First pick
The Islands Provincial Park
Park or garden · 180 m outside town
108 ha
2.5 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: William Booth · Public domain2.6%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Shelburne · parks, protected land & trails
A national park 37 km from Shelburne: Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site
The closest provincial park is The Islands Provincial Park, 0.2 km from the edge of town. Bowers Meadows Wilderness Area (4,014 ha) is the biggest, 7.5 km from town. 2 beaches are mapped within 5 km, the nearest Pollys Meadow Beach.
Protected land
2.6%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
6
within 10 km, 5 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
37 km
Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site
Nearest provincial park
0.2 km
The Islands Provincial Park
Beaches
2
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Against other towns
How Shelburne 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. There is no Outdoors grade for Canadian towns; the figures stand beside the country’s towns of 2,500+ without a letter.
Protected within 10 km2.6%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town0%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas5Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes0Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches2Beaches 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 comes 16th of 40 towns its size for protected land around it
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (1,797 to 2,587 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
Shelburne2.6%
Towns its size1.6%
Towns in Nova Scotia8.7%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Shelburne5
Towns its size4
Towns in Nova Scotia24
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Shelburne0
Towns its size0
Towns in Nova Scotia2
Typical Canadian town0
Against towns its size, Shelburne does best for protected land nearby: 15 of the other 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anmore BC | 22% | 47% | 16 | 5 | 98 |
| 2 | Saint-Alexandre-de-Kamouraska QC | 19% | 0% | 28 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Gracefield QC | 19% | 19% | 34 | 0 | 6 |
| 4 | East Preston NS | 16% | 6.3% | 20 | 1 | 5 |
| 5 | Clearwater BC | 7.7% | 4.1% | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| 6 | Roberval QC | 6.1% | 1.2% | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague QC | 5.8% | 0% | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | North Frontenac ON | 5.7% | 5.2% | 13 | 6 | 4 |
| 9 | Cap-Chat QC | 5.3% | 0.4% | 13 | 0 | 10 |
| 10 | Killaloe, Hagarty and Richards ON | 4.4% | 1.5% | 9 | 0 | 4 |
| 11 | Saint-Polycarpe QC | 4.2% | 0% | 11 | 0 | 2 |
| 12 | Macassa ON | 4.1% | 0% | 18 | 1 | 0 |
| 13 | Saint-Damien QC | 4% | 3.2% | 22 | 1 | 9 |
| 14 | Unity SK | 3.4% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | Sherwood ON | 3.4% | 0% | 19 | 2 | 0 |
| 16 | Shelburne NS | 2.6% | 0% | 6 | 0 | 2 |
| 17 | McNab SK | 2.6% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 18 | Mandeville QC | 2.5% | 1.8% | 19 | 4 | 7 |
| 19 | Esterhazy SK | 1.8% | 0% | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | City Commercial Core ON | 1.8% | 0% | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | Caswell Hill SK | 1.4% | 0% | 16 | 0 | 3 |
| 22 | Fossambault-sur-le-Lac QC | 1.3% | 7.8% | 15 | 0 | 14 |
| 23 | Pembina MB | 1.1% | 1.8% | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Burrows-Keewatin MB | 1% | 0% | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | Elmwood AB | 0.8% | 0% | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 26 | Hatley QC | 0.7% | 0% | 9 | 0 | 5 |
| 27 | Munroe West MB | 0.4% | 0% | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Brooke-Alvinston ON | 0.3% | 0.2% | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | Rosedale AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 30 | Minchau AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 31 | Lunenburg NS | 0.1% | 0% | 19 | 0 | 5 |
| 32 | Salisbury NB | 0.1% | 2.1% | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | Dufferin MB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Ekota AB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 35 | Satoo AB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 36 | Saint-Éphrem-de-Beauce QC | 0% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 37 | Magrath AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | Nanton AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Rimbey AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Sexsmith AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The map
The green map of Shelburne
The town’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 Shelburne: one named park or wood
The Islands Provincial Park is the largest, at 108 ha; the rest follow by size, numbered as on 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
Most of Shelburne is more than 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 (0%)Further (100%)
Shelburne0%
Towns in Nova Scotia18%
Typical Canadian town83%
Around 1,800 residents are further than 400 m from a park. The typical Canadian town does better, at 83%.
Protected areas
2.6% of the land around Shelburne 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 Shelburne0%
Within 10 km2.6%
Towns in Nova Scotia8.7%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
5 of the 6 are on public land. At 4,014 ha, Bowers Meadows Wilderness Area is the largest. One further area is privately owned conservation land; it counts in the figures but isn’t named, as a person’s land isn’t a place to visit.
The Islands Provincial ParkProvincial park · 104 ha · 0.2 km from the edge of town
Bowers Meadows Wilderness AreaNature reserve · 4,014 ha · 7.5 km from the edge of town
Harpers Lake Nature ReserveNature reserve · 396 ha · 8.5 km from the edge of town
Roseway River Wilderness AreaNature reserve · 1,691 ha · 8.6 km from the edge of town
Ghost Antler Nature ReserveNature reserve · 1,007 ha · 8.8 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
The parks within reach of 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
The Islands Provincial Park
0.2 km west1.0 km²since 1972
National park
Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site
37 km east404 km²since 1967
A provincial park is closer: The Islands Provincial Park, at 0.2 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 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
6.3 km
in and around the town (26.6 km²)
Woodland
72%
about 19.2 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
ShelburneTowns in Nova ScotiaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0.2
012 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
ShelburneTowns in Nova ScotiaTypical Canadian town
Woodland72%
0%50%100%
Woods cover more of it than in 92% of Canadian towns. 75% of Canadian towns have more footpath per km².
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.
OpenStreetMap has no named walking route within 2 km of the town. Trails may exist without being mapped 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
Get out in Shelburne in June to September
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Yarmouth (62 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 |
Expect 143 mm in November, the wettest month, and 78 mm in July. Daytime highs run from 1 °C in January up to 21 °C in August. The climate in Shelburne →
Beaches
2 beaches within 5 km of Shelburne
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Pollys Meadow Beach3.0 km from town
DirectionsLong Beach3.1 km from town
DirectionsThe shoreline runs 49 km within 5 km of town. Beach water tests aren’t published as open data across Canada, so swimming advisories come from the local health unit.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
6 things to do outdoors near Shelburne
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
There are 3 slipways, more than of anything else.
Every named place, with directions
Picnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Campsites 2
Plus 2 campsites without a name on the map.
Slipways 3
Plus 3 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. The nearest places to Shelburne with figures are 4–47 km away.
ShelburneBarringtonArgyleShelburne
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelburne | 2.6% | 6 | 0 | 2 |
| Shelburne 3.7 km | 27% | 194 | 0 | 80 |
| Barrington 39 km | 5.2% | 91 | 0 | 45 |
| Argyle 47 km | 21% | 136 | 0 | 22 |
Shelburne, Barrington and Argyle have at least twice the protected share around them.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- National and provincial parks. A park at 0 km touches or overlaps the town’s outline; directions point from the town’s centre.
- Beaches. The count includes unnamed stretches mapped as beach, which can make a lakeside town’s figure large.
- Walking routes. Only named route relations count; a park’s own path network may not show unless it is mapped as a route.
- Private land. Private conservation land is in the totals, not the lists. Many such areas are easements on working farms or woodlots.
- 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 largest protected area near Shelburne?
It is Bowers Meadows Wilderness Area, a nature reserve covering 4,014 ha.
What is the best season to get outdoors in Shelburne?
June to September: long days, mild highs and little rain.
Is Shelburne near a national park?
Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site, 37 km from the edge of town.
Is there a provincial park near Shelburne?
The Islands Provincial Park, 0.2 km away.
Is there protected land near Shelburne?
Yes: 2.6% of the land within 10 km is protected.
Is there a beach near Shelburne?
Try Pollys Meadow Beach, 3.0 km from town, first of several.
Sources
The sources behind Shelburne’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).