First pick
Plaster Rock Tourist Park
Park or garden
20 ha
6.5 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center · Public domain4.5%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Gordon · parks, protected land & trails
The International Appalachian Trail New-Brunswick passes Gordon
Count 29 protected areas within 10 km of town. For a swim, Caribou Bar is the nearest of 7 beaches within 5 km. The largest is 4023300: 2,542 ha, 6.0 km from the edge of town.
Protected land
4.5%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
29
within 10 km, 26 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest provincial park
44 km
Mount Carleton Provincial Park
Walking routes
1
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Beaches
7
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
Where Gordon stands out outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
On a national routeThe International Appalachian Trail New-Brunswick passes within 2 kmMany protected areas26 public areas within 10 kmBeaches7 beaches within 5 kmParks are a drive awayThe nearest provincial park, Mount Carleton Provincial Park, is 44 km off
What Gordon has most to offer outdoors is the International Appalachian Trail New-Brunswick, with the number of public protected areas close by close behind. Where it falls short is a big park within easy reach.
Against other towns
Gordon 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. Outdoors isn’t one of Canada’s graded subjects, so there’s no letter here: each figure is set against other Canadian towns instead.
Protected within 10 km4.5%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town3.2%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas26Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes1Named 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
Gordon comes 10th of 40 towns its size for protected land around it
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (1,576 to 2,587 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
Gordon4.5%
Towns its size1.6%
Towns in New Brunswick6%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Gordon26
Towns its size4
Towns in New Brunswick7
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Gordon1
Towns its size0
Towns in New Brunswick0
Typical Canadian town0
For public protected areas, Gordon sits near the top of its size group: 1 of 39 has more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anmore BC | 22% | 47% | 16 | 5 | 98 |
| 2 | Saint-Alexandre-de-Kamouraska QC | 19% | 0% | 28 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Gracefield QC | 19% | 19% | 34 | 0 | 6 |
| 4 | East Preston NS | 16% | 6.3% | 20 | 1 | 5 |
| 5 | Clearwater BC | 7.7% | 4.1% | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| 6 | Roberval QC | 6.1% | 1.2% | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague QC | 5.8% | 0% | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | North Frontenac ON | 5.7% | 5.2% | 13 | 6 | 4 |
| 9 | Cap-Chat QC | 5.3% | 0.4% | 13 | 0 | 10 |
| 10 | Gordon NB | 4.5% | 3.2% | 29 | 1 | 7 |
| 11 | Killaloe, Hagarty and Richards ON | 4.4% | 1.5% | 9 | 0 | 4 |
| 12 | Saint-Polycarpe QC | 4.2% | 0% | 11 | 0 | 2 |
| 13 | Macassa ON | 4.1% | 0% | 18 | 1 | 0 |
| 14 | Saint-Damien QC | 4% | 3.2% | 22 | 1 | 9 |
| 15 | Unity SK | 3.4% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | Sherwood ON | 3.4% | 0% | 19 | 2 | 0 |
| 17 | McNab SK | 2.6% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 18 | Mandeville QC | 2.5% | 1.8% | 19 | 4 | 7 |
| 19 | Esterhazy SK | 1.8% | 0% | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | City Commercial Core ON | 1.8% | 0% | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | Caswell Hill SK | 1.4% | 0% | 16 | 0 | 3 |
| 22 | Fossambault-sur-le-Lac QC | 1.3% | 7.8% | 15 | 0 | 14 |
| 23 | Pembina MB | 1.1% | 1.8% | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Burrows-Keewatin MB | 1% | 0% | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | Elmwood AB | 0.8% | 0% | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 26 | Hatley QC | 0.7% | 0% | 9 | 0 | 5 |
| 27 | Munroe West MB | 0.4% | 0% | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Brooke-Alvinston ON | 0.3% | 0.2% | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | Rosedale AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 30 | Minchau AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 31 | Lunenburg NS | 0.1% | 0% | 19 | 0 | 5 |
| 32 | Salisbury NB | 0.1% | 2.1% | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | Dufferin MB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Ekota AB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 35 | Satoo AB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 36 | Saint-Éphrem-de-Beauce QC | 0% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 37 | Magrath AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | Nanton AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Rimbey AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Sexsmith AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The map
Where the green is in Gordon
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
Walk in Gordon: one named park or wood
Largest first: Plaster Rock Tourist Park leads with 20 ha. Numbers match 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
In Gordon, parks are rarely a short walk away
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%)
Gordon0%
Towns in New Brunswick8.3%
Typical Canadian town83%
In the typical Canadian town the share is 83%, higher than here. For about 1,600 people, the nearest park is over 400 m away.
Protected areas
Around Gordon, protected areas make up 4.5%
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Gordon3.2%
Within 10 km4.5%
Towns in New Brunswick6%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public ownership covers 26 of the 29. 4023300 covers 2,542 ha, the most of any named area. The figures include 3 private conservation areas, left unnamed.
Pokiok RiverNature reserve · 2,234 ha · reaches Gordon
4024700Nature reserve · 1,282 ha · reaches Gordon
Oven Rock BrookNature reserve · 1,094 ha · reaches Gordon
4030500Nature reserve · 432 ha · reaches Gordon
Indian BrookNature reserve · 326 ha · reaches Gordon
4030400Nature reserve · 284 ha · reaches Gordon
4007500Nature reserve · 255 ha · reaches Gordon
4024600Nature reserve · 104 ha · reaches Gordon
Tauadook RiverNature reserve · 131 ha · 0.5 km from the edge of town
4030600Nature reserve · 289 ha · 1.8 km from the edge of town
16 more named areas within 10 km are in the figures.
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
44 km to Mount Carleton Provincial 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
Mount Carleton Provincial Park
44 km north-east173 km²since 1970
No national park lies within 100 km of Gordon; the provincial parks are the big protected land within reach.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
486 km of paths in and around Gordon
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
486 km
in and around the town (1,635.8 km²)
Woodland
94%
about 1,544.2 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
GordonTowns in New BrunswickTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0.3
012 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
GordonTowns in New BrunswickTypical Canadian town
Woodland94%
0%50%100%
More of it is wooded than in 100% of Canadian towns. Paths are thinner on the ground than in 72% 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
Where to walk from Gordon
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
National
International Appalachian Trail New-Brunswick532.8 km
The International Appalachian Trail New-Brunswick is 533 km long on the map, and 33.9 km of it lies within 2 km of town.
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 Gordon: May to September
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Aroostook (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) | 8.9 | 10.2 | 11.8 | 13.5 | 15.0 | 15.9 | 15.5 | 14.2 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.3 | 8.5 |
| High (°C) | -6 | -4 | 2 | 10 | 18 | 23 | 26 | 25 | 20 | 12 | 5 | -2 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 108 | 81 | 87 | 81 | 89 | 97 | 104 | 99 | 101 | 102 | 94 | 106 |
In July the typical high is 26 °C; in January, -6 °C. Most rain and snow falls in January, 108 mm; February sees 81 mm. A typical year sees 311 cm of snow. The climate in Gordon →
Beaches
Caribou Bar, 3.2 km away, is the beach near Gordon
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Caribou Bar3.2 km from town
DirectionsThe map adds 6 unnamed stretches of beach. No national or provincial register of beach water quality is published as open data, so check the local health unit before swimming.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
Near Gordon: 1 viewpoints, 1 waterfalls
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: hills and peaks, 21 of them.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 1
Plus 1 viewpoint without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 21
Armstrong Mountainin town
DirectionsClearwater Mountainin town
DirectionsDivide Mountainsin town
DirectionsFox Ridgein town
DirectionsKnox Mountainin town
DirectionsOak Mountainin town
DirectionsRaymond Mountainin town
DirectionsRedstone Mountainin town
DirectionsPlus 13 hills and peaks more.
Waterfalls 1
Left Hand Branch River de Chutein town
DirectionsNature reserves 1
Shea Lake Nature Preservein town
DirectionsPicnic sites 2
Plus 2 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
Plaster Rock campground0.2 km from town
DirectionsSource: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Gordon
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
Plaster RockDenmarkGordon
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gordon | 4.5% | 29 | 1 | 7 |
| Plaster Rock 6.7 km | 1.8% | 6 | 1 | 2 |
| Denmark 12 km | 2.5% | 16 | 1 | 5 |
None of the places nearby has twice as much protected land around it as Gordon.
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.
- Beaches. A beach counts when its centre point lies within 5 km of the town’s outline. Names come from the map.
- 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. CPCAD includes conservation land held privately; the page counts it and leaves the names out.
- 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.
Questions about the outdoors in Gordon
Which is the biggest protected area near Gordon?
4023300: 2,542 ha, a nature reserve.
What is the best season to get outdoors in Gordon?
May to September: long days, mild highs and little rain.
Is there a provincial park near Gordon?
It is Mount Carleton Provincial Park, 44 km away.
How far is Gordon from a national park?
The nearest national park is more than 100 km from Gordon.
How much land around Gordon is protected?
Yes: 4.5% of the land within 10 km is protected.
Are there hiking trails near Gordon?
Try the International Appalachian Trail New-Brunswick.
Where can you swim near Gordon?
Try Caribou Bar, 3.2 km from town, first of several.
Sources
Sources for this page on Gordon
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).