First pick
Long Lake Provincial Park
Park or garden
1,868 ha22.3 km of path
5 hto walk all 22.3 km of path
11 km south-westfrom the centre
Old St. Margaret's Bay RoadLong Lake Wilderness TrailLakeview Trail+5 paths
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: WayeMason · CC BY-SA 3.010%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Halifax · parks, protected land & trails
The boundary of Sable Island National Park Reserve runs along Halifax
Within 10 km are 421 protected areas. OpenStreetMap shows 47 walking routes nearby, including the Musquodoboit Trailway and The Bluff Wilderness Hiking Trail. 130 beaches are mapped within 5 km, the nearest Abenaki Canoe Club Beach.
Protected land
10%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
421
within 10 km, 326 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
At the edge
Sable Island National Park Reserve
Nearest provincial park
At the edge
West Dover Provincial Park
Walking routes
47
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Beaches
130
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
What sets Halifax apart outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
Next to a national parkSable Island National Park Reserve starts at the edge of townProtected land all round10% of the land within 10 km, more than 85% of Canadian townsWalking routes47 named routes within 2 kmBeaches130 beaches within 5 km
For someone who likes to get outside, Halifax’s draw is Sable Island National Park Reserve on its doorstep, with protected land around it close behind.
Against other towns
How Halifax 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. Outdoors isn’t one of Canada’s graded subjects, so there’s no letter here: each figure is set against other Canadian towns instead.
Protected within 10 km10%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town17%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas326Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes47Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches130Beaches mapped on OpenStreetMap within 5 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Halifax comes 7th of 40 towns its size for protected land around it
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (106,752 to 516,822 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
Halifax10%
Towns its size3.7%
Towns in Nova Scotia8.7%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Halifax326
Towns its size15
Towns in Nova Scotia24
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Halifax47
Towns its size2
Towns in Nova Scotia2
Typical Canadian town0
For walking routes, Halifax tops all 39 other towns its size.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coquitlam BC | 25% | 28% | 130 | 5 | 69 |
| 2 | Delta BC | 24% | 17% | 181 | 9 | 19 |
| 3 | Richmond BC | 21% | 3.2% | 73 | 2 | 31 |
| 4 | Kamloops BC | 14% | 13% | 16 | 0 | 11 |
| 5 | Kelowna BC | 13% | 3.8% | 36 | 0 | 42 |
| 6 | Saanich BC | 11% | 9.4% | 43 | 7 | 56 |
| 7 | Halifax NS | 10% | 17% | 421 | 47 | 130 |
| 8 | Strathcona County AB | 9.4% | 1.4% | 38 | 7 | 6 |
| 9 | Trois-Rivières QC | 8.4% | 1.2% | 44 | 1 | 10 |
| 10 | Cape Breton NS | 8.2% | 8.6% | 176 | 1 | 74 |
| 11 | Pickering ON | 7.6% | 11% | 46 | 1 | 11 |
| 12 | Greater Sudbury / Grand Sudbury ON | 6.7% | 3.5% | 43 | 5 | 18 |
| 13 | Saguenay QC | 6% | 6.1% | 29 | 0 | 11 |
| 14 | Kingston ON | 5% | 6.2% | 54 | 2 | 5 |
| 15 | Ajax ON | 4.9% | 5.8% | 31 | 1 | 8 |
| 16 | Lévis QC | 4.1% | 0.6% | 62 | 1 | 8 |
| 17 | Sherbrooke QC | 4.1% | 0.8% | 23 | 2 | 3 |
| 18 | Whitby ON | 3.9% | 4.7% | 37 | 1 | 3 |
| 19 | Abbotsford BC | 3.9% | 0.5% | 37 | 2 | 10 |
| 20 | Terrebonne QC | 3.8% | 3.6% | 60 | 0 | 3 |
| 21 | Langley BC | 3.5% | 2.9% | 144 | 8 | 10 |
| 22 | Barrie ON | 2.6% | 0% | 9 | 0 | 8 |
| 23 | Burlington ON | 2.5% | 1.6% | 27 | 2 | 17 |
| 24 | Oshawa ON | 2.4% | 0.3% | 30 | 1 | 4 |
| 25 | St. John's NL | 2.2% | 1.2% | 6 | 1 | 41 |
| 26 | Richmond Hill ON | 1.9% | 8.4% | 51 | 1 | 0 |
| 27 | Nanaimo BC | 1.9% | 6.7% | 42 | 2 | 33 |
| 28 | Cambridge ON | 1.7% | 0.4% | 33 | 10 | 2 |
| 29 | Bowmanville ON | 1.6% | 3% | 25 | 2 | 9 |
| 30 | Milton ON | 1.3% | 0% | 38 | 15 | 3 |
| 31 | St. Catharines ON | 1.2% | 1.7% | 15 | 4 | 7 |
| 32 | Niagara Falls ON | 1.1% | 1.7% | 15 | 3 | 4 |
| 33 | Chatham ON | 1% | 1% | 21 | 0 | 8 |
| 34 | Guelph ON | 0.9% | 3.1% | 15 | 10 | 5 |
| 35 | Oakville ON | 0.9% | 4.1% | 8 | 1 | 9 |
| 36 | Red Deer AB | 0.7% | 1.2% | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| 37 | Waterloo ON | 0.6% | 0% | 17 | 12 | 1 |
| 38 | Lethbridge AB | 0.4% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Brantford ON | 0.3% | 0% | 15 | 3 | 0 |
| 40 | Thunder Bay ON | 0.1% | 0.4% | 3 | 0 | 4 |
The map
The green map of Halifax
The city’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
Walk in Halifax: 30 named parks and woods
Long Lake Provincial Park is the largest, at 1,868 ha; the rest follow by size, numbered as on the map.
30 named parks and woods, 6,772 ha in all
Parks & gardens 6,772 ha
45% of the area is in just two places: Long Lake Provincial Park and Dollar Lake Provincial Park.
Dollar Lake Provincial Park
Park or garden
1,177 ha4.1 km of path
55 minto walk all 4.1 km of path
33 km north-eastfrom the centre
Brook TrailField TrailShoreline Trail+1 path
Directionsto a point inside
Sandy Lake Park
Park or garden
531 ha9.4 km of path
2 h 5 minto walk all 9.4 km of path
9.2 km north-westfrom the centre
Crest LoopThe CliffwalkStream Path+5 paths
Directionsto a point inside
Crystal Crescent Beach Provincial Park
Park or garden
516 ha11.4 km of path
2 h 35 minto walk all 11.4 km of path
26 km southfrom the centre
Pennant Point TrailSpine TrailPennant Point Lookoff
Directionsto a point inside
Martinique Beach Game Sanctuary
Park or garden
431 ha0.4 km of path
36 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Sackville Lakes Provincial Park
Park or garden
280 ha11.8 km of path
2 h 35 minto walk all 11.8 km of path
13 km north-westfrom the centre
Beech Hill Trail - TransCanada TrailGreat Oak's LoopLakeside Trail+5 paths
Directionsto a point inside
St. Margaret's Bay Rail To Trails Park
Park or garden
163 ha20.5 km of path
4 h 35 minto walk all 20.5 km of path
33 km westfrom the centre
St Margarets Bay Trail
Directionsto a point inside
Shubie Park
Park or garden
169 ha14.3 km of path
3 h 10 minto walk all 14.3 km of path
6.2 km north-eastfrom the centre
Lake Charles TrailShubie Canal TrailShubie Park Greenway+5 paths
Directionsto a point inside
All 30 named parks and green spaces
Long Lake Provincial ParkPark or garden · 1,868 ha · 22.3 km of path
DirectionsDollar Lake Provincial ParkPark or garden · 1,177 ha · 4.1 km of path
DirectionsSandy Lake ParkPark or garden · 531 ha · 9.4 km of path
DirectionsCrystal Crescent Beach Provincial ParkPark or garden · 516 ha · 11.4 km of path
DirectionsMartinique Beach Game SanctuaryPark or garden · 431 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsSackville Lakes Provincial ParkPark or garden · 280 ha · 11.8 km of path
DirectionsSt. Margaret's Bay Rail To Trails ParkPark or garden · 163 ha · 20.5 km of path
DirectionsShubie ParkPark or garden · 169 ha · 14.3 km of path
DirectionsLake Charlotte North Provincial ParkPark or garden · 172 ha
DirectionsJerry Lawrence Provincial ParkPark or garden · 150 ha · 1.4 km of path
DirectionsShaw Wilderness ParkPark or garden · 132 ha · 3 km of path
DirectionsHemlock Ravine ParkPark or garden · 120 ha · 6.5 km of path
DirectionsMusquodoboit Trail at GreenwayPark or garden · 85 ha · 10.4 km of path
DirectionsMcintosh Run Regional ParkPark or garden · 87 ha · 8.3 km of path
DirectionsPoint Pleasant ParkPark or garden · 68 ha · 10.7 km of path
DirectionsPorters Lake Provincial ParkPark or garden · 84 ha · 2 km of path
DirectionsBeechville Lakeside Timberlea Trail ParkPark or garden · 73 ha · 7.3 km of path
DirectionsMcDonald Sports ParkPark or garden · 59 ha · 5.7 km of path
DirectionsJudd's Pool Provincial ParkPark or garden · 69 ha · just outside town
DirectionsOakfield Provincial ParkPark or garden · 64 ha · 2.6 km of path
DirectionsMainland CommonsPark or garden · 55 ha · 3.4 km of path
DirectionsYork Redoubt National Historic SitePark or garden · 58 ha · 1.6 km of path
DirectionsMusquodoboit Valley Provincial ParkPark or garden · 61 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsLinear ParkPark or garden · 47 ha · 6 km of path
DirectionsSir Sandford Fleming ParkPark or garden · 53 ha · 2.6 km of path
DirectionsChain of Lakes Trail ParkPark or garden · 38 ha · 6.5 km of path
DirectionsShearwater Flyer Trail ParkPark or garden · 50 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsHarrietsfield Sambro Volunteer Fire Station LandsPark or garden · 48 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsAtlantic View Regional Trail ParkPark or garden · 29 ha · 6.3 km of path
DirectionsCole Harbour Salt Marsh TrailPark or garden · 34 ha · 2.8 km of path
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 Halifax’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 (76%)Further (24%)
Halifax76%
Towns in Nova Scotia18%
Typical Canadian town83%
The typical Canadian town does better, at 83%. That leaves about 124,000 people more than a short walk away.
Protected areas
Protected areas cover 10% of the land near Halifax
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Halifax17%
Within 10 km10%
Towns in Nova Scotia8.7%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Governments hold 326 of the 421, and private owners the rest. At 16,030 ha, Tangier Grand Lake Wilderness Area is the largest. Another 20 are privately owned conservation land; they count in the figures but aren’t named, as private land isn’t a place to visit.
Tangier Grand Lake Wilderness AreaNature reserve · 16,030 ha · reaches Halifax
Ship Harbour Long Lake Wilderness AreaNature reserve · 14,808 ha · reaches Halifax
South Panuke Wilderness AreaNature reserve · 6,843 ha · reaches Halifax
Toadfish Lakes Wilderness AreaNature reserve · 6,320 ha · reaches Halifax
Terence Bay Wilderness AreaNature reserve · 4,429 ha · reaches Halifax
Sable Island National Park ReserveNational park · 3,000 ha · reaches Halifax
Clattenburgh Brook Wilderness AreaNature reserve · 1,913 ha · reaches Halifax
Pockwock Wilderness AreaNature reserve · 1,900 ha · reaches Halifax
Eastern Shore Islands Wilderness AreaNature reserve · 1,842 ha · reaches Halifax
Rogues Roost Wilderness AreaNature reserve · 1,128 ha · reaches Halifax
11 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
Big parks near Halifax
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
National park
Sable Island National Park Reserve
At the edge · east30 km²since 2011
Provincial park
West Dover Provincial Park
At the edge10 km²since 2015
Provincial park
Crystal Crescent Beach Provincial Park
At the edge5.0 km²since 1981
Provincial park
Dollar Lake Provincial Park
At the edge4.0 km²since 2019
Provincial park
Crystal Crescent Beach Provincial Park
At the edge0.4 km²since 2019
4 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
Halifax has 1,470 km of footpaths in and around it
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
1,470 km
in and around the town (7,068.4 km²)
Footpaths · km per km²
HalifaxTowns in Nova ScotiaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0.2
012 km per km²
It has fewer paths per km² than 77% 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
47 walking routes near Halifax
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
RegionalLocalOther waymarked
Musquodoboit Trailway41.0 km
The Bluff Wilderness Hiking Trail26.9 km
Crowbar Lake Trails16.1 km
Taylor Head Provincial Park9.8 km
Pennant Point Trail9.0 km
Minister Hill Trail8.9 km
Shearwater Flyer Trail8.8 km
Cole Harbour Heritage Trails6.7 km
Hemlock Ravine Park Trail System5.1 km
Fleming Park Trail System4.5 km
Mastodon Greenway4.4 km
Colpitt Lake Trail3.7 km
Plus 35 more waymarked walks on the map.
The longest of the rest is the Musquodoboit Trailway, 41.0 km. 33 are short walks under 3 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 Halifax in June to September
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Shearwater (9.7 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 | 15.6 | 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 |
From 0 °C in January to 23 °C in August: that is the range of daytime highs. Expect 156 mm in December, the wettest month, and 94 mm in August. The yearly snowfall is near 215 cm. The climate in Halifax →
Beaches
Beaches near Halifax: 130 within 5 km
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Abenaki Canoe Club Beachin town
DirectionsBack Beachin town
DirectionsBack Shorein town
DirectionsBirch Cove Beachsand · in town
DirectionsBull Beachin town
DirectionsChocolate Lake Beachin town
DirectionsConrods Beachin town
DirectionsCunard Beachin town
DirectionsKinsmen Park Beachin town
DirectionsLake Echo Beachsand · in town
DirectionsOpenStreetMap maps 1,780 km of coastline within 5 km. Add 55 unnamed beaches to the count. OpenStreetMap marks 4 as sandy. This page can’t show water quality: no open, Canada-wide record of beach testing exists. Check local advisories first.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
Viewpoints and waterfalls near Halifax: 99 and 28
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
99Viewpoints94Hills and peaks28Waterfalls10Nature reserves35Picnic sites562Playgrounds5Dog parks39Campsites66Slipways
The tallest named summit close by is Break Heart Hill (100 m). The map shows 562 playgrounds, ahead of the rest.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 99
Admiral Lake Lookoffin town
DirectionsBig Skyin town
DirectionsBirchviewin town
DirectionsBog Viewin town
DirectionsChoose Happy Benchin town
DirectionsClear View Lookoffin town
DirectionsCliff Top Lookoffin town
DirectionsCrawford’s lookoffin town
DirectionsPlus 91 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 94
American Hillin town
DirectionsBear Hillin town
DirectionsBeech Hill90 m · in town
DirectionsBig Gun Mountainin town
DirectionsBig Mountainin town
DirectionsBlue Hillin town
DirectionsBlue Mountainin town
DirectionsBlue Mountain Hillin town
DirectionsPlus 86 hills and peaks without a name on the map.
Waterfalls 28
Beaverdam Brook Fallsin town
DirectionsBroad Fallsin town
DirectionsBrophy's Run Fall 2in town
DirectionsBrophys Run Fallin town
DirectionsDavidson's Brook Fallsin town
DirectionsEnglehutts Fallsin town
DirectionsFantum Fallsin town
DirectionsFirst Fallsin town
DirectionsPlus 20 waterfalls without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 10
Clam Harbour Beach Provincial Parkin town
DirectionsConrod Island Provincial Parkin town
DirectionsCowan Brook Nature Reservein town
DirectionsLawrencetown Beach Provincial Parkin town
DirectionsLewis Lake Provincial Parkin town
DirectionsPorters Lake Provincial Parkin town
DirectionsRainbow Haven Beach Provincial Parkin town
DirectionsTait Lake Nature Reservein town
DirectionsPlus 2 nature reserves more.
Picnic sites 35
Cliff's Landingin town
DirectionsMusquodoboit Valley Picnic Parkin town
DirectionsNellie's Brookin town
DirectionsPlus 32 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 562
Alderney School Playgroundin town
DirectionsArdmore Park Playgroundin town
DirectionsArdmore Park Playground (swings)in town
DirectionsBaker Drive Community Park Walkwayin town
DirectionsBisset Community Playgroundin town
DirectionsBruce Drive Parkin town
DirectionsCarmel Crescent Playgroundin town
DirectionsCarolyn's Way Playgroundin town
DirectionsPlus 554 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 5
Bark Parkin town
DirectionsCentennial Pool Dog Parkin town
DirectionsService Dog Areain town
DirectionsPlus 2 dog parks without a name on the map.
Campsites 39
Barret Scout Campin town
DirectionsBayside Camp and Retreat Centrein town
DirectionsCoyote/U'lukwejin town
DirectionsCrow/Ka'qaqujin town
DirectionsEast River Lodge Campground & Trailer Parkin town
DirectionsHubbards Beach Campgrounds and Cottagesin town
DirectionsMiller Lake Campin town
DirectionsMoose/Tia'min town
DirectionsPlus 31 campsites without a name on the map.
Slipways 66
Cliff's Landingin town
DirectionsDollar Lake Boat Launchin town
DirectionsLake Charlotte Boat Launchin town
DirectionsSpringfield Lake Park Boat Launchin town
DirectionsJubilee Road Launching Ramp0.0 km from town
DirectionsLower Prospect Road Canoe Launch0.1 km from town
DirectionsEastern Passage Boat Ramp0.3 km from town
DirectionsRNSYS boat launch0.3 km from town
DirectionsPlus 58 slipways without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Gardens to visit
3 historic gardens and parks in Halifax
Gardens and arboretums within 15 km of the town’s edge, and the historic gardens, parks and estates in the town itself, nearest first.
FernwoodNational Historic Site · from 1860 · In Halifax
Its pageHalifax Public GardensNational Historic Site · from 1874 · In Halifax
Its pageOld Burying GroundNational Historic Site · from 1749 · In Halifax
Its page3 are National Historic Sites. The oldest is Old Burying Ground, from 1749.
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 door
Next to Halifax
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
AustinvilleWindsor ParkNorth EndManor ParkFairviewWoodlawnHalifax
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Halifax | 10% | 421 | 47 | 130 |
| Austinville 1.4 km | 11% | 27 | 7 | 17 |
| Windsor Park 3.3 km | 7.6% | 18 | 4 | 17 |
| North End 3.6 km | 7% | 14 | 5 | 18 |
| Manor Park 3.9 km | 5.3% | 22 | 6 | 21 |
| Fairview 4.8 km | 14% | 16 | 4 | 13 |
| Woodlawn 4.9 km | 15% | 27 | 5 | 11 |
No place nearby has double Halifax’s share of protected land.
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. A beach counts when its centre point lies within 5 km of the town’s outline. Names come from the map.
- 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. A park at 0 km touches or overlaps the town’s outline; directions point from the town’s centre.
- Private land. CPCAD includes conservation land held privately; the page counts it and leaves the names out.
Questions about the outdoors in Halifax
Where can you swim near Halifax?
Abenaki Canoe Club Beach, in town, is the nearest mapped beach.
Are there hiking trails near Halifax?
The Musquodoboit Trailway, The Bluff Wilderness Hiking Trail and Crowbar Lake Trails, among the routes mapped within 2 km.
How much land around Halifax is protected?
Protected areas cover 10% of the land within 10 km.
What is the nearest national park to Halifax?
It is on the doorstep: Sable Island National Park Reserve touches Halifax.
What is the nearest provincial park to Halifax?
West Dover Provincial Park touches the town.
Which is the biggest protected area near Halifax?
Tangier Grand Lake Wilderness Area, a nature reserve of 16,030 ha.
What is the best season to get outdoors in Halifax?
June to September, on the 1991–2020 normals and the daylight: long days, highs of 15 °C or more, light rain for the place.
Sources
Where Halifax’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.
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).