 | 12.6 | 10.5 | 8.7 | 7.8 |
| High (°C) | -2 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 16 | 19 | 23 | 22 | 17 | 11 | 3 | -1 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 13 | 13 | 21 | 30 | 63 | 104 | 85 | 71 | 47 | 20 | 16 | 16 |
The wettest month, June, brings 104 mm, against 13 mm in January. January brings highs of -2 °C, July highs of 23 °C. About 138 cm of snow falls in a year. The climate in Olds →
Things to do
Outdoors around Olds: 19 places to go
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
Top of the list: playgrounds, 17 of them.
Every named place, with directions
Playgrounds 17
Craig's Cornerin town
DirectionsRyan Boutwell Memorial Playgroundin town
DirectionsPlus 15 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Olds Dog Park1.0 km from town
DirectionsCampsites 1
O. R Hedges Campgroundin town
DirectionsSource: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Olds
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
DidsburyBowdenMountain View CountyOlds
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olds | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Didsbury 15 km | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bowden 16 km | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mountain View County 18 km | 0.1% | 11 | 0 | 1 |
None of the places nearby has twice as much protected land around it as Olds.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- 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. The list is OpenStreetMap’s, so a missing trail may just be unmapped. The Trans Canada Trail appears where OSM maps it.
- 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.
- 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.
Questions about the outdoors in Olds
When is the best time for walking in Olds?
On the normals, May and September: that is when days are long, highs reach 15 °C and rain is light.
How far is the nearest provincial park from Olds?
It is Big Hill Springs Provincial Park, 60 km away.
What is the nearest national park to Olds?
It is Banff National Park, 89 km off.
Sources
Sources for this page on Olds
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).