First pick
William A. Broidy Park
Park or garden
1.5 ha0.3 km of path
Centralin the middle of Pictou
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: William M. Monroe · Public domain24%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Pictou · parks, protected land & trails
Pictou is on the International Appalachian Trail (Nova Scotia)
24% of the land and water within 10 km is protected (the typical Canadian town: 2.3%). The closest provincial park is Caribou-Munroe Island Provincial Park, 3.8 km from the edge of town. Within 5 km are 6 beaches; Lowdens Beach is the nearest.
Protected land
24%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
7
within 10 km, 6 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
83 km
Prince Edward Island National Park
Nearest provincial park
3.8 km
Caribou-Munroe Island Provincial Park
Walking routes
1
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Beaches
6
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
Where Pictou stands out outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
On a national routeThe International Appalachian Trail (Nova Scotia) passes within 2 kmProtected land all round24% of the land within 10 km, more than 96% of Canadian townsBeaches6 beaches within 5 km
Above all, Pictou offers the International Appalachian Trail (Nova Scotia), with protected land around it close behind.
Against other towns
Pictou 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. This page carries no grade, because Canada’s grading doesn’t cover the outdoors; the comparisons are the point.
Protected within 10 km24%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town0.5%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas6Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes1Named 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, Pictou ranks 3rd for protected land within 10 km
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (3,260 to 3,357 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
Pictou24%
Towns its size1.9%
Towns in Nova Scotia8.7%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Pictou6
Towns its size2
Towns in Nova Scotia24
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Pictou1
Towns its size0
Towns in Nova Scotia2
Typical Canadian town0
For protected land nearby, Pictou sits near the top of its size group: 2 of 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saint-Jean-Port-Joli QC | 52% | 0.7% | 30 | 0 | 2 |
| 2 | Annapolis County, Subdivision D NS | 25% | 31% | 135 | 5 | 5 |
| 3 | Pictou NS | 24% | 0.5% | 7 | 1 | 6 |
| 4 | Division No. 19, Unorganized MB | 22% | 24% | 57 | 0 | 65 |
| 5 | North Kawartha ON | 18% | 36% | 20 | 3 | 4 |
| 6 | Atholville NB | 12% | 3.1% | 24 | 1 | 3 |
| 7 | Kensington, Part 1 PE | 11% | 0.9% | 21 | 11 | 6 |
| 8 | Inverness County, Subdivision C NS | 8.2% | 6.3% | 181 | 3 | 13 |
| 9 | Sheet Harbour NS | 7.7% | 7.8% | 124 | 2 | 17 |
| 10 | Saint-André-d'Argenteuil QC | 7.4% | 7.4% | 46 | 0 | 3 |
| 11 | Central Okanagan West BC | 6.7% | 5.4% | 49 | 1 | 35 |
| 12 | Enderby BC | 5.7% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 13 | Greeningdon ON | 5.4% | 0% | 17 | 1 | 0 |
| 14 | Grande-Rivière QC | 4.9% | 0% | 9 | 0 | 1 |
| 15 | Hill Park ON | 4.9% | 0% | 17 | 1 | 3 |
| 16 | Hampton NB | 3.7% | 1% | 14 | 2 | 1 |
| 17 | Rankin Inlet NU | 3.5% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | Saint-Jean-Baptiste QC | 2.2% | 2% | 35 | 0 | 3 |
| 19 | Wellington AB | 2.1% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Normanhurst ON | 2% | 0% | 15 | 1 | 7 |
| 21 | North Algona Wilberforce ON | 1.8% | 4.6% | 10 | 0 | 1 |
| 22 | Mill Courtland Woodside Park ON | 1.8% | 0% | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | Point Road MB | 1.5% | 0.2% | 23 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Bonavista NL | 0.7% | 0% | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| 25 | Stoke QC | 0.3% | 0% | 6 | 3 | 1 |
| 26 | Compton QC | 0.3% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 27 | Bulyea Heights AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 28 | Miller AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | Saint-Christophe-d'Arthabaska QC | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 30 | Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes QC | 0% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | Sainte-Clotilde QC | 0% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | Virden MB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | Gibbons AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Inuvik NT | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | Hay River NT | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| 36 | Arviat NU | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 72 |
| 37 | Eaux Claires AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | Holyrood AB | 0% | 0% | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 39 | Northmount AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Westwood AB | 0% | 0% | 1 | 1 | 1 |
The map
Pictou on the map: green space, protected land and paths
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 Pictou: one named park or wood
Largest first: William A. Broidy Park leads with 1.5 ha. Numbers match 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
A park is within a short walk for 5 in 10 in Pictou
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 (50%)Further (50%)
Pictou50%
Towns in Nova Scotia18%
Typical Canadian town83%
The usual figure for a Canadian town is 83%, above this. About 1,700 residents live further than 400 m from one.
Protected areas
24% of the land around Pictou 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 Pictou0.5%
Within 10 km24%
Towns in Nova Scotia8.7%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Of those 7, 6 are public and the remainder private. Scallop Buffer Zone (SFA 24) leads for size with 209,496 ha. The figures include one private conservation area, left unnamed.
Scallop Buffer Zone (SFA 24)Nature reserve · 209,496 ha · reaches Pictou
Caribou-Munroe Island Provincial ParkProvincial park · 138 ha · 3.8 km from the edge of town
MacKenzie Beach Provincial ParkProvincial park · 42 ha · 6.6 km from the edge of town
Caribou Rivers Nature ReserveNature reserve · 32 ha · 7.2 km from the edge of town
Waterside Beach Provincial ParkProvincial park · 96 ha · 8.3 km from the edge of town
Powells Point Provincial ParkProvincial park · 26 ha · 10.0 km from the edge of town
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
Prince Edward Island National Park, 83 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
Caribou-Munroe Island Provincial Park
3.8 km north-east1.4 km²since 1972
Provincial park
MacKenzie Beach Provincial Park
6.6 km north0.4 km²since 2024
Provincial park
Waterside Beach Provincial Park
8.3 km north-west1.0 km²since 1994
Provincial park
Powells Point Provincial Park
10.0 km east0.3 km²since 1974
National park
Prince Edward Island National Park
83 km north27 km²since 1937
Closer to home, Caribou-Munroe Island Provincial Park is 3.8 km away. 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
6 km of paths in and around Pictou
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
5.8 km
in and around the town (24.4 km²)
Woodland
30%
about 7.2 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
PictouTowns in Nova ScotiaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0.2
012 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
PictouTowns in Nova ScotiaTypical Canadian town
Woodland30%
0%50%100%
For path density, 75% of Canadian towns do better. For woods, it beats 74% 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
Where to walk from Pictou
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
National
International Appalachian Trail (Nova Scotia)495.5 km
The International Appalachian Trail (Nova Scotia) (496 km) keeps within 2 km of town for 10.4 km.
Source: OpenStreetMap (route relations hiking, foot and walking), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Trans Canada Trail sections as OSM maps them.
When to get out
Pictou is best on foot in June to August
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Tatamagouche, 41 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 | 15.7 | 15.4 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.4 | 8.7 |
| High (°C) | -1 | -2 | 2 | 7 | 13 | 18 | 23 | 23 | 20 | 14 | 8 | 3 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 92 | 75 | 81 | 79 | 81 | 103 | 70 | 90 | 115 | 119 | 118 | 111 |
The yearly snowfall is near 187 cm. From -2 °C in February to 23 °C in July: that is the range of daytime highs. Rain and snow peak in October (119 mm) and ease in July (70 mm). The climate in Pictou →
Beaches
6 beaches within 5 km of Pictou
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Lowdens Beach1.4 km from town
DirectionsLighthouse Beach2.1 km from town
DirectionsThe coast is close: 62 km of shoreline within 5 km. 4 further beaches go unnamed. No national or provincial register of beach water quality is published as open data, so check the local health unit before swimming.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
Outdoors around Pictou: 6 places to go
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
Most numerous: playgrounds (4).
Every named place, with directions
Playgrounds 4
Plus 4 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
Harbour Light Campground1.7 km from town
DirectionsSlipways 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 Pictou
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
TrentonNew GlasgowPictou County, Subdivision AWestvilleStellartonPictou County, Subdivision CPictou
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pictou | 24% | 7 | 1 | 6 |
| Trenton 9.3 km | 18% | 5 | 6 | 0 |
| New Glasgow 11 km | 9.2% | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Pictou County, Subdivision A 13 km | 13% | 58 | 3 | 29 |
| Westville 14 km | 4.1% | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Stellarton 14 km | 3.1% | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Pictou County, Subdivision C 16 km | 10% | 218 | 7 | 16 |
For protected land, no neighbour of Pictou doubles its share. Pictou County, Subdivision C has the most mapped walking routes nearby: 7.
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.
- Private land. Areas held by land trusts or private owners stay unnamed here, though they count in the shares.
- 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.
- National and provincial parks. The nearest national park and the nearest provincial park are always shown when they are within 100 km.
- Walking routes. Routes are what OpenStreetMap’s volunteers have mapped as named walking or hiking routes; many good trails aren’t mapped that way.
Questions about the outdoors in Pictou
How far is the nearest provincial park from Pictou?
It is Caribou-Munroe Island Provincial Park, 3.8 km away.
Where can you swim near Pictou?
The nearest is Lowdens Beach, 1.4 km from town.
Are there hiking trails near Pictou?
OpenStreetMap maps the International Appalachian Trail (Nova Scotia) close by.
How much land around Pictou is protected?
Protected areas cover 24% of the land within 10 km.
What is the biggest park or reserve near Pictou?
Scallop Buffer Zone (SFA 24), a nature reserve of 209,496 ha.
When is the best time for walking in Pictou?
June to August: long days, mild highs and little rain.
What is the nearest national park to Pictou?
It is Prince Edward Island National Park, 83 km off.
Sources
Sources for this page on Pictou
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).