First pick
Metepenagiag heritage park
Park or garden
30 ha
6.8 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center · Public domain14%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Southesk · parks, protected land & trails
More of the land around Southesk is protected than around 9 in 10 Canadian towns
70 areas within 10 km are protected for nature. OpenStreetMap shows 17 unnamed beaches within 5 km. The closest provincial park is Mount Carleton Provincial Park, 6.3 km from the edge of town.
Protected land
14%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
70
within 10 km, 68 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
43 km
Kouchibouguac National Park
Nearest provincial park
6.3 km
Mount Carleton Provincial Park
Walking routes
1
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Beaches
17
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
What Southesk has going for it outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
Protected land all round14% of the land within 10 km, more than 92% of Canadian townsMany protected areas68 public areas within 10 kmProtected land in town21% of Southesk itself lies in protected areasBeaches17 beaches within 5 km
Above all, Southesk offers protected land around it, with the number of public protected areas close by close behind.
Against other towns
Each figure for Southesk, 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. This page carries no grade, because Canada’s grading doesn’t cover the outdoors; the comparisons are the point.
Protected within 10 km14%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town21%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas68Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes1Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches17Beaches mapped on OpenStreetMap within 5 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Southesk has the 5th most protected land nearby of 40 towns its size
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (1,748 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
Southesk14%
Towns its size1.6%
Towns in New Brunswick6%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Southesk68
Towns its size4
Towns in New Brunswick7
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Southesk1
Towns its size0
Towns in New Brunswick0
Typical Canadian town0
Southesk leads its size group for public protected areas: none of the other 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 | Southesk NB | 14% | 21% | 70 | 1 | 17 |
| 6 | Clearwater BC | 7.7% | 4.1% | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| 7 | Roberval QC | 6.1% | 1.2% | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague QC | 5.8% | 0% | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | North Frontenac ON | 5.7% | 5.2% | 13 | 6 | 4 |
| 10 | Cap-Chat QC | 5.3% | 0.4% | 13 | 0 | 10 |
| 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
Parks, woods and paths around Southesk
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
2 named parks and woods to walk in near Southesk
Metepenagiag heritage park is the largest, at 30 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
In Southesk, 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%)
Southesk0%
Towns in New Brunswick8.3%
Typical Canadian town83%
The usual figure for a Canadian town is 83%, above this. Around 1,700 residents are further than 400 m from a park.
Protected areas
70 protected areas around Southesk
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Southesk21%
Within 10 km14%
Towns in New Brunswick6%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
On public land: 68 of the 70. The others are private conservation land. The largest named one is Kennedy Lakes, at 22,633 ha.
Kennedy LakesNature reserve · 22,633 ha · reaches Southesk
4023700Nature reserve · 3,427 ha · reaches Southesk
4023300Nature reserve · 2,542 ha · reaches Southesk
4005800Nature reserve · 2,488 ha · reaches Southesk
4023500Nature reserve · 2,400 ha · reaches Southesk
4023200Nature reserve · 2,168 ha · reaches Southesk
4024800Nature reserve · 2,068 ha · reaches Southesk
4004000Nature reserve · 2,065 ha · reaches Southesk
4022900Nature reserve · 1,859 ha · reaches Southesk
4024200Nature reserve · 1,726 ha · reaches Southesk
31 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
Kouchibouguac National Park, 43 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
Mount Carleton Provincial Park
6.3 km north-west173 km²since 1970
National park
Kouchibouguac National Park
43 km east239 km²since 1969
Closer to home, Mount Carleton Provincial Park is 6.3 km away.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
Southesk and its edge hold 175 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
175 km
in and around the town (2,864.6 km²)
Woodland
94%
about 2,678.7 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
SoutheskTowns in New BrunswickTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0.1
012 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
SoutheskTowns in New BrunswickTypical Canadian town
Woodland94%
0%50%100%
91% of Canadian towns have more footpath per km². More of it is wooded than in 100% 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
Southesk is on the International Appalachian Trail New-Brunswick
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 (533 km) keeps within 2 km of town for 3.5 km.
Source: OpenStreetMap (route relations hiking, foot and walking), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Trans Canada Trail sections as OSM maps them.
When to get out
Southesk is best on foot in May to September
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Miramichi, 27 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) | 8.9 | 10.2 | 11.8 | 13.5 | 15.0 | 15.9 | 15.5 | 14.2 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.3 | 8.5 |
| High (°C) | -4 | -3 | 2 | 9 | 16 | 22 | 26 | 25 | 20 | 13 | 6 | -1 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 87 | 72 | 94 | 84 | 97 | 89 | 90 | 85 | 90 | 113 | 93 | 89 |
Rain and snow peak in October (113 mm) and ease in February (72 mm). January brings highs of -4 °C, July highs of 26 °C. About 312 cm of snow falls in a year. The climate in Southesk →
Beaches
17 unnamed beaches near Southesk
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Whether the water is fit for a swim isn’t in any open national dataset; public health posts the local advisories.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
Southesk has 3 waterfalls within 2 km
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
Count 52 hills and peaks, the biggest group.
Every named place, with directions
Hills and peaks 52
Apskwa Ridgein town
DirectionsBertons Ridgein town
DirectionsBirch Mountainin town
DirectionsBobs Mountainin town
DirectionsCow Mountainin town
DirectionsForks Mountainin town
DirectionsFowler Mountainin town
DirectionsGover Mountainin town
DirectionsPlus 44 hills and peaks more.
Waterfalls 3
Nature reserves 2
The Enclosure0.1 km from town
DirectionsBeaubears Island National Historic Site1.4 km from town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 1
Plus 1 playground without a name on the map.
Campsites 3
Plus 3 campsites 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 Southesk
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
NortheskNelsonBlackvilleSouthesk
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southesk | 14% | 70 | 1 | 17 |
| Northesk 6.4 km | 13% | 65 | 2 | 15 |
| Nelson 11 km | 7% | 23 | 0 | 1 |
| Blackville 16 km | 12% | 35 | 0 | 23 |
None of its neighbours has twice the protected land around it that Southesk has.
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. A beach counts when its centre point lies within 5 km of the town’s outline. Names come from the map.
- 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.
- Private land. Areas held by land trusts or private owners stay unnamed here, though they count in the shares.
- Walking routes. The list is OpenStreetMap’s, so a missing trail may just be unmapped. The Trans Canada Trail appears where OSM maps it.
Questions about the outdoors in Southesk
Are there protected areas near Southesk?
Within 10 km, 14% of the land lies in protected areas.
How far is the nearest provincial park from Southesk?
Mount Carleton Provincial Park, 6.3 km from the edge of town.
Where can you walk near Southesk?
Try the International Appalachian Trail New-Brunswick.
What is the nearest beach to Southesk?
The beaches mapped within 5 km have no names on the map.
What is the best season to get outdoors in Southesk?
May to September: long days, mild highs and little rain.
Is Southesk near a national park?
Kouchibouguac National Park is closest, at 43 km.
What is the largest protected area near Southesk?
It is Kennedy Lakes, a nature reserve covering 22,633 ha.
Sources
Where Southesk’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).