First pick
Vermilion Provincial Park
Park or garden
731 ha6.3 km of path
1 h 25 minto walk all 6.3 km of path
22 km westfrom the centre
Park Perimiter xcski trailAspen Trail
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Rural Health Professions Action Plan from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada · CC BY 2.00.5%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Vermilion River County · parks, protected land & trails
Vermilion Provincial Park reaches the edge of Vermilion River County
Within 5 km lie 6 beaches, unnamed on the map. There is no national park within 100 km of the town. Out to 10 km from the town’s edge, 0.5% of the land is protected; 2.3% is typical for a Canadian town.
Protected land
0.5%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
24
within 10 km, 5 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest provincial park
At the edge
Vermilion Provincial Park
Beaches
6
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
What sets Vermilion River County apart outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
A provincial park at the edgeVermilion Provincial Park reaches the townBeaches6 beaches within 5 kmLittle protected land0.5% within 10 km; the typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Vermilion River County’s best card is a provincial park at its edge, with its beaches close behind. Less going for it: protected land nearby.
Against other towns
How Vermilion River County 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. 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 km0.5%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town0.3%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas5Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes0Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches6Beaches mapped on OpenStreetMap within 5 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Vermilion River County sits 14th from last of 40 towns its size for protected land around it
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (8,158 to 8,412 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
Vermilion River County0.5%
Towns its size1.3%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Vermilion River County5
Towns its size3
Towns in Alberta2
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Vermilion River County0
Towns its size0
Towns in Alberta0
Typical Canadian town0
Against towns its size, Vermilion River County does best for public protected areas: 17 of the other 39 have more. For protected land nearby, though, 24 of 39 are ahead.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | La Malbaie QC | 27% | 0.5% | 28 | 3 | 2 |
| 2 | Argyle NS | 21% | 22% | 136 | 0 | 22 |
| 3 | Alta Vista ON | 13% | 0.7% | 38 | 0 | 1 |
| 4 | Old Ottawa East ON | 13% | 4.2% | 39 | 4 | 3 |
| 5 | Upper Cornell ON | 12% | 49% | 9 | 2 | 1 |
| 6 | Crestview-Tanglewood ON | 12% | 0% | 28 | 0 | 5 |
| 7 | Mount Joy ON | 10% | 0% | 8 | 1 | 1 |
| 8 | Rigaud QC | 7.1% | 1.5% | 44 | 2 | 2 |
| 9 | Secord AB | 6.4% | 0% | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | Saint-Vincent-de-Paul QC | 5.6% | 0% | 19 | 0 | 3 |
| 11 | Norton Park ON | 5.5% | 0% | 7 | 0 | 1 |
| 12 | Saint-Roch QC | 5.1% | 0% | 17 | 1 | 3 |
| 13 | Kirkland Lake ON | 5% | 9.5% | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| 14 | G-Section (bramalea) ON | 5% | 0% | 6 | 0 | 1 |
| 15 | Walden AB | 3.2% | 0.1% | 1 | 0 | 12 |
| 16 | McNab/Braeside ON | 2.7% | 0.1% | 35 | 0 | 14 |
| 17 | Douro-Dummer ON | 2.3% | 1.4% | 17 | 2 | 3 |
| 18 | Torbay NL | 1.9% | 0% | 3 | 1 | 20 |
| 19 | South Pointe MB | 1.6% | 0% | 18 | 0 | 1 |
| 20 | Goderich ON | 1.5% | 0% | 10 | 4 | 2 |
| 21 | Alnwick/Haldimand ON | 1.1% | 2.9% | 26 | 1 | 1 |
| 22 | South Terwillegar AB | 0.8% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | Lawson Heights SK | 0.7% | 8.1% | 12 | 0 | 3 |
| 24 | St. Norbert MB | 0.6% | 1.6% | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | South-West Oxford ON | 0.5% | 0.3% | 10 | 6 | 3 |
| 26 | Bayfield ON | 0.5% | 0.1% | 6 | 2 | 11 |
| 27 | Vermilion River County AB | 0.5% | 0.3% | 24 | 0 | 6 |
| 28 | Southdale MB | 0.5% | 0% | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | Springfield North MB | 0.5% | 0% | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Plattsville ON | 0.4% | 0.1% | 19 | 2 | 2 |
| 31 | Clinton ON | 0.4% | 0.3% | 11 | 13 | 6 |
| 32 | Valley Gardens MB | 0.4% | 0% | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | Kildare-Redonda MB | 0.3% | 0% | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Marlborough Park AB | 0.3% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | St. Marys ON | 0.2% | 0% | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| 36 | King Edward Park AB | 0.2% | 0% | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 37 | Strathcona AB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 38 | Happy Valley-Goose Bay NL | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| 39 | Aylmer ON | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Ponoka AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The map
Vermilion River County 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
Walk in Vermilion River County: 5 named parks and woods
Largest first: Vermilion Provincial Park leads with 731 ha. Numbers match the map.
5 named parks and woods, 815 ha in all
Parks & gardens 815 ha
Add Vermilion Provincial Park to Sandy Beach Regional Park and you have 97% of it.
Sandy Beach Regional Park
Park or garden · 250 m outside town
58 ha
38 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Lakeside Park
Park or garden
5.4 ha0.7 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.7 km of path
39 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
College Park
Park or garden · 360 m outside town
3.4 ha0.4 km of path
41 km south-eastfrom 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
Most of Vermilion River County is more than 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 (2%)Further (98%)
Vermilion River County2%
Towns in Alberta100%
Typical Canadian town83%
The typical Canadian town does better, at 83%. Around 8,100 residents are further than 400 m from a park.
Protected areas
Protected land at the edge of Vermilion River County: Vermilion Provincial Park
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Vermilion River County0.3%
Within 10 km0.5%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
5 of the 24 are on public land. Whitney Lakes Provincial Park is the biggest, 1,482 ha. Another 19 are privately owned conservation land; they count in the figures but aren’t named, as private land isn’t a place to visit.
Vermilion Provincial ParkProvincial park · 753 ha · reaches Vermilion River County
Whitney Lakes Provincial ParkProvincial park · 1,482 ha · 5.4 km from the edge of town
3 areas recorded only by their type (provincial layers such as wildlife habitat areas) are 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
From the edge of Vermilion River County, Vermilion Provincial Park begins
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
Vermilion Provincial Park
At the edge7.5 km²since 1958
Provincial park
Whitney Lakes Provincial Park
5.4 km north15 km²since 1982
Canada’s national parks are all more than 100 km from Vermilion River County, so the parks here are provincial. 2 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
Vermilion River County has 102 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
102 km
in and around the town (6,012.9 km²)
Footpaths · km per km²
Vermilion River CountyTowns in AlbertaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0
024 km per km²
97% 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 Vermilion River County 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.
Nothing near the town is mapped as a named walking route, which often means the trails just haven’t been entered 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
Get out in Vermilion River County in May, August and September
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Lloydminster, 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) | 8.0 | 9.7 | 11.7 | 13.9 | 15.9 | 17.0 | 16.5 | 14.8 | 12.6 | 10.4 | 8.5 | 7.5 |
| High (°C) | -10 | -7 | -2 | 9 | 17 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 17 | 9 | -2 | -8 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 18 | 12 | 15 | 32 | 45 | 83 | 77 | 59 | 34 | 19 | 17 | 15 |
Expect 83 mm in June, the wettest month, and 12 mm in February. July is the warmest month, with highs around 23 °C; January the coldest, at -10 °C. Expect around 103 cm of snow over a winter. The climate in Vermilion River County →
Beaches
6 beaches within 5 km of Vermilion River County, none named
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Canada publishes no open register of beach water tests; the local public health unit posts swimming advisories.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
3 viewpoints near Vermilion River County
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
The map shows 53 playgrounds, ahead of the rest.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 3
Plus 3 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Picnic sites 3
Plus 3 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Plus 1 dog park without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Vermilion River County
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page. Distances here run 20–41 km: that is how far the nearest places with figures are from Vermilion River County.
VermilionLloydminster (Part)Britannia No. 502Lloydminster (Part)Vermilion River County
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vermilion River County | 0.5% | 24 | 0 | 6 |
| Vermilion 20 km | 1.5% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Lloydminster (Part) 39 km | 0.5% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Britannia No. 502 40 km | 2.6% | 10 | 0 | 1 |
| Lloydminster (Part) 41 km | 0.5% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
For protected land, Vermilion and Britannia No. 502 have twice as much or more.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- National and provincial parks. A park at 0 km touches or overlaps the town’s outline; directions point from the town’s centre.
- 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. The list is OpenStreetMap’s, so a missing trail may just be unmapped. The Trans Canada Trail appears where OSM maps it.
- Beaches. The count includes unnamed stretches mapped as beach, which can make a lakeside town’s figure large.
Questions about the outdoors in Vermilion River County
How far is the nearest provincial park from Vermilion River County?
Vermilion Provincial Park touches the town.
How much land around Vermilion River County is protected?
Within 10 km, 0.5% of the land lies in protected areas.
What is the nearest beach to Vermilion River County?
There are beaches within 5 km, none of them named.
What is the largest protected area near Vermilion River County?
It is Whitney Lakes Provincial Park, a provincial park covering 1,482 ha.
When is the best time for walking in Vermilion River County?
On the normals, May, August and September: that is when days are long, highs reach 15 °C and rain is light.
How far is Vermilion River County from a national park?
The nearest national park is more than 100 km from Vermilion River County.
Sources
Where Vermilion River 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).