First pick
Lake McGregor Provincial Recreational Area
Park or garden
25 ha
26 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Bernard Spragg. NZ from Christchurch, New Zealand · CC00.3%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Vulcan County · parks, protected land & trails
Only 0.3% of the land within 10 km of Vulcan County is protected
13 km from town is Kinbrook Island Provincial Park, the nearest provincial park. The 10 km around town hold 33 protected areas. Within 100 km there is no national park.
Protected land
0.3%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
33
within 10 km, 0 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest provincial park
13 km
Kinbrook Island Provincial Park
Against other towns
Vulcan 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 km0.3%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town0.4%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
Among 40 towns its size, Vulcan County is 8th from the bottom for protected land
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (4,388 to 4,546 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
Vulcan County0.3%
Towns its size2%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Vulcan County0
Towns its size3
Towns in Alberta2
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Vulcan County0
Towns its size0
Towns in Alberta0
Typical Canadian town0
Where Vulcan County trails its peers is public protected areas; 33 of 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electoral Area D (Oyster Bay - Buttle Lake), Strathcona BC | 49% | 64% | 34 | 11 | 8 |
| 2 | Shelburne NS | 27% | 28% | 194 | 0 | 80 |
| 3 | Beresford NB | 24% | 6.2% | 6 | 0 | 18 |
| 4 | Sparwood BC | 23% | 3.4% | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Gaetz Brook NS | 15% | 4.2% | 55 | 2 | 19 |
| 6 | Queenswood - Chatelaine ON | 12% | 0% | 40 | 0 | 1 |
| 7 | Electoral Area P (Rivers and the Peaks), Thompson-Nicola BC | 11% | 8.3% | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | Bells Corners West ON | 9% | 11% | 13 | 3 | 1 |
| 9 | Bowen Island BC | 7.2% | 17% | 60 | 0 | 173 |
| 10 | Bellerive QC | 6% | 0% | 20 | 0 | 1 |
| 11 | Golden BC | 5.5% | 12% | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| 12 | Eastmount ON | 4.3% | 0% | 22 | 1 | 3 |
| 13 | Queensland AB | 4% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 11 |
| 14 | Deer Ridge AB | 3.7% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 10 |
| 15 | Crossroads ON | 3.5% | 0% | 26 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | Warner County No. 5 AB | 3.2% | 4.7% | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 17 | Montague ON | 3% | 2.8% | 10 | 5 | 2 |
| 18 | Geraldton ON | 2.8% | 2.2% | 10 | 0 | 7 |
| 19 | Electoral Area E, Cowichan Valley BC | 2.8% | 3.6% | 42 | 3 | 2 |
| 20 | Red Hill ON | 2.1% | 0% | 17 | 3 | 5 |
| 21 | De Salaberry MB | 1.9% | 0.2% | 46 | 0 | 2 |
| 22 | New Maryland NB | 1.7% | 0% | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | Oxford AB | 1.7% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Highway Valley ON | 1.6% | 1.7% | 18 | 5 | 6 |
| 25 | Minnetonka MB | 1.6% | 1.7% | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | Roslyn MB | 1.6% | 0% | 23 | 4 | 0 |
| 27 | Felker ON | 1.5% | 0% | 14 | 1 | 0 |
| 28 | Centennial MB | 1.5% | 0% | 18 | 4 | 0 |
| 29 | Casselman ON | 1.4% | 0% | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Parkridge SK | 1.1% | 0% | 14 | 0 | 1 |
| 31 | Glenridding Heights AB | 1.1% | 0% | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | South Calgary AB | 0.8% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 33 | Vulcan County AB | 0.3% | 0.4% | 33 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Montgomery AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 35 | Ormsby Place AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 36 | Vanderhoof BC | 0.2% | 3.8% | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| 37 | Saint-Anselme QC | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | Howick ON | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | High Level AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Beacon Heights AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 1 | 1 |
The map
Where the green is in Vulcan 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
A named park or wood to walk in near Vulcan County
Lake McGregor Provincial Recreational Area is the largest, at 25 ha; the rest follow by size, numbered as on the map.
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 Vulcan 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 (0%)Further (100%)
Vulcan County0%
Towns in Alberta100%
Typical Canadian town83%
Around 4,500 residents are further than 400 m from a park. The typical Canadian town does better, at 83%.
Protected areas
33 protected areas lie within 10 km of Vulcan County
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Vulcan County0.4%
Within 10 km0.3%
Towns in Alberta0.4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
No public land among them: all are private conservation land, counted but unnamed.
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
The nearest big park: Kinbrook Island Provincial Park, 13 km away
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
Kinbrook Island Provincial Park
13 km east5.3 km²since 1951
Canada’s national parks are all more than 100 km from Vulcan County, so the parks here are provincial.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
Paths to walk: 14 km in and around Vulcan 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
14 km
in and around the town (7,130 km²)
Footpaths · km per km²
Vulcan 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
No named walking route passes Vulcan 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.
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
Get out in Vulcan County in May and July to September
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Queenstown (27 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) | 8.5 | 10.0 | 11.7 | 13.7 | 15.4 | 16.4 | 16.0 | 14.5 | 12.5 | 10.6 | 8.9 | 8.0 |
| High (°C) | -2 | -1 | 5 | 12 | 17 | 21 | 25 | 25 | 20 | 12 | 4 | -1 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 14 | 14 | 19 | 33 | 62 | 82 | 54 | 50 | 33 | 18 | 18 | 15 |
The warmest days come in July (25 °C highs), the coldest in January (-2 °C). Expect 82 mm in June, the wettest month, and 14 mm in February. Winter brings about 105 cm of snow. The climate in Vulcan County →
Things to do
Near Vulcan County: one viewpoint on the map
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 12. Rocky Butte tops the hills nearby, 918 m.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 1
Plus 1 viewpoint without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 1
Rocky Butte918 m · in town
DirectionsNature reserves 3
Lake McGregor Provincial Recreation Areain town
DirectionsTravers Dam Provincial Recreation Areain town
DirectionsTravers Reservoir Provincial Recreation Areain town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 12
Plus 12 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 7
Lions Club Campgroundin town
DirectionsLittle Bow Campgroundin town
DirectionsLittle Bow Provincial Parkin town
DirectionsTwin Valley Campgroundin town
DirectionsWyndham-Carseland Provincial Campgroundin town
DirectionsVillage of Milo Campground0.3 km from town
DirectionsPlus 1 campsite without a name on the map.
Slipways 1
Plus 1 slipway without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Vulcan 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 6–53 km: that is how far the nearest places with figures are from Vulcan County.
VulcanNantonClaresholmSiksika 146High RiverVulcan County
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vulcan County | 0.3% | 33 | 0 | 0 |
| Vulcan 6.2 km | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nanton 43 km | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Claresholm 51 km | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Siksika 146 51 km | 0.5% | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| High River 53 km | 0.6% | 5 | 0 | 0 |
No place nearby has double Vulcan County’s share of protected land.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Walking routes. Routes are what OpenStreetMap’s volunteers have mapped as named walking or hiking routes; many good trails aren’t mapped that way.
- Private land. CPCAD includes conservation land held privately; the page counts it and leaves the names out.
- Protected land. Protected here means in CPCAD, Canada’s official list: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and other conserved land, measured within 10 km of the town’s edge.
- National and provincial parks. A park at 0 km touches or overlaps the town’s outline; directions point from the town’s centre.
Questions about the outdoors in Vulcan County
What is the best season to get outdoors in Vulcan County?
May and July to September, on the 1991–2020 normals and the daylight: long days, highs of 15 °C or more, light rain for the place.
How far is the nearest provincial park from Vulcan County?
The closest is Kinbrook Island Provincial Park, at 13 km.
Is Vulcan County near a national park?
The nearest national park is more than 100 km from Vulcan County.
Are there protected areas near Vulcan County?
Within 10 km, 0.3% of the land lies in protected areas.
Sources
Where Vulcan 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).