First pick
Sackville Lakes Provincial Park
Park or garden
294 ha13.4 km of path
3 hto walk all 13.4 km of path
5.3 km south-westfrom the centre
Beech Hill Trail - TransCanada TrailGreat Oak's LoopLakeside Trail+5 paths
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: WabbitWanderer from London, Canada · CC BY-SA 2.011%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Fall River · parks, protected land & trails
More of the land around Fall River is protected than around nearly 9 in 10 Canadian towns
26 areas within 10 km are protected for nature. The largest named area nearby is Waverley - Salmon River Long Lake Wilderness Area, 8,621 ha, 1.7 km away. 4 beaches are mapped within 5 km, the nearest Kinsmen Park Beach.
Protected land
11%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
26
within 10 km, 26 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest provincial park
At the edge
Sackville Lakes Provincial Park
Walking routes
1
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Beaches
4
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
Where Fall River stands out outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
Protected land all round11% of the land within 10 km, more than 88% of Canadian townsMany protected areas26 public areas within 10 kmA provincial park at the edgeSackville Lakes Provincial Park reaches the town
Fall River is strongest on protected land around it, with the number of public protected areas close by close behind.
Against other towns
How Fall River 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. There is no Outdoors grade for Canadian towns; the figures stand beside the country’s towns of 2,500+ without a letter.
Protected within 10 km11%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town2.9%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
Beaches4Beaches mapped on OpenStreetMap within 5 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Fall River comes 5th of 40 towns its size for protected land around it
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (9,040 to 9,387 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
Fall River11%
Towns its size3.2%
Towns in Nova Scotia8.7%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Fall River26
Towns its size5
Towns in Nova Scotia24
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Fall River1
Towns its size0
Towns in Nova Scotia2
Typical Canadian town0
Against towns its size, Fall River does best for public protected areas: 3 of the other 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Three Rivers PE | 31% | 4.4% | 64 | 14 | 42 |
| 2 | La Pêche QC | 19% | 8.3% | 33 | 0 | 12 |
| 3 | Mount Royale NS | 15% | 24% | 18 | 5 | 14 |
| 4 | Braemar Park-Belair Heights-Copeland Park ON | 13% | 1.7% | 30 | 2 | 7 |
| 5 | Fall River NS | 11% | 2.9% | 26 | 1 | 4 |
| 6 | Centrepointe - Briargreen ON | 11% | 0% | 26 | 1 | 5 |
| 7 | Beaver Bank NS | 8.2% | 3.8% | 31 | 2 | 6 |
| 8 | Burnaby Mountain BC | 8.1% | 0% | 36 | 2 | 84 |
| 9 | Saint-Robert QC | 7.8% | 0% | 22 | 0 | 4 |
| 10 | Strathcona ON | 6% | 13% | 26 | 1 | 3 |
| 11 | Boischatel QC | 5.9% | 0% | 25 | 0 | 6 |
| 12 | H-Section (bramalea) ON | 5.5% | 0% | 7 | 0 | 1 |
| 13 | Vankleek Hill ON | 5.2% | 0.1% | 19 | 0 | 4 |
| 14 | Saint-Apollinaire QC | 5.1% | 0% | 23 | 0 | 1 |
| 15 | L'Épiphanie QC | 4% | 0% | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | Walsh Acres/Lakeridge/Garden Ridge SK | 3.6% | 0% | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | Sundance AB | 3.3% | 34% | 1 | 0 | 14 |
| 18 | Thistletown-Beaumond Heights ON | 3.2% | 0% | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | North Central SK | 3.2% | 0% | 5 | 2 | 1 |
| 20 | Fish Creek Park AB | 3.2% | 53% | 4 | 0 | 20 |
| 21 | Riverbend AB | 3.1% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 8 |
| 22 | Fletchers Meadow South ON | 2.7% | 11% | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| 23 | Old East York ON | 2.4% | 4.6% | 13 | 3 | 15 |
| 24 | Stony Mountain MB | 2.3% | 2.3% | 12 | 4 | 1 |
| 25 | Danforth ON | 2.3% | 0% | 13 | 4 | 24 |
| 26 | Elms-Old Rexdale ON | 1.9% | 0% | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Sainte-Brigitte-de-Laval QC | 1.7% | 0% | 24 | 0 | 2 |
| 28 | Portugal Cove-St. Philip's NL | 1.5% | 0% | 3 | 2 | 35 |
| 29 | Stoney Creek ON | 1.3% | 0% | 10 | 1 | 0 |
| 30 | Churchville ON | 1.2% | 2% | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | Hampton Village SK | 1.2% | 0% | 14 | 0 | 2 |
| 32 | University Heights Urban Centre SK | 0.9% | 0% | 12 | 1 | 3 |
| 33 | Barbertown ON | 0.8% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Silver Springs AB | 0.8% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 35 | Hawkwood AB | 0.5% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 36 | La Salle MB | 0.4% | 0% | 25 | 0 | 1 |
| 37 | Downtown Commercial Core AB | 0.4% | 0% | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 38 | Amber Trails MB | 0.3% | 0% | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Mount Pleasant AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 40 | Cooksville NHD (East) ON | 0.1% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 3 |
The map
Parks, woods and paths around Fall River
The neighbourhood’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
30 parks and woods to walk in, in or near Fall River
Sackville Lakes Provincial Park is the largest, at 294 ha; the rest follow by size, numbered as on the map.
30 named parks and woods, 496 ha in all
Parks & gardens 496 ha
Sackville Lakes Provincial Park and McDonald Sports Park together hold 70% of it.
McDonald Sports Park
Park or garden
53 ha6.8 km of path
1 h 30 minto walk all 6.8 km of path
2.6 km southfrom the centre
Shirley AnneBig Paul's LoopAnnie Blois+5 paths
Directionsto a point inside
Laurie Provincial Park
Park or garden
29 ha0.6 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
7.6 km northfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Lockview High School Park
Park or garden
15 ha0.3 km of path
0.8 km northfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Confederation Avenue Park
Park or garden
14 ha
1.8 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Bearpaw Drive Park
Park or garden · 260 m outside town
8.7 ha
3.5 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Oaken Hills Park
Park or garden · 320 m outside town
5.5 ha1.1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.1 km of path
5.4 km northfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
All 30 named parks and green spaces
Sackville Lakes Provincial ParkPark or garden · 294 ha · 13.4 km of path
DirectionsMcDonald Sports ParkPark or garden · 53 ha · 6.8 km of path
DirectionsLaurie Provincial ParkPark or garden · 29 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsLockview High School ParkPark or garden · 15 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsConfederation Avenue ParkPark or garden · 14 ha
DirectionsBearpaw Drive ParkPark or garden · 8.7 ha · just outside town
DirectionsOaken Hills ParkPark or garden · 5.5 ha · 1.1 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsTrevor Avenue ParkPark or garden · 7.0 ha
DirectionsWellington Provincial ParkPark or garden · 6.5 ha
DirectionsMeltzer Common ParkPark or garden · 5.5 ha
DirectionsGordon R. Snow Community Centre ParkPark or garden · 3.9 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsDuck Lake Brook Greenway ParkPark or garden · 4.9 ha
DirectionsBrookhill Dr Park 3Park or garden · 4.7 ha · just outside town
DirectionsLizard Lake ParkPark or garden · 4.0 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsPerry Lake ParkPark or garden · 3.2 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsCanterbury Lane ParkPark or garden · 3.1 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsHolland Road Elementary School ParkPark or garden · 3.4 ha
DirectionsClarence Court ParkPark or garden · 3.2 ha
DirectionsWindgate Drive ParkPark or garden · 3.3 ha
DirectionsAsh Lee Jefferson Elementary School ParkPark or garden · 3.2 ha
DirectionsBrookhill Dr Park 2Park or garden · 2.9 ha · just outside town
DirectionsWindsor Junction Community Centre ParkPark or garden · 2.7 ha
DirectionsRichardson Drive ParkPark or garden · 2.5 ha
DirectionsGeorge P Vanier Junior High School ParkPark or garden · 2.5 ha
DirectionsWinley Estates ParkPark or garden · 2.2 ha
DirectionsTurtle Marsh ParkPark or garden · 2.2 ha
DirectionsMornington Court ParkPark or garden · 1.4 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsCapilano Common ParkPark or garden · 1.8 ha
DirectionsSt Andrews ParkPark or garden · 1.8 ha
DirectionsHeddas Way ParkPark or garden · 1.8 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
3 in 10 people in Fall River 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 (27%)Further (73%)
Fall River27%
Towns in Nova Scotia18%
Typical Canadian town83%
Around 6,800 residents are further than 400 m from a park. The typical Canadian town does better, at 83%.
Protected areas
The 26 protected areas near Fall River
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Fall River2.9%
Within 10 km11%
Towns in Nova Scotia8.7%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Each of the 26 is held by a public body. Waverley - Salmon River Long Lake Wilderness Area is the biggest, 8,621 ha.
Rawdon River Nature ReserveNature reserve · 116 ha · reaches Fall River
Old Growth Forest LandsNature reserve · 6.7 ha · reaches Fall River
Old Growth Forest LandsNature reserve · 5.1 ha · reaches Fall River
Old Growth Forest LandsNature reserve · 3.2 ha · reaches Fall River
Old Growth Forest LandsNature reserve · 15 ha · reaches Fall River
Sackville Lakes Provincial ParkProvincial park · 292 ha · reaches Fall River
Waverley - Salmon River Long Lake Wilderness AreaNature reserve · 8,621 ha · 1.7 km from the edge of town
Bennery Lake Nature ReserveNature reserve · 279 ha · 2.1 km from the edge of town
Old Growth Forest LandsNature reserve · 2.1 ha · 2.7 km from the edge of town
Oakfield Provincial ParkProvincial park · 56 ha · 3.2 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
Sackville Lakes Provincial Park meets Fall River
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
Sackville Lakes Provincial Park
At the edge · south-west2.9 km²since 2013
Provincial park
Oakfield Provincial Park
3.2 km north0.6 km²since 1973
Canada’s national parks are all more than 100 km from Fall River, so the parks here are provincial. 2 provincial parks lie 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
45 km of paths in and around Fall River
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
45 km
in and around the town (87.5 km²)
Woodland
49%
about 42.7 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
Fall RiverTowns in Nova ScotiaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0.5
012 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
Fall RiverTowns in Nova ScotiaTypical Canadian town
Woodland49%
0%50%100%
Woods cover more of it than in 83% of Canadian towns. 66% of Canadian towns have more footpath per km².
Source: OpenStreetMap, © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Mapping varies by place: a dense figure can mean keen local mappers as much as many paths.
Walking routes
One mapped route to walk from Fall River
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
Local
Great Oaks Loop2.4 km
Source: OpenStreetMap (route relations hiking, foot and walking), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Trans Canada Trail sections as OSM maps them.
When to get out
Get out in Fall River in May to September
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Halifax Stanfield (Airport), 12 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 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.6 | 15.3 | 14.0 | 12.5 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.8 |
| High (°C) | -1 | -1 | 4 | 9 | 16 | 21 | 24 | 24 | 20 | 14 | 8 | 2 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 126 | 111 | 120 | 106 | 110 | 90 | 87 | 91 | 107 | 140 | 159 | 147 |
Expect 159 mm in November, the wettest month, and 87 mm in July. The warmest days come in July (24 °C highs), the coldest in January (-1 °C). Winter brings about 215 cm of snow. The climate in Fall River →
Beaches
4 beaches within 5 km of Fall River
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Kinsmen Park Beach1.5 km from town
DirectionsOakfield Park Beachpebbles · 4.3 km from town
Directions2 more are mapped without a name. Beach water tests aren’t published as open data across Canada, so swimming advisories come from the local health unit.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
Viewpoints and waterfalls near Fall River: 4 and 2
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
There are 32 playgrounds, more than of anything else.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 4
Plus 4 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 2
Blue Hillin town
DirectionsAmerican Hill0.8 km from town
DirectionsWaterfalls 2
Miller Lake Falls0.0 km from town
DirectionsJohnston Falls0.7 km from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 2
Plus 2 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 32
Grand Lake Drive Park Playground0.5 km from town
DirectionsGrand Lake Oakfield Playground1.1 km from town
DirectionsNordic Crescent Park Playground1.2 km from town
DirectionsWaverley Memorial Playground 21.3 km from town
DirectionsWaverley Memorial Playground1.4 km from town
DirectionsPlus 27 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 3
Miller Lake Camp0.1 km from town
DirectionsBarret Scout Camp1.2 km from town
DirectionsPlus 1 campsite without a name on the map.
Slipways 3
Plus 3 slipways without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Fall River
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
Beaver BankLower SackvilleMiddle SackvilleDutch SettlementBedfordHammonds PlainsFall River
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall River | 11% | 26 | 1 | 4 |
| Beaver Bank 4.7 km | 8.2% | 31 | 2 | 6 |
| Lower Sackville 6.9 km | 8.5% | 25 | 1 | 3 |
| Middle Sackville 8.2 km | 6.4% | 25 | 0 | 2 |
| Dutch Settlement 9.1 km | 8.7% | 69 | 10 | 8 |
| Bedford 12 km | 15% | 29 | 11 | 5 |
| Hammonds Plains 16 km | 16% | 35 | 2 | 3 |
None of the places nearby has twice as much protected land around it as Fall River. Bedford has the most mapped walking routes nearby: 11.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Walking routes. Routes are what OpenStreetMap’s volunteers have mapped as named walking or hiking routes; many good trails aren’t mapped that way.
- Private land. Areas held by land trusts or private owners stay unnamed here, though they count in the shares.
- Beaches. The count includes unnamed stretches mapped as beach, which can make a lakeside town’s figure large.
- Protected land. Protected here means in CPCAD, Canada’s official list: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and other conserved land, measured within 10 km of the town’s edge.
- National and provincial parks. A park at 0 km touches or overlaps the town’s outline; directions point from the town’s centre.
Questions about the outdoors in Fall River
When is the best time for walking in Fall River?
May to September: long days, mild highs and little rain.
Is Fall River near a national park?
None within 100 km of Fall River.
Is there a beach near Fall River?
Try Kinsmen Park Beach, 1.5 km from town, first of several.
What walking routes are near Fall River?
OpenStreetMap maps the Great Oaks Loop close by.
How much land around Fall River is protected?
Within 10 km, 11% of the land lies in protected areas.
Which is the biggest protected area near Fall River?
Waverley - Salmon River Long Lake Wilderness Area, a nature reserve of 8,621 ha.
How far is the nearest provincial park from Fall River?
Sackville Lakes Provincial Park touches the town.
Sources
Sources for this page on Fall River
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).