First pick
Central Park
Park or garden
13 ha0.7 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.7 km of path
1.2 km northfrom the centre
Rotary Park Walking Path
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Eric Friedebach · CC BY 3.00.9%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Merritt · parks, protected land & trails
Merritt is 13 km from Monck Park
7 beaches are mapped within 5 km, none with a name. The 10 km around town hold one protected area. The nearest national park is more than 100 km away.
Protected land
0.9%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
1
within 10 km, 1 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest provincial park
13 km
Monck Park
Beaches
7
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Against other towns
Each figure for Merritt, set against 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. No letter: the outdoors is described for Canadian towns, not graded.
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%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 routes0Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches7Beaches mapped on OpenStreetMap within 5 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Among 40 towns its size, Merritt is 12th from the bottom for protected land
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (7,066 to 7,329 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
Merritt0.9%
Towns its size1.8%
Towns in British Columbia6.7%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Merritt1
Towns its size4
Towns in British Columbia14
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Merritt0
Towns its size0
Towns in British Columbia1
Typical Canadian town0
Where Merritt 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 | Fernie BC | 31% | 0.1% | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Hope BC | 15% | 4.1% | 11 | 0 | 3 |
| 3 | Vanier South ON | 12% | 1.1% | 39 | 2 | 2 |
| 4 | Les Cèdres QC | 11% | 0.1% | 40 | 0 | 4 |
| 5 | Peace River AB | 8.4% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Kent BC | 8.3% | 8.2% | 16 | 2 | 42 |
| 7 | Chandler QC | 5.8% | 0.4% | 22 | 0 | 17 |
| 8 | L'Ange-Gardien QC | 5.4% | 0% | 59 | 0 | 1 |
| 9 | Carlisle ON | 4% | 0% | 30 | 1 | 0 |
| 10 | Raleigh ON | 4% | 0% | 20 | 1 | 3 |
| 11 | Coronation Park SK | 4% | 0% | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| 12 | Haysboro AB | 3.9% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 7 |
| 13 | Concord ON | 3.1% | 0% | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Cathedral Village SK | 2.8% | 0% | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| 15 | Saint-Paul QC | 2.4% | 0% | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | Athabasca County AB | 2.4% | 3.2% | 35 | 0 | 1 |
| 17 | Twin Lakes SK | 2.3% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | Colborne ON | 2.2% | 0.3% | 28 | 1 | 2 |
| 19 | Fairwinds BC | 2.2% | 4.7% | 23 | 0 | 15 |
| 20 | Brown's Corners ON | 1.8% | 0% | 32 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | Whyte Ridge MB | 1.7% | 0% | 23 | 0 | 1 |
| 22 | Lymburn AB | 1.7% | 0% | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| 23 | North River Heights MB | 1.5% | 0% | 26 | 2 | 0 |
| 24 | Sherbrooke AB | 1.5% | 0% | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 25 | Wainfleet ON | 1.4% | 5.7% | 16 | 0 | 8 |
| 26 | King Edward MB | 1.3% | 0% | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Inglewood AB | 1.3% | 0% | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 28 | Shannon QC | 0.9% | 3.9% | 21 | 1 | 14 |
| 29 | Merritt BC | 0.9% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| 30 | Chibougamau QC | 0.8% | 0.1% | 8 | 0 | 7 |
| 31 | Cougar Ridge AB | 0.7% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 32 | Yarmouth NS | 0.6% | 0% | 10 | 0 | 5 |
| 33 | Erin Woods AB | 0.6% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 7 |
| 34 | La Sarre QC | 0.5% | 0.1% | 9 | 0 | 2 |
| 35 | Brighton SK | 0.5% | 0.1% | 10 | 1 | 2 |
| 36 | Rhatigan Ridge AB | 0.5% | 0% | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| 37 | Cavanagh AB | 0.2% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 38 | Val-des-Sources QC | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Niverville MB | 0% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Kincora AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The map
Parks, woods and paths around Merritt
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 Merritt: 7 named parks and woods
The biggest is Central Park, 13 ha. Biggest first, numbered as on the map.
7 named parks and woods, 26 ha in all
Parks & gardens 26 ha
68% of the area is in just two places: Central Park and Voght Park.
Rotary Park
Park or garden
2.2 ha0.7 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.7 km of path
1.2 km north-westfrom the centre
Rotary Park Walking Path
Directionsto a point inside
Centennial Park
Park or garden
1.4 ha0.4 km of path
1.6 km westfrom 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
A park is within a short walk for 7 in 10 in Merritt
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 (71%)Further (29%)
Merritt71%
Towns in British Columbia72%
Typical Canadian town83%
Most towns do better: the typical Canadian town is at 83%. Around 2,100 residents are further than 400 m from a park.
Protected areas
Merritt has 1 protected area within 10 km
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Merritt0%
Within 10 km0.9%
Towns in British Columbia6.7%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
The area is public.
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
Monck Park is 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
Monck Park
13 km north-east1.2 km²since 1951
Canada’s national parks are all more than 100 km from Merritt, 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
Merritt and its edge hold 99 km of footpath
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
99 km
in and around the town (56.3 km²)
Woodland
40%
about 22.7 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
MerrittTowns in British ColumbiaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths1.8
01.53 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
MerrittTowns in British ColumbiaTypical Canadian town
Woodland40%
0%50%100%
It has more footpath per km² than 52% of Canadian towns. Woods cover more of it than in 79% 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
No mapped walking route near Merritt
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
The map shows no named route near the town. That says more about OpenStreetMap’s coverage than about the paths on the ground.
Source: OpenStreetMap (route relations hiking, foot and walking), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Trans Canada Trail sections as OSM maps them.
When to get out
The best months for walking in Merritt: April to September
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Kamloops, 70 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) | 8.5 | 10.0 | 11.7 | 13.7 | 15.4 | 16.4 | 16.0 | 14.5 | 12.5 | 10.6 | 8.9 | 8.1 |
| High (°C) | 2 | 6 | 11 | 17 | 22 | 25 | 30 | 30 | 24 | 15 | 7 | 2 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 22 | 12 | 15 | 13 | 28 | 36 | 30 | 19 | 24 | 23 | 26 | 26 |
February is the driest month at 12 mm; June the wettest at 36 mm. In July the typical high is 30 °C; in December, 2 °C. The climate in Merritt →
Beaches
7 beaches within 5 km of Merritt, none named
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Water quality isn’t shown: there’s no open national record of beach tests. Local health authorities post advisories.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
Merritt has 3 viewpoints within 2 km
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
The most common are playgrounds: 11 on the map.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 3
Merritt Viewpointin town
DirectionsNorgaard flagpolein town
DirectionsPlus 1 viewpoint without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 1
Godey Creek Hiking Trail Recreation Sitein town
DirectionsPicnic sites 2
Plus 2 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 Merritt
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page. Merritt has few close neighbours with figures, so the list reaches 9–70 km out.
Electoral Area M (Beautiful Nicola Valley - North), Thompson-NicolaLogan LakeElectoral Area H, Okanagan-SimilkameenElectoral Area J (Copper Desert Country), Thompson-NicolaElectoral Area I (Blue Sky Country), Thompson-NicolaMerritt
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merritt | 0.9% | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| Electoral Area M (Beautiful Nicola Valley - North), Thompson-Nicola 8.9 km | 2% | 16 | 0 | 7 |
| Logan Lake 43 km | 3.9% | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Electoral Area H, Okanagan-Similkameen 59 km | 12% | 20 | 5 | 46 |
| Electoral Area J (Copper Desert Country), Thompson-Nicola 67 km | 12% | 30 | 1 | 7 |
| Electoral Area I (Blue Sky Country), Thompson-Nicola 70 km | 21% | 30 | 1 | 6 |
Electoral Area M (Beautiful Nicola Valley - North), Thompson-Nicola, Logan Lake and Electoral Area H, Okanagan-Similkameen have at least twice the protected share around them. For walking routes, Electoral Area H, Okanagan-Similkameen leads the area with 5.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Protected land. The share is of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s outline, from CPCAD’s mapped areas; marine areas count, so a coastal town can score high on water.
- Beaches. A beach counts when its centre point lies within 5 km of the town’s outline. Names come from the map.
- Walking routes. A route counts when 300 m or more of it lies within 2 km of the town. Coverage of trails on OpenStreetMap varies by region.
- Private land. Areas held by land trusts or private owners stay unnamed here, though they count in the shares.
- National and provincial parks. Distances run from the town’s edge to the park’s, so 0 km means they touch.
Questions about the outdoors in Merritt
Is there protected land near Merritt?
Within 10 km, 0.9% of the land lies in protected areas.
How far is Merritt from a national park?
None within 100 km of Merritt.
Where can you swim near Merritt?
There are beaches within 5 km, none of them named.
What is the best season to get outdoors in Merritt?
April to September: long days, mild highs and little rain.
How far is the nearest provincial park from Merritt?
Monck Park, 13 km from the edge of town.
Sources
The sources behind Merritt’s outdoors figures
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).