First pick
Clairmont Provincial Park
Park or garden
24 ha
6.3 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Madereugeneandrew · CC BY-SA 4.04.8%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Kingston · parks, protected land & trails
Confederacy of Mainland Mi'kmaq IPCA, an Indigenous protected area, lies within 10 km of Kingston
The closest of Canada’s national parks is Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site, at 43 km. Within 5 km lie 5 beaches, unnamed on the map. One named trail is close: the Woodville Hiking Trail.
Protected land
4.8%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
30
within 10 km, 20 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
43 km
Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site
Nearest provincial park
At the edge
Clairmont Provincial Park
Walking routes
1
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Beaches
5
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
The outdoors in Kingston, in short
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
Indigenous protected landConfederacy of Mainland Mi'kmaq IPCA, within 10 kmMany protected areas20 public areas within 10 kmA provincial park at the edgeClairmont Provincial Park reaches the townBeaches5 beaches within 5 km
For someone who likes to get outside, Kingston’s draw is an Indigenous protected and conserved area nearby, with the number of public protected areas close by close behind.
Against other towns
Kingston 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. No letter: the outdoors is described for Canadian towns, not graded.
Protected within 10 km4.8%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town3.1%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas20Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes1Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches5Beaches mapped on OpenStreetMap within 5 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Kingston comes 12th of 40 towns its size for protected land around it
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (23,484 to 25,745 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
Kingston4.8%
Towns its size2.7%
Towns in Nova Scotia8.7%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Kingston20
Towns its size4
Towns in Nova Scotia24
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Kingston1
Towns its size0
Towns in Nova Scotia2
Typical Canadian town0
For public protected areas, Kingston sits near the top of its size group: 3 of 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sept-Îles QC | 24% | 33% | 64 | 0 | 15 |
| 2 | White Rock BC | 22% | 0.2% | 101 | 2 | 4 |
| 3 | Brownsville BC | 11% | 1.3% | 119 | 7 | 6 |
| 4 | Box Grove ON | 10% | 18% | 15 | 2 | 1 |
| 5 | L'Assomption QC | 8.5% | 0.4% | 40 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Old Barrhaven East ON | 6.9% | 0% | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | Riley Park BC | 6.2% | 0% | 14 | 2 | 48 |
| 8 | Outremont QC | 5.9% | 0.1% | 24 | 1 | 1 |
| 9 | Candiac QC | 5.8% | 0% | 17 | 0 | 1 |
| 10 | Morningside Heights ON | 5.7% | 4.1% | 16 | 0 | 6 |
| 11 | Cartierville QC | 5.6% | 19% | 27 | 0 | 2 |
| 12 | Kingston NS | 4.8% | 3.1% | 30 | 1 | 5 |
| 13 | Mile End QC | 4.5% | 0% | 18 | 0 | 1 |
| 14 | Milliken ON | 4.4% | 0% | 19 | 0 | 1 |
| 15 | Waterdown ON | 4.4% | 4.9% | 25 | 1 | 0 |
| 16 | Springwater ON | 3.8% | 6.9% | 14 | 1 | 17 |
| 17 | Beloeil QC | 3.6% | 0% | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | Agincourt South-Malvern West ON | 3.5% | 0% | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | Sheldon ON | 3.1% | 0.3% | 26 | 3 | 1 |
| 20 | Port Perry ON | 2.9% | 2% | 32 | 1 | 1 |
| 21 | Dorset Park ON | 2.5% | 0% | 16 | 0 | 1 |
| 22 | West London ON | 2.4% | 0% | 16 | 1 | 0 |
| 23 | Wellington Place ON | 2.2% | 0% | 12 | 7 | 34 |
| 24 | Brockville ON | 1.9% | 3.1% | 5 | 0 | 2 |
| 25 | Huntsville ON | 1.8% | 2.2% | 7 | 2 | 13 |
| 26 | Junction-Wallace Emerson ON | 1.8% | 0% | 11 | 4 | 13 |
| 27 | Newtonbrook West ON | 1.7% | 0% | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Fort St. John BC | 1.4% | 0% | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | Owen Sound ON | 1.3% | 0.2% | 33 | 2 | 12 |
| 30 | Sault-au-Récollet QC | 1.3% | 0% | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | Mount Pearl NL | 1.2% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 32 | Embrun ON | 0.8% | 0% | 10 | 0 | 1 |
| 33 | Oro-Medonte ON | 0.6% | 0.6% | 32 | 4 | 18 |
| 34 | Stonegate-Queensway ON | 0.3% | 0.6% | 6 | 3 | 20 |
| 35 | Islington ON | 0.2% | 0% | 4 | 1 | 9 |
| 36 | Kingsville ON | 0.1% | 0% | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| 37 | Essex ON | 0.1% | 0.5% | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| 38 | Tecumseh ON | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 39 | Etobicoke City Centre ON | 0.1% | 0% | 4 | 1 | 17 |
| 40 | Panorama Hills AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The map
Where the green is in Kingston
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 Kingston: 7 named parks and woods
Clairmont Provincial Park is the largest, at 24 ha; the rest follow by size, numbered as on the map.
7 named parks and woods, 38 ha in all
Parks & gardens 38 ha
Clairmont Provincial Park and Lake George Provincial Park together hold 74% of it.
Lake George Provincial Park
Park or garden
3.7 ha
16 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Chute Park
Park or garden · 50 m outside town
2.9 ha0.1 km of path
7.5 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
McMaster Mill Historic Park
Park or garden
0.7 ha
9.5 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
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
About 2 in 10 of Kingston’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 (19%)Further (81%)
Kingston19%
Towns in Nova Scotia18%
Typical Canadian town83%
The typical Canadian town reaches 83%. About 20,000 residents live further than 400 m from one.
Protected areas
4.8% of the land around Kingston is protected
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Kingston3.1%
Within 10 km4.8%
Towns in Nova Scotia8.7%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Of the 30, 20 are public land; the others are privately held. The largest named one is Cloud Lake Wilderness Area, at 10,823 ha. Confederacy of Mainland Mi'kmaq IPCA is an Indigenous protected and conserved area, cared for by its nation. The figures include 10 private conservation areas, left unnamed.
Cloud Lake Wilderness AreaNature reserve · 10,823 ha · reaches Kingston
Cloud Lake Wilderness AreaNature reserve · 4,893 ha · reaches Kingston
Kentville Migratory Bird SanctuaryWildlife area · 555 ha · reaches Kingston
Aylesford Mountain Nature ReserveNature reserve · 87 ha · reaches Kingston
Clairmont Provincial ParkProvincial park · 23 ha · reaches Kingston
Old Growth Forest LandsNature reserve · 8.2 ha · reaches Kingston
Old Growth Forest LandsNature reserve · 5.6 ha · reaches Kingston
Old Growth Forest LandsNature reserve · 42 ha · 3.9 km from the edge of town
Cloud Lake Wilderness AreaNature reserve · 80 ha · 4.4 km from the edge of town
Old Growth Forest LandsNature reserve · 3.1 ha · 4.8 km from the edge of town
10 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
Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site is 43 km away
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
Clairmont Provincial Park
At the edge0.2 km²since 1972
National park
Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site
43 km south-west404 km²since 1967
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: 134 km in and around Kingston
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
134 km
in and around the town (1,492.4 km²)
Woodland
66%
about 980.1 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
KingstonTowns in Nova ScotiaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0.1
012 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
KingstonTowns in Nova ScotiaTypical Canadian town
Woodland66%
0%50%100%
For path density, 87% of Canadian towns do better. It is more wooded than 90% 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
1 walking route near Kingston
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
Local
Woodville Hiking Trail23.1 km
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 Kingston: May to August
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Greenwood (8.5 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) | 9.1 | 10.3 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.6 | 15.3 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.8 |
| High (°C) | 0 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 18 | 23 | 26 | 26 | 21 | 15 | 9 | 3 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 104 | 87 | 90 | 83 | 78 | 82 | 75 | 80 | 106 | 107 | 120 | 125 |
About 268 cm of snow falls in a year. December is the wettest month (125 mm) and July the driest (75 mm). January brings highs of 0 °C, July highs of 26 °C. The climate in Kingston →
Beaches
5 unnamed beaches near Kingston
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
OpenStreetMap maps 48 km of coastline within 5 km. No open data on beach water quality covers every province, so check with public health before a swim.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
Near Kingston: 1 viewpoints, 5 waterfalls
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
1Viewpoints12Hills and peaks5Waterfalls1Nature reserves4Picnic sites19Playgrounds1Dog parks7Campsites1Slipways
Most numerous: playgrounds (19).
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 1
Plus 1 viewpoint without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 12
Boars Backin town
DirectionsNorth Mountainin town
DirectionsSouth Mountainin town
DirectionsSwindell Knobin town
DirectionsWalker Hillin town
DirectionsFraney Hill1.9 km from town
DirectionsPlus 6 hills and peaks more.
Nature reserves 1
Aylesford Mountain Nature Reservein town
DirectionsPicnic sites 4
Aylesford Lake Beach Parkin town
DirectionsLake George Beach Parkin town
DirectionsPlus 2 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Plus 1 dog park without a name on the map.
Campsites 7
Klahanie Kampingin town
DirectionsYogi Bear's Campgroundin town
DirectionsPlus 5 campsites without a name on the map.
Slipways 1
Plus 1 slipway without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Kingston
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
BerwickAnnapolis County, Subdivision CKingston
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kingston | 4.8% | 30 | 1 | 5 |
| Berwick 8.0 km | 0.6% | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Annapolis County, Subdivision C 16 km | 6.3% | 11 | 0 | 1 |
Next door, protected shares stay within twice Kingston’s.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Beaches. The count includes unnamed stretches mapped as beach, which can make a lakeside town’s figure large.
- Protected land. CPCAD maps each protected area; the page counts how much of the 10 km around the town they cover, lakes and sea included.
- National and provincial parks. Distances run from the town’s edge to the park’s, so 0 km means they touch.
- Private land. CPCAD includes conservation land held privately; the page counts it and leaves the names out.
- Walking routes. The list is OpenStreetMap’s, so a missing trail may just be unmapped. The Trans Canada Trail appears where OSM maps it.
Questions about the outdoors in Kingston
When should you visit Kingston for the outdoors?
On the normals, May to August: that is when days are long, highs reach 15 °C and rain is light.
What is the nearest national park to Kingston?
It is Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site, 43 km off.
Is there a provincial park near Kingston?
Clairmont Provincial Park begins at the town’s edge.
Are there protected areas near Kingston?
Yes: 4.8% of the land within 10 km is protected.
Where can you swim near Kingston?
There are beaches within 5 km, none of them named.
What walking routes are near Kingston?
OpenStreetMap maps the Woodville Hiking Trail close by.
What is the biggest park or reserve near Kingston?
It is Cloud Lake Wilderness Area, a nature reserve covering 10,823 ha.
Sources
The sources behind Kingston’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).