First pick
The Islands Provincial Park
Park or garden
108 ha
6.1 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Tim Green from Bradford, UK · CC BY 2.027%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Shelburne · parks, protected land & trails
Within 6.3 km of Shelburne: Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site
Within 10 km are 194 protected areas. The protected share within 10 km is 27%, where a typical Canadian town has 2.3%. For a swim, Black Point Beach is the nearest of 80 beaches within 5 km.
Protected land
27%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
194
within 10 km, 117 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
6.3 km
Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site
Nearest provincial park
At the edge
Indian Fields Provincial Park
Beaches
80
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
Where Shelburne stands out outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
A national park nearbyKejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site, 6.3 km awayProtected land all round27% of the land within 10 km, more than 97% of Canadian townsBeaches80 beaches within 5 kmMany protected areas117 public areas within 10 km
What Shelburne has most to offer outdoors is Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site within easy reach, with protected land around it close behind.
Against other towns
Shelburne against 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 km27%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town28%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas117Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes0Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches80Beaches mapped on OpenStreetMap within 5 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Shelburne has the 2nd most protected land nearby of 40 towns its size
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (4,461 to 4,616 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
Shelburne27%
Towns its size2.7%
Towns in Nova Scotia8.7%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Shelburne117
Towns its size4
Towns in Nova Scotia24
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Shelburne0
Towns its size0
Towns in Nova Scotia2
Typical Canadian town0
For public protected areas, Shelburne tops all 39 other towns its size.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electoral Area D (Oyster Bay - Buttle Lake), Strathcona BC | 49% | 64% | 34 | 11 | 8 |
| 2 | Shelburne NS | 27% | 28% | 194 | 0 | 80 |
| 3 | Sparwood BC | 23% | 3.4% | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Gaetz Brook NS | 15% | 4.2% | 55 | 2 | 19 |
| 5 | Douglas BC | 13% | 3.2% | 82 | 0 | 1 |
| 6 | Queenswood - Chatelaine ON | 12% | 0% | 40 | 0 | 1 |
| 7 | Electoral Area P (Rivers and the Peaks), Thompson-Nicola BC | 11% | 8.3% | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | Berthierville QC | 9.1% | 0% | 27 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | Gurnett ON | 7.3% | 0% | 16 | 1 | 0 |
| 10 | Bowen Island BC | 7.2% | 17% | 60 | 0 | 173 |
| 11 | Neuville QC | 7.1% | 1.3% | 30 | 0 | 1 |
| 12 | Horning ON | 6.4% | 20% | 17 | 3 | 0 |
| 13 | Melville SK | 5.2% | 1% | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Saint-Mathias-sur-Richelieu QC | 4.3% | 0% | 41 | 0 | 3 |
| 15 | Eastmount ON | 4.3% | 0% | 22 | 1 | 3 |
| 16 | Wainwright No. 61 AB | 3.7% | 3.1% | 41 | 0 | 5 |
| 17 | Crossroads ON | 3.5% | 0% | 26 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | Britannia Youngstown AB | 3.3% | 0% | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | Warner County No. 5 AB | 3.2% | 4.7% | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 20 | Electoral Area E, Cowichan Valley BC | 2.8% | 3.6% | 42 | 3 | 2 |
| 21 | Country Hills ON | 2.6% | 0% | 22 | 1 | 0 |
| 22 | Red Hill ON | 2.1% | 0% | 17 | 3 | 5 |
| 23 | Caraquet NB | 1.8% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 11 |
| 24 | Fairfield Park MB | 1.7% | 0% | 18 | 0 | 1 |
| 25 | Highway Valley ON | 1.6% | 1.7% | 18 | 5 | 6 |
| 26 | Minnetonka MB | 1.6% | 1.7% | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Felker ON | 1.5% | 0% | 14 | 1 | 0 |
| 28 | Centennial MB | 1.5% | 0% | 18 | 4 | 0 |
| 29 | Rockwood MB | 1.5% | 0% | 23 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Carlisle AB | 1.5% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | Casselman ON | 1.4% | 0% | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | Albion ON | 1.4% | 11% | 14 | 5 | 1 |
| 33 | Parkridge SK | 1.1% | 0% | 14 | 0 | 1 |
| 34 | Vulcan County AB | 0.3% | 0.4% | 33 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | Blue Quill AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 36 | Vanderhoof BC | 0.2% | 3.8% | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| 37 | Saint-Anselme QC | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | Saint-Ambroise-de-Kildare QC | 0% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Howick ON | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Raymond AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The map
Where the green is in Shelburne
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 Shelburne: 2 named parks and woods
The biggest is The Islands Provincial Park, 108 ha. Biggest first, numbered as on the map.
Sable River Provincial Park
Park or garden
57 ha
18 km north-eastfrom 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
In Shelburne, parks are rarely a short walk away
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 (0%)Further (100%)
Shelburne0%
Towns in Nova Scotia18%
Typical Canadian town83%
For about 4,500 people, the nearest park is over 400 m away. For comparison, the typical Canadian town has 83%.
Protected areas
Around Shelburne, protected areas make up 27%
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Shelburne28%
Within 10 km27%
Towns in Nova Scotia8.7%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public ownership covers 117 of the 194. Tobeatic Wilderness Area is the biggest, 103,646 ha. 2 more areas within 10 km are private land, held by landowners or conservation groups: counted here, not named.
Tobeatic Wilderness AreaNature reserve · 103,646 ha · reaches Shelburne
Tidney River Wilderness AreaNature reserve · 17,790 ha · reaches Shelburne
Tobeatic Wilderness AreaNature reserve · 15,673 ha · reaches Shelburne
Bowers Meadows Wilderness AreaNature reserve · 4,014 ha · reaches Shelburne
Tidney River Wilderness AreaNature reserve · 2,307 ha · reaches Shelburne
Roseway River Wilderness AreaNature reserve · 1,691 ha · reaches Shelburne
Indian Fields Provincial ParkProvincial park · 1,565 ha · reaches Shelburne
Ghost Antler Nature ReserveNature reserve · 1,007 ha · reaches Shelburne
Tobeatic Wilderness AreaNature reserve · 892 ha · reaches Shelburne
Port l'Hebert Nature ReserveNature reserve · 691 ha · reaches Shelburne
29 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 Shelburne
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
Indian Fields Provincial Park
At the edge16 km²since 2015
Provincial park
The Islands Provincial Park
At the edge1.0 km²since 1972
Provincial park
Sable River Provincial Park
At the edge0.5 km²since 1982
National park
Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site
6.3 km east404 km²since 1967
3 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
182 km of paths in and around Shelburne
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
182 km
in and around the town (2,400.9 km²)
Woodland
75%
about 1,805.7 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
ShelburneTowns in Nova ScotiaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0.1
012 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
ShelburneTowns in Nova ScotiaTypical Canadian town
Woodland75%
0%50%100%
Paths are thinner on the ground than in 89% of Canadian towns. For woods, it beats 94% 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
No mapped walking route near Shelburne
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
No named walking or hiking route is mapped near the town; local paths may simply not be on OpenStreetMap as routes.
Source: OpenStreetMap (route relations hiking, foot and walking), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Trans Canada Trail sections as OSM maps them.
When to get out
Walking season in Shelburne: June to September
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Yarmouth (66 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) | 9.3 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.7 | 15.4 | 15.1 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 8.9 |
| High (°C) | 1 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 17 | 20 | 21 | 19 | 15 | 9 | 5 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 124 | 103 | 111 | 101 | 99 | 89 | 78 | 88 | 96 | 119 | 143 | 139 |
The warmest days come in August (21 °C highs), the coldest in January (1 °C). The wettest month, November, brings 143 mm, against 78 mm in July. The climate in Shelburne →
Beaches
Beaches near Shelburne: 80 within 5 km
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Black Point Beachin town
DirectionsBuchanan Beachsand · in town
DirectionsJohnstons Beachin town
DirectionsLong Beachin town
DirectionsLong Beachin town
DirectionsLouis Head Beachin town
DirectionsPierces Beachin town
DirectionsPollys Meadow Beachin town
DirectionsRoseway Beachin town
DirectionsRoseway Beachin town
DirectionsOpenStreetMap marks 2 as sandy. The map adds 57 unnamed stretches of beach. Within 5 km is 543 km of coastline. 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
Shelburne has 1 viewpoints and 2 waterfalls nearby
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
Hills and peaks lead the count with 24.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 1
Sable River Gristmillin town
DirectionsHills and peaks 24
Bald Mountainin town
DirectionsCampbells Hillin town
DirectionsCanada Hillin town
DirectionsChurch Hillin town
DirectionsDumpling Ridgein town
DirectionsEast Beech Hillin town
DirectionsFox Ridgesin town
DirectionsHardwood Hillin town
DirectionsPlus 16 hills and peaks more.
Waterfalls 2
Big Fallsin town
DirectionsCobbs Scutch Falls0.0 km from town
DirectionsNature reserves 1
Quinns Meadow Nature Reservein town
DirectionsPicnic sites 4
Plus 4 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Campsites 6
Lockeport Campground & Cottagesin town
DirectionsThurston Creek Campgroundin town
DirectionsClyde Farm Campground1.1 km from town
DirectionsPlus 3 campsites without a name on the map.
Slipways 8
Plus 8 slipways without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Shelburne
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page. Shelburne has few close neighbours with figures, so the list reaches 4–67 km out.
ShelburneBarringtonArgyleLiverpoolYarmouthShelburne
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelburne | 27% | 194 | 0 | 80 |
| Shelburne 3.7 km | 2.6% | 6 | 0 | 2 |
| Barrington 41 km | 5.2% | 91 | 0 | 45 |
| Argyle 51 km | 21% | 136 | 0 | 22 |
| Liverpool 54 km | 24% | 230 | 5 | 56 |
| Yarmouth 67 km | 4.7% | 79 | 0 | 15 |
No place nearby has double Shelburne’s share of protected land. More routes are mapped around Liverpool (5).
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Questions about the outdoors in Shelburne
What is the nearest provincial park to Shelburne?
Indian Fields Provincial Park begins at the town’s edge.
When should you visit Shelburne for the outdoors?
June to September: long days, mild highs and little rain.
What is the largest protected area near Shelburne?
Tobeatic Wilderness Area, a nature reserve of 103,646 ha.
How far is Shelburne from a national park?
The nearest is Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site, 6.3 km away.
Where can you swim near Shelburne?
The nearest is Black Point Beach, in town.
Are there protected areas near Shelburne?
Yes: 27% of the land within 10 km is protected.
Sources
Sources for this page on Shelburne
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).