Photo: WabbitWanderer from London, Canada · CC BY-SA 2.0Protected land around Hatchet Lake beats 9 in 10 Canadian towns
36% of the neighbourhood lies within a protected area. The 10 km around town hold 53 protected areas. For a swim, Campbell Point Park Beach is the nearest of 23 beaches within 5 km.
What Hatchet Lake has going for it outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
For someone who likes to get outside, Hatchet Lake’s draw is protected land around it, with protected land inside its own boundary close behind.
Each figure for Hatchet Lake, 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. There is no Outdoors grade for Canadian towns; the figures stand beside the country’s towns of 2,500+ without a letter.
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Among 40 towns its size, Hatchet Lake ranks 5th for protected land within 10 km
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (9,787 to 10,075 residents), by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected. Hover for each one’s figures; click for its page.
Among its peers, Hatchet Lake’s strong point is protected land nearby, where 4 of 39 top it.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electoral Area C (Puntledge - Black Creek), Comox Valley BC | 22% | 12% | 74 | 1 | 7 |
| 2 | Shawnigan BC | 22% | 6.4% | 66 | 4 | 8 |
| 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 | Acadia AB | 3.8% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 7 |
| 14 | Mono ON | 3.7% | 6.4% | 56 | 7 | 1 |
| 15 | Van Kirk ON | 3.2% | 0% | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| 16 | Guildwood ON | 2.2% | 0% | 17 | 0 | 6 |
| 17 | Rosenberg ON | 2.2% | 9.1% | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | Laurentian Hills ON | 1.8% | 0% | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| 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 | Sainte-Catherine-de-la-Jacques-Cartier QC | 1.4% | 0.1% | 27 | 0 | 16 |
| 22 | Wiarton ON | 1.4% | 2.4% | 64 | 3 | 55 |
| 23 | Ladysmith BC | 1.4% | 0% | 16 | 1 | 2 |
| 24 | Vincent ON | 1.3% | 3.1% | 14 | 4 | 7 |
| 25 | Lac-Saint-Charles QC | 1% | 1.6% | 21 | 1 | 4 |
| 26 | Caledonia-Fairbank ON | 0.9% | 0% | 11 | 2 | 1 |
| 27 | Beckwith ON | 0.8% | 0% | 12 | 0 | 1 |
| 28 | Willowgrove SK | 0.8% | 0% | 9 | 1 | 2 |
| 29 | Roberval QC | 0.6% | 0.1% | 8 | 0 | 7 |
| 30 | Malahide ON | 0.5% | 0% | 8 | 3 | 5 |
| 31 | Stanley MB | 0.5% | 0.8% | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| 32 | Maple Leaf ON | 0.5% | 0% | 10 | 1 | 0 |
| 33 | Penbrooke Meadows AB | 0.3% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Pineridge AB | 0.3% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | Springbank Hill AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 36 | River Valley Oleskiw AB | 0.3% | 0% | 3 | 3 | 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 |
Where the green is in Hatchet Lake
The neighbourhood’s parks, woods, protected land and paths, with its named places numbered.
30 parks and woods to walk in, in or near Hatchet Lake
The biggest is Long Lake Provincial Park, 1,920 ha. Biggest first, numbered as on the map.
Long Lake Provincial Park and Mcintosh Run Regional Park together hold 94% of it.
Mcintosh Run Regional Park
Beechville Lakeside Timberlea Trail Park
Chain of Lakes Trail Park
Graves-Oakley Memorial Park
West Dover Park
Brookside Junior High School Park
Lynwood Drive Park
All 30 named parks and green spaces
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.
1 in 10 people in Hatchet Lake 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.
In the typical Canadian town the share is 83%, higher than here. About 8,500 residents live further than 400 m from one.
The 53 protected areas near Hatchet Lake
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Of those 53, 26 are public and the remainder private. Five Bridge Lakes Wilderness Area covers 8,626 ha, the most of any named area. 24 areas belong to private owners or land trusts and aren’t named here.
6 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.
98 km to Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site
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.
Long Lake Provincial Park
West Dover Provincial Park
Crystal Crescent Beach Provincial Park
Crystal Crescent Beach Provincial Park
Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site
Within 10 km are 4 provincial parks.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Hatchet Lake and its edge hold 136 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 · km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
It is more wooded than 84% of Canadian towns. For path density, 73% 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.
4 walking routes near Hatchet Lake
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
For a longer outing, the The Bluff Wilderness Hiking Trail runs 26.9 km.
Source: OpenStreetMap (route relations hiking, foot and walking), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Trans Canada Trail sections as OSM maps them.
Walking season in Hatchet Lake: June to September
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Shearwater (21 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) | 9.2 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.8 |
| High (°C) | 0 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 14 | 19 | 23 | 23 | 20 | 14 | 9 | 4 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 124 | 114 | 120 | 108 | 115 | 107 | 95 | 94 | 107 | 141 | 135 | 156 |
A typical year sees 215 cm of snow. Most rain and snow falls in December, 156 mm; August sees 94 mm. In August the typical high is 23 °C; in January, 0 °C. The climate in Hatchet Lake →
Hatchet Lake has 23 beaches close by
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
The map adds 10 unnamed stretches of beach. 4 are mapped as sand. Within 5 km is 403 km of coastline. 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.
Viewpoints and waterfalls near Hatchet Lake: 2 and 9
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
Count 54 playgrounds, the biggest group.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 2
Plus 2 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 22
Plus 14 hills and peaks more.
Waterfalls 9
Plus 1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Picnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 54
Plus 46 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 2
Slipways 3
Plus 2 slipways without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
A garden to visit near Hatchet Lake: Halifax Public Gardens, 4.8 km away
Gardens and arboretums within 15 km of the town’s edge, and the historic gardens, parks and estates in the town itself, nearest first.
One carries a national designation.
Sources: OpenStreetMap (leisure=garden), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL, and Wikidata (CC0), as gathered in TownRatings’ Canadian attractions set; historic places from Parks Canada’s Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, the Canadian Register of Historic Places and Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel.
Next to Hatchet Lake
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hatchet Lake | 14% | 53 | 4 | 23 |
| Harrietsfield 9.5 km | 11% | 33 | 3 | 22 |
| Timberlea 12 km | 19% | 22 | 12 | 7 |
| Mount Royale 14 km | 15% | 18 | 5 | 14 |
| Westmount 14 km | 11% | 16 | 6 | 18 |
| South End 14 km | 11% | 19 | 6 | 22 |
| Fairview 15 km | 14% | 16 | 4 | 13 |
No place nearby has double Hatchet Lake’s share of protected land. Timberlea has the most mapped walking routes nearby: 12.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Beaches. The count includes unnamed stretches mapped as beach, which can make a lakeside town’s figure large.
- 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 Hatchet Lake
Are there protected areas near Hatchet Lake?
Yes: 14% of the land within 10 km is protected.
Is Hatchet Lake near a national park?
Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site is closest, at 98 km.
Are there hiking trails near Hatchet Lake?
Try the The Bluff Wilderness Hiking Trail, The McIntosh Run Community Trail and Polly Cove Trail; more are on the map.
What is the nearest beach to Hatchet Lake?
Try Campbell Point Park Beach, in town, first of several.
What is the nearest provincial park to Hatchet Lake?
West Dover Provincial Park, which reaches the edge of town.
What is the largest protected area near Hatchet Lake?
It is Five Bridge Lakes Wilderness Area, a nature reserve covering 8,626 ha.
When should you visit Hatchet Lake for the outdoors?
On the normals, June to September: that is when days are long, highs reach 15 °C and rain is light.
The sources behind Hatchet Lake’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.
Gardens: OpenStreetMap (leisure=garden) and Wikidata gardens within 15 km, as gathered in TownRatings’ Canadian attractions set; historic gardens and parks from Canada’s heritage registers (Parks Canada DFHD, the Canadian Register of Historic Places, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel).
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).