First pick
The Five Islands Lighthouse Park
Park or garden
7.1 ha0.9 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.9 km of path
33 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center · Public domain7.5%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Colchester County, Subdivision A · parks, protected land & trails
Protected land around Colchester County, Subdivision A beats 8 in 10 Canadian towns
CPCAD lists 51 protected areas within 10 km. Within 5 km are 6 beaches; Portapique Beach is the nearest. Fundy National Park is the closest national park, 64 km from town.
Protected land
7.5%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
51
within 10 km, 37 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
64 km
Fundy National Park
Nearest provincial park
At the edge
Five Islands Provincial Park
Beaches
6
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
What Colchester County, Subdivision A has going for it outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
Protected land all round7.5% of the land within 10 km, more than 80% of Canadian townsMany protected areas37 public areas within 10 kmA provincial park at the edgeFive Islands Provincial Park reaches the townBeaches6 beaches within 5 km
Colchester County, Subdivision A’s best card is protected land around it, with the number of public protected areas close by close behind.
Against other towns
How Colchester County, Subdivision A compares with 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. No letter: the outdoors is described for Canadian towns, not graded.
Protected within 10 km7.5%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town14%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas37Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes0Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches6Beaches 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, Colchester County, Subdivision A ranks 7th for protected land within 10 km
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (3,813 to 3,970 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
Colchester County, Subdivision A7.5%
Towns its size1.5%
Towns in Nova Scotia8.7%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Colchester County, Subdivision A37
Towns its size4
Towns in Nova Scotia24
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Colchester County, Subdivision A0
Towns its size0
Towns in Nova Scotia2
Typical Canadian town0
For public protected areas, Colchester County, Subdivision A tops all 39 other towns its size.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electoral Area F, East Kootenay BC | 30% | 23% | 41 | 2 | 10 |
| 2 | L'Islet QC | 30% | 0.1% | 43 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Electoral Area J, Central Kootenay BC | 11% | 4.9% | 13 | 0 | 4 |
| 4 | Trend-Arlington ON | 10% | 0% | 22 | 1 | 5 |
| 5 | Lamont County AB | 9.6% | 2.2% | 51 | 4 | 1 |
| 6 | Cap-Santé QC | 8.3% | 0.1% | 26 | 0 | 2 |
| 7 | Colchester County, Subdivision A NS | 7.5% | 14% | 51 | 0 | 6 |
| 8 | Ainslie Wood West ON | 7.5% | 15% | 19 | 2 | 0 |
| 9 | Sainte-Marguerite-du-Lac-Masson QC | 5.9% | 0.1% | 14 | 0 | 2 |
| 10 | Saint-André-Avellin QC | 5.1% | 1.2% | 32 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | Stinson ON | 4.9% | 0% | 21 | 1 | 3 |
| 12 | Normanview Residents Group SK | 3.7% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | Fairview AB | 3.7% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 7 |
| 14 | Belmead AB | 3.7% | 0% | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | New Richmond QC | 3.4% | 0.5% | 19 | 0 | 3 |
| 16 | Lisgar ON | 2.8% | 0% | 17 | 3 | 0 |
| 17 | Mulmur ON | 2.1% | 2.9% | 25 | 3 | 2 |
| 18 | Auditorium ON | 1.9% | 0% | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | Grand River North ON | 1.8% | 3.6% | 22 | 1 | 0 |
| 20 | Stoney Creek ON | 1.5% | 0% | 14 | 4 | 8 |
| 21 | Norwood East MB | 1.5% | 0% | 21 | 4 | 0 |
| 22 | Keswick AB | 1.5% | 0% | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | City Park SK | 1.3% | 0% | 14 | 0 | 3 |
| 24 | Bridgeport East ON | 1.2% | 0% | 20 | 1 | 0 |
| 25 | Forty Mile County No. 8 AB | 1.1% | 1.6% | 25 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | Corkery ON | 0.9% | 2.3% | 7 | 0 | 1 |
| 27 | Jamieson Place AB | 0.8% | 0% | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| 28 | Livingston AB | 0.6% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | Rosscarrock AB | 0.6% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Leila-McPhillips Triangle MB | 0.4% | 0% | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | Leila North MB | 0.3% | 0% | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | Meadows MB | 0.3% | 0% | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | Pasadena NL | 0.2% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 34 | Maple AB | 0.2% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 35 | Watford ON | 0.1% | 0.2% | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 36 | Cardston AB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 37 | Danville QC | 0% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | Pincher Creek AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Fort Macleod AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Belle Rive AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The map
Colchester County, Subdivision A on the map: green space, protected land and paths
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
A named park or wood to walk in near Colchester County, Subdivision A
The Five Islands Lighthouse Park is the largest, at 7.1 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
Few people in Colchester County, Subdivision A live near 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%)
Colchester County, Subdivision A0%
Towns in Nova Scotia18%
Typical Canadian town83%
The usual figure for a Canadian town is 83%, above this. About 3,900 residents live further than 400 m from one.
Protected areas
51 protected areas around Colchester County, Subdivision A
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Colchester County, Subdivision A14%
Within 10 km7.5%
Towns in Nova Scotia8.7%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Of those 51, 37 are public and the remainder private. The largest named one is Economy River Wilderness Area, at 6,041 ha. Another 8 are privately owned conservation land; they count in the figures but aren’t named, as private land isn’t a place to visit.
Economy River Wilderness AreaNature reserve · 6,041 ha · reaches Colchester County, Subdivision A
Economy River Wilderness AreaNature reserve · 5,495 ha · reaches Colchester County, Subdivision A
Portapique River Wilderness AreaNature reserve · 2,060 ha · reaches Colchester County, Subdivision A
Wentworth Valley Wilderness AreaNature reserve · 1,954 ha · reaches Colchester County, Subdivision A
Portapique River Wilderness AreaNature reserve · 974 ha · reaches Colchester County, Subdivision A
Five Islands Provincial ParkProvincial park · 353 ha · reaches Colchester County, Subdivision A
Five Islands Provincial ParkProvincial park · 158 ha · reaches Colchester County, Subdivision A
Five Islands Provincial ParkProvincial park · 148 ha · reaches Colchester County, Subdivision A
Economy Point Nature ReserveNature reserve · 121 ha · reaches Colchester County, Subdivision A
Economy River Wilderness AreaNature reserve · 82 ha · reaches Colchester County, Subdivision A
22 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
Fundy National Park, 64 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
Five Islands Provincial Park
At the edge3.5 km²since 1972
Provincial park
Five Islands Provincial Park
At the edge1.6 km²since 2015
Provincial park
Five Islands Provincial Park
At the edge1.5 km²since 2024
National park
Fundy National Park
64 km west206 km²since 1948
There are 3 provincial parks within 10 km.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
Colchester County, Subdivision A and its edge hold 85 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
85 km
in and around the town (1,087.3 km²)
Woodland
78%
about 844.7 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
Colchester County, Subdivision ATowns in Nova ScotiaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0.1
012 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
Colchester County, Subdivision ATowns in Nova ScotiaTypical Canadian town
Woodland78%
0%50%100%
For woods, it beats 95% of Canadian towns. For path density, 89% of Canadian towns do better.
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 Colchester County, Subdivision A
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
Nothing near the town is mapped as a named walking route, which often means the trails just haven’t been entered 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
Colchester County, Subdivision A is best on foot in May to August
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Debert, 19 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) | 9.1 | 10.3 | 11.8 | 13.5 | 14.9 | 15.6 | 15.3 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.4 | 8.7 |
| High (°C) | -1 | -1 | 3 | 9 | 16 | 21 | 25 | 24 | 20 | 14 | 8 | 2 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 91 | 77 | 81 | 90 | 89 | 99 | 88 | 92 | 119 | 118 | 114 | 121 |
The warmest days come in July (25 °C highs), the coldest in January (-1 °C). Rain and snow peak in December (121 mm) and ease in February (77 mm). Winter brings about 187 cm of snow. The climate in Colchester County, Subdivision A →
Beaches
Beaches near Colchester County, Subdivision A: 6 within 5 km
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Portapique Beachin town
DirectionsSand Point Beachin town
DirectionsLittle Dyke Beach0.1 km from town
DirectionsLower Debert Beach1.9 km from town
DirectionsThere are also 2 beaches without a name. Within 5 km is 126 km of coastline. 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
Near Colchester County, Subdivision A: 5 viewpoints, 14 waterfalls
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
The map shows 14 waterfalls, ahead of the rest.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 5
River Look offin town
DirectionsRiver Look-offin town
DirectionsPlus 3 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 7
Cobequid Mountainsin town
DirectionsEconomy Mountainin town
DirectionsFolly Mountainin town
DirectionsLynn Mountainin town
DirectionsSugarloaf0.5 km from town
DirectionsPlus 2 hills and peaks more.
Waterfalls 14
Economy Fallsin town
DirectionsMartin Brook Fallsin town
DirectionsNorth River Fallsin town
DirectionsSpencer Brrok Fallsin town
DirectionsPlus 10 waterfalls without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 4
Economy River Wilderness Areain town
DirectionsFive Islands Provincial Parkin town
DirectionsMontrose Nature Reservein town
DirectionsPortapique River Wilderness Area1.3 km from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 5
Plus 5 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 3
Plus 3 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 10
Five Islands Provincial Park - Campground Ain town
DirectionsFive Islands Provincial Park - Campground Bin town
DirectionsHidden Hilltop Family Campgroundin town
DirectionsSand Point Beach Campgroundin town
DirectionsTruro/Tidal Bore KOA Holiday0.1 km from town
DirectionsPlus 5 campsites without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Colchester County, Subdivision A
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page. The nearest places to Colchester County, Subdivision A with figures are 30–39 km away.
Millbrook 27Colchester County, Subdivision BTruroColchester County, Subdivision COxfordColchester County, Subdivision A
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colchester County, Subdivision A | 7.5% | 51 | 0 | 6 |
| Millbrook 27 30 km | 0.1% | 6 | 2 | 0 |
| Colchester County, Subdivision B 31 km | 9% | 84 | 10 | 5 |
| Truro 31 km | 0.1% | 10 | 4 | 0 |
| Colchester County, Subdivision C 36 km | 1.7% | 125 | 5 | 1 |
| Oxford 39 km | 3.5% | 7 | 0 | 0 |
Around Colchester County, Subdivision A, nobody nearby has double its protected land. More routes are mapped around Colchester County, Subdivision B (10).
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- 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.
- Beaches. Beaches are OpenStreetMap’s, named or not; in the north many are unnamed shoreline imports.
- Walking routes. Routes are what OpenStreetMap’s volunteers have mapped as named walking or hiking routes; many good trails aren’t mapped that way.
- National and provincial parks. The nearest national park and the nearest provincial park are always shown when they are within 100 km.
- Private land. Land owned by individuals, companies or conservation groups counts toward the figures but is never named: a person’s land isn’t a place to visit.
Questions about the outdoors in Colchester County, Subdivision A
Where can you swim near Colchester County, Subdivision A?
Portapique Beach, in town, is the nearest mapped beach.
Is there protected land near Colchester County, Subdivision A?
Within 10 km, 7.5% of the land lies in protected areas.
What is the nearest national park to Colchester County, Subdivision A?
Fundy National Park, 64 km from the edge of town.
Which is the biggest protected area near Colchester County, Subdivision A?
Economy River Wilderness Area: 6,041 ha, a nature reserve.
What is the nearest provincial park to Colchester County, Subdivision A?
Five Islands Provincial Park, which reaches the edge of town.
When is the best time for walking in Colchester County, Subdivision A?
On the normals, May to August: that is when days are long, highs reach 15 °C and rain is light.
Sources
Sources for this page on Colchester County, Subdivision A
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).