First pick
Riverview Park
Park or garden
15 ha
2.5 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: PatHirtle · CC BY-SA 4.00.1%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Bridgewater · parks, protected land & trails
Within 48 km of Bridgewater: Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site
8.8 km from town is Wentzells Lake Provincial Park, the nearest provincial park. Protected areas cover 0.1% of the land within 10 km; for the typical Canadian town it is 2.3%. Within 10 km are 2 protected areas.
Protected land
0.1%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
2
within 10 km, 2 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
48 km
Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site
Nearest provincial park
8.8 km
Wentzells Lake Provincial Park
Against other towns
Bridgewater 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 graded in Canada. The page compares each figure with other towns and leaves it there.
Protected within 10 km0.1%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 areas2Areas 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
Bridgewater sits 3rd from last of 40 towns its size for protected land around it
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (9,846 to 10,147 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
Bridgewater0.1%
Towns its size1.5%
Towns in Nova Scotia8.7%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Bridgewater2
Towns its size3
Towns in Nova Scotia24
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Bridgewater0
Towns its size0
Towns in Nova Scotia2
Typical Canadian town0
Against towns its size, Bridgewater is weakest for protected land nearby: 37 of 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shawnigan BC | 22% | 6.4% | 66 | 4 | 8 |
| 2 | Stoneham-et-Tewkesbury QC | 21% | 24% | 17 | 14 | 0 |
| 3 | Kitimat BC | 20% | 6.6% | 10 | 0 | 1 |
| 4 | Shediac NB | 18% | 5.4% | 20 | 0 | 4 |
| 5 | Hatchet Lake NS | 14% | 36% | 53 | 4 | 23 |
| 6 | Lac-des-Fées QC | 14% | 33% | 32 | 3 | 5 |
| 7 | Amherst NS | 8.7% | 0.2% | 49 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | South Cambie BC | 8.6% | 0% | 13 | 2 | 49 |
| 9 | M-Section (bramalea) ON | 5.4% | 0% | 6 | 0 | 1 |
| 10 | Argyle North SK | 4.5% | 0% | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | Elizabethtown-Kitley ON | 4.2% | 1.7% | 25 | 1 | 2 |
| 12 | The Valleys of Thornhill ON | 3.8% | 12% | 34 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | Mount Pleasant North ON | 3.8% | 0% | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Acadia AB | 3.8% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 7 |
| 15 | Mono ON | 3.7% | 6.4% | 56 | 7 | 1 |
| 16 | Van Kirk ON | 3.2% | 0% | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| 17 | Laurentian Hills ON | 1.8% | 0% | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | Saint-Félicien QC | 1.6% | 0.5% | 11 | 0 | 7 |
| 19 | Blind Bay BC | 1.6% | 1.5% | 15 | 0 | 8 |
| 20 | Bridle Path-Sunnybrook-York Mills ON | 1.5% | 3.9% | 12 | 2 | 1 |
| 21 | Ladysmith BC | 1.4% | 0% | 16 | 1 | 2 |
| 22 | Vincent ON | 1.3% | 3.1% | 14 | 4 | 7 |
| 23 | Lac-Saint-Charles QC | 1% | 1.6% | 21 | 1 | 4 |
| 24 | Hinton AB | 0.9% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | Caledonia-Fairbank ON | 0.9% | 0% | 11 | 2 | 1 |
| 26 | Beckwith ON | 0.8% | 0% | 12 | 0 | 1 |
| 27 | Malahide ON | 0.5% | 0% | 8 | 3 | 5 |
| 28 | Stanley MB | 0.5% | 0.8% | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| 29 | Maple Leaf ON | 0.5% | 0% | 10 | 1 | 0 |
| 30 | Temiskaming Shores ON | 0.4% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 31 | Runnymede-Bloor West Village ON | 0.3% | 0% | 6 | 3 | 13 |
| 32 | Penbrooke Meadows AB | 0.3% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | Pineridge AB | 0.3% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Springbank Hill AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 35 | River Valley Oleskiw AB | 0.3% | 0% | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 36 | Mitchell ON | 0.2% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 37 | Devonshire ON | 0.2% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | Bridgewater NS | 0.1% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Mineola ON | 0.1% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| 40 | Palmerston ON | 0% | 0.2% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
The map
Bridgewater on the map: green space, protected land and paths
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 Bridgewater: 22 named parks and woods
The biggest is Riverview Park, 15 ha. Biggest first, numbered as on the map.
22 named parks and woods, 69 ha in all
Parks & gardens 69 ha
No one place dominates; the largest has 21%.
Woodland Gardens
Park or garden
10 ha1.3 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.3 km of path
0.9 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
South Shore Exhibition Grounds
Park or garden
10 ha
0.9 km southfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Glen Allan Park
Park or garden
7.2 ha1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1 km of path
0.8 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Generations' Active Park
Park or garden
6.8 ha0.5 km of path
1.4 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
North King Street Park
Park or garden
3.1 ha
1.6 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
All 22 named parks and green spaces
Riverview ParkPark or garden · 15 ha
DirectionsWoodland GardensPark or garden · 10 ha · 1.3 km of path
DirectionsSouth Shore Exhibition GroundsPark or garden · 10 ha
DirectionsGlen Allan ParkPark or garden · 7.2 ha · 1 km of path
DirectionsGenerations' Active ParkPark or garden · 6.8 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsBridgewater Ball FieldsPark or garden · 4.1 ha
DirectionsNorth King Street ParkPark or garden · 3.1 ha
DirectionsKinsmen FieldPark or garden · 2.5 ha
DirectionsPinecrest Park and PlaygroundPark or garden · 2.4 ha
DirectionsWaterfront ParkPark or garden · 1.7 ha
DirectionsShipyards LandingPark or garden · 0.7 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsSperry Ninos ParkPark or garden · 0.8 ha
DirectionsRiverside ParkPark or garden · 0.5 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsAberdeen GreenPark or garden · 0.6 ha
DirectionsMariners' LandingPark or garden · 0.7 ha
DirectionsMichelin Nature Discovery ParkPark or garden · 0.7 ha
DirectionsSenior Citizen's ParkPark or garden · 0.5 ha
DirectionsKinsmen Tiny Tot PlaygroundPark or garden · 0.5 ha
DirectionsPijinuiskaq ParkPark or garden · 0.4 ha
DirectionsKing's CourtPark or garden · 0.4 ha
DirectionsSt. Phillips Street PlaygroundPark or garden · 0.4 ha
DirectionsGlen Allan PlaygroundPark or garden · 0.3 ha
DirectionsSource: 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
About 8 in 10 of Bridgewater’s residents are 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 (81%)Further (19%)
Bridgewater81%
Towns in Nova Scotia18%
Typical Canadian town83%
The typical Canadian town reaches 83%. That leaves about 1,900 people more than a short walk away.
Protected areas
2 protected areas lie within 10 km of Bridgewater
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Bridgewater0%
Within 10 km0.1%
Towns in Nova Scotia8.7%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
The 2 are all publicly owned. Biggest of the named areas: Wentzells Lake Provincial Park, 24 ha.
Old Growth Forest LandsNature reserve · 3.4 ha · 1.6 km from the edge of town
Wentzells Lake Provincial ParkProvincial park · 24 ha · 8.8 km from the edge of town
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
Big parks near Bridgewater
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
Wentzells Lake Provincial Park
8.8 km north-west0.2 km²since 1983
National park
Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site
48 km west404 km²since 1967
A provincial park is closer: Wentzells Lake Provincial Park, at 8.8 km.
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: 28 km in and around Bridgewater
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
28 km
in and around the town (35.6 km²)
Woodland
47%
about 16.6 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
BridgewaterTowns in Nova ScotiaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0.8
012 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
BridgewaterTowns in Nova ScotiaTypical Canadian town
Woodland47%
0%50%100%
For woods, it beats 82% of Canadian towns. It has fewer paths per km² than 61% 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
OpenStreetMap shows no walking route near Bridgewater
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
There is no mapped walking route within 2 km of the town; a local trail club’s maps may show more.
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 Bridgewater: May to September
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Bridgewater, 3.5 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) | 9.2 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.9 |
| High (°C) | 0 | 1 | 5 | 11 | 17 | 22 | 26 | 25 | 21 | 14 | 9 | 3 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 136 | 115 | 143 | 121 | 138 | 104 | 87 | 107 | 125 | 162 | 160 | 163 |
Summer highs reach 26 °C in July; in January they stay near 0 °C. December is the wettest month (163 mm) and July the driest (87 mm). Some 184 cm of snow falls each winter. The climate in Bridgewater →
Beaches
The sea is close to Bridgewater: 27 km of shore within 5 km
The OpenStreetMap coastline within 5 km of the town’s edge; no beach is mapped there.
Source: OpenStreetMap coastline, © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
Bridgewater has a viewpoint within 2 km
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
Most numerous: playgrounds (5).
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 1
Plus 1 viewpoint without a name on the map.
Picnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Campsites 2
Oakhill Pines Campground0.5 km from town
DirectionsPlus 1 campsite without a name on the map.
Slipways 2
Plus 2 slipways without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Bridgewater
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
LunenburgMahone BayLunenburgBridgewater
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgewater | 0.1% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Lunenburg 2.6 km | 2.1% | 140 | 5 | 33 |
| Mahone Bay 13 km | 0.1% | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Lunenburg 17 km | 0.1% | 19 | 0 | 5 |
For walking routes, Lunenburg leads the area with 5. Lunenburg has at least twice the protected share around it.
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.
- 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. Private conservation land is in the totals, not the lists. Many such areas are easements on working farms or woodlots.
- 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 Bridgewater
What is the nearest provincial park to Bridgewater?
It is Wentzells Lake Provincial Park, 8.8 km away.
When is the best time for walking in Bridgewater?
May to September: long days, mild highs and little rain.
How far is Bridgewater from a national park?
It is Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site, 48 km off.
Are there protected areas near Bridgewater?
Within 10 km, 0.1% of the land lies in protected areas.
What is the biggest park or reserve near Bridgewater?
Wentzells Lake Provincial Park: 24 ha, a provincial park.
Sources
The sources behind Bridgewater’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).