First pick
Great Chief Park
Park or garden
39 ha5.1 km of path
1 h 10 minto walk all 5.1 km of path
2.8 km westfrom the centre
North Bank TrailBower Ponds Trail
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Waynercook · Public domain0.7%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Red Deer · parks, protected land & trails
Red Deer Migratory Bird Sanctuary begins at the edge of Red Deer
OpenStreetMap shows one walking route nearby, the Footway: 20th Ave MUP. The nearest national park is more than 100 km away. There is a beach within 5 km, unnamed on the map.
Protected land
0.7%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
5
within 10 km, 1 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest provincial park
58 km
Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provincial Park
Walking routes
1
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Beaches
1
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Against other towns
Red Deer 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. This page carries no grade, because Canada’s grading doesn’t cover the outdoors; the comparisons are the point.
Protected within 10 km0.7%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town1.2%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas1Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes1Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches1Beaches mapped on OpenStreetMap within 5 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Red Deer has the 9th least protected land nearby of 40 towns its size
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (85,160 to 157,345 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
Red Deer0.7%
Towns its size3%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Red Deer1
Towns its size12
Towns in Alberta2
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Red Deer1
Towns its size1
Towns in Alberta0
Typical Canadian town0
Against towns its size, Red Deer is weakest for public protected areas: 32 of 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maple Ridge BC | 26% | 21% | 101 | 1 | 41 |
| 2 | Delta BC | 24% | 17% | 181 | 9 | 19 |
| 3 | North Vancouver BC | 15% | 22% | 18 | 11 | 169 |
| 4 | Kamloops BC | 14% | 13% | 16 | 0 | 11 |
| 5 | Chilliwack BC | 11% | 7.7% | 36 | 4 | 26 |
| 6 | Saanich BC | 11% | 9.4% | 43 | 7 | 56 |
| 7 | Strathcona County AB | 9.4% | 1.4% | 38 | 7 | 6 |
| 8 | Trois-Rivières QC | 8.4% | 1.2% | 44 | 1 | 10 |
| 9 | Repentigny QC | 8.3% | 1.6% | 41 | 0 | 2 |
| 10 | Cape Breton NS | 8.2% | 8.6% | 176 | 1 | 74 |
| 11 | New Westminster BC | 8% | 0% | 83 | 4 | 9 |
| 12 | Victoria BC | 8% | 0.9% | 20 | 4 | 34 |
| 13 | Lindsay ON | 7.6% | 9.2% | 60 | 5 | 9 |
| 14 | Pickering ON | 7.6% | 11% | 46 | 1 | 11 |
| 15 | Saguenay QC | 6% | 6.1% | 29 | 0 | 11 |
| 16 | Brossard QC | 5.6% | 9.1% | 31 | 0 | 6 |
| 17 | Kingston ON | 5% | 6.2% | 54 | 2 | 5 |
| 18 | Ajax ON | 4.9% | 5.8% | 31 | 1 | 8 |
| 19 | Bolton ON | 4.8% | 5.9% | 113 | 11 | 3 |
| 20 | Terrebonne QC | 3.8% | 3.6% | 60 | 0 | 3 |
| 21 | St. John's NL | 2.2% | 1.2% | 6 | 1 | 41 |
| 22 | Moncton NB | 2.2% | 1.7% | 17 | 0 | 2 |
| 23 | Nanaimo BC | 1.9% | 6.7% | 42 | 2 | 33 |
| 24 | Bowmanville ON | 1.6% | 3% | 25 | 2 | 9 |
| 25 | Newmarket ON | 1.3% | 1.8% | 27 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | Milton ON | 1.3% | 0% | 38 | 15 | 3 |
| 27 | St. Catharines ON | 1.2% | 1.7% | 15 | 4 | 7 |
| 28 | Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu QC | 1.1% | 1.2% | 18 | 1 | 3 |
| 29 | Niagara Falls ON | 1.1% | 1.7% | 15 | 3 | 4 |
| 30 | Saint-Jérôme QC | 1% | 0.1% | 16 | 0 | 3 |
| 31 | Chatham ON | 1% | 1% | 21 | 0 | 8 |
| 32 | Red Deer AB | 0.7% | 1.2% | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| 33 | Peterborough ON | 0.6% | 0% | 6 | 1 | 2 |
| 34 | Waterloo ON | 0.6% | 0% | 17 | 12 | 1 |
| 35 | Lethbridge AB | 0.4% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 36 | Brantford ON | 0.3% | 0% | 15 | 3 | 0 |
| 37 | Prince George BC | 0.3% | 0.5% | 5 | 1 | 51 |
| 38 | Drummondville QC | 0.1% | 0.2% | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 39 | Thunder Bay ON | 0.1% | 0.4% | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| 40 | Airdrie AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The map
Where the green is in Red Deer
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
14 parks and woods to walk in, in or near Red Deer
Great Chief Park is the largest, at 39 ha; the rest follow by size, numbered as on the map.
14 named parks and woods, 189 ha in all
Parks & gardens 189 ha
43% of the area is in just two places: Three Mile Bend Park and Barrett Park.
Barrett Park
Park or garden
40 ha4.4 km of path
1 hto walk all 4.4 km of path
1.3 km south-westfrom the centre
Devonian Trail
Directionsto a point inside
Three Mile Bend Park
Park or garden
41 ha3.2 km of path
40 minto walk all 3.2 km of path
3.8 km northfrom the centre
Three Mile Bend TrailN Bank Trail
Directionsto a point inside
Oxbows Off-Leash Dog Park
Park or garden
14 ha4 km of path
55 minto walk all 4 km of path
4.5 km southfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Inglewood Drive
Park or garden
5.5 ha1.3 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.3 km of path
3.7 km southfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Rosedale Park
Park or garden
6.4 ha0.1 km of path
2.7 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
All 14 named parks and green spaces
Great Chief ParkPark or garden · 39 ha · 5.1 km of path
DirectionsBarrett ParkPark or garden · 40 ha · 4.4 km of path
DirectionsThree Mile Bend ParkPark or garden · 41 ha · 3.2 km of path
DirectionsEdgar Athletic ParkPark or garden · 22 ha
DirectionsOxbows Off-Leash Dog ParkPark or garden · 14 ha · 4 km of path
DirectionsInglewood DrivePark or garden · 5.5 ha · 1.3 km of path
DirectionsVictoria ParkPark or garden · 8.0 ha
DirectionsRosedale ParkPark or garden · 6.4 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsParks & Recreation Department NurseryPark or garden · 5.0 ha
DirectionsAnders ParkPark or garden · 3.7 ha
DirectionsCity Hall ParkPark or garden · 0.7 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsNorthwood Estates ParkPark or garden · 1.4 ha
DirectionsRosdale Natural ParkPark or garden · 1.2 ha
DirectionsCourtyardPark or garden · 0.4 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
9 in 10 people in Red Deer 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 (94%)Further (6.4%)
Red Deer94%
Towns in Alberta100%
Typical Canadian town83%
The typical Canadian town manages 83%, so this is better. About 7,000 residents live further than 400 m from one.
Protected areas
Red Deer Migratory Bird Sanctuary touches Red Deer
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Red Deer1.2%
Within 10 km0.7%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Of those 5, 1 are public and the remainder private. The figures include 4 private conservation areas, left unnamed.
Red Deer Migratory Bird SanctuaryWildlife area · 129 ha · reaches Red Deer
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
Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provincial Park, 58 km off
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
Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provincial Park
58 km south-east16 km²since 1970
For a national park, people in Red Deer travel more than 100 km.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
Red Deer has 295 km of footpaths in and around it
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
295 km
in and around the town (155.7 km²)
Woodland
7.4%
about 11.5 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
Red DeerTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths1.9
024 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
Red DeerTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Woodland7.4%
0%50%100%
For woods, 54% of Canadian towns have more. For path density, it beats 54% 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
1 walking route near Red Deer
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
Local
Footway: 20th Ave MUP2.1 km
Source: OpenStreetMap (route relations hiking, foot and walking), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Trans Canada Trail sections as OSM maps them.
When to get out
Red Deer is best on foot in May and September
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Red Deer (12 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) | 8.2 | 9.8 | 11.7 | 13.8 | 15.7 | 16.8 | 16.3 | 14.7 | 12.6 | 10.5 | 8.7 | 7.7 |
| High (°C) | -6 | -4 | 1 | 10 | 17 | 20 | 23 | 22 | 18 | 10 | 1 | -4 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 16 | 12 | 19 | 28 | 58 | 98 | 90 | 70 | 38 | 22 | 17 | 14 |
From -6 °C in January to 23 °C in July: that is the range of daytime highs. Precipitation runs from 12 mm in February to 98 mm in June. The yearly snowfall is near 138 cm. The climate in Red Deer →
Beaches
One unnamed beach near Red Deer
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
This page can’t show water quality: no open, Canada-wide record of beach testing exists. Check local advisories first.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
Near Red Deer: 15 viewpoints on the map
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
Most numerous: playgrounds (138).
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 15
Bird Lookoutin town
DirectionsForest of Hopein town
DirectionsMaskepetoon Park Lookoutin town
DirectionsMichener Centre Lookoutin town
DirectionsObservation Towerin town
DirectionsSecond Gaetz Lakes Viewpointin town
DirectionsPlus 9 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Picnic sites 7
Plus 7 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 138
Agility parkin town
DirectionsCentral Spray & Playin town
DirectionsGreat Chief Park Playgroundin town
DirectionsPlus 135 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Oxbows Off-Leash Dog Parkin town
DirectionsCampsites 1
Red Deer Lions Campgroundin town
DirectionsSlipways 4
Boat Launchin town
DirectionsGreat Chief Park Boat Launchin town
DirectionsWaskasoo Boat Launchin town
DirectionsPlus 1 slipway without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Red Deer
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
Red Deer CountyBlackfaldsPenholdRed Deer
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Deer | 0.7% | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| Red Deer County 12 km | 1.1% | 76 | 1 | 60 |
| Blackfalds 13 km | 0.6% | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Penhold 16 km | 0.2% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
Red Deer holds its own on protected land: no neighbour has twice its share.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- National and provincial parks. The nearest national park and the nearest provincial park are always shown when they are within 100 km.
- Beaches. Beaches are OpenStreetMap’s, named or not; in the north many are unnamed shoreline imports.
- Private land. Private conservation land is in the totals, not the lists. Many such areas are easements on working farms or woodlots.
- Walking routes. Routes are what OpenStreetMap’s volunteers have mapped as named walking or hiking routes; many good trails aren’t mapped that way.
- 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.
Questions about the outdoors in Red Deer
What is the best season to get outdoors in Red Deer?
On the normals, May and September: that is when days are long, highs reach 15 °C and rain is light.
What is the nearest provincial park to Red Deer?
It is Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provincial Park, 58 km away.
Which is the biggest protected area near Red Deer?
Red Deer Migratory Bird Sanctuary: 129 ha, a wildlife area.
Is there protected land near Red Deer?
Protected areas cover 0.7% of the land within 10 km.
What walking routes are near Red Deer?
OpenStreetMap maps the Footway: 20th Ave MUP close by.
Where can you swim near Red Deer?
There is an unnamed beach within 5 km.
Is Red Deer near a national park?
No national park lies within 100 km of Red Deer.
Sources
Where Red Deer’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).