First pick
Pan Am Games Ajax Ballpark
Park or garden
41 ha5.3 km of path
1 h 10 minto walk all 5.3 km of path
4.4 km north-eastfrom the centre
Audley Recreation Centre Path
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: The Town of Ajax · CC BY 3.04.9%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Ajax · parks, protected land & trails
Within 6.9 km of Ajax: Rouge National Urban Park
Swimmers have 8 beaches within 5 km, Paradise Beach the nearest. The nearest provincial park, Darlington Provincial Park, is 15 km away. Count 31 protected areas within 10 km of town.
Protected land
4.9%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
31
within 10 km, 15 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
6.9 km
Rouge National Urban Park
Nearest provincial park
15 km
Darlington Provincial Park
Walking routes
1
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Beaches
8
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
Where Ajax stands out outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
Ajax is strongest on Rouge National Urban Park within easy reach, with its beaches close behind.
Against other towns
Ajax 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 graded in Canada. The page compares each figure with other towns and leaves it there.
Protected within 10 km4.9%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town5.8%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas15Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes1Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches8Beaches 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, Ajax ranks 16th for protected land within 10 km
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (100,806 to 197,737 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
Ajax4.9%
Towns its size3.9%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Ajax15
Towns its size14
Towns in Ontario4
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Ajax1
Towns its size2
Towns in Ontario1
Typical Canadian town0
Ajax beats most towns its size for protected land nearby; 15 of 39 do better. It trails them for walking routes, where 21 of 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maple Ridge BC | 26% | 21% | 101 | 1 | 41 |
| 2 | Coquitlam BC | 25% | 28% | 130 | 5 | 69 |
| 3 | Delta BC | 24% | 17% | 181 | 9 | 19 |
| 4 | Kamloops BC | 14% | 13% | 16 | 0 | 11 |
| 5 | Kelowna BC | 13% | 3.8% | 36 | 0 | 42 |
| 6 | Chilliwack BC | 11% | 7.7% | 36 | 4 | 26 |
| 7 | Saanich BC | 11% | 9.4% | 43 | 7 | 56 |
| 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 | Victoria BC | 8% | 0.9% | 20 | 4 | 34 |
| 12 | Pickering ON | 7.6% | 11% | 46 | 1 | 11 |
| 13 | Greater Sudbury / Grand Sudbury ON | 6.7% | 3.5% | 43 | 5 | 18 |
| 14 | Saguenay QC | 6% | 6.1% | 29 | 0 | 11 |
| 15 | Kingston ON | 5% | 6.2% | 54 | 2 | 5 |
| 16 | Ajax ON | 4.9% | 5.8% | 31 | 1 | 8 |
| 17 | Lévis QC | 4.1% | 0.6% | 62 | 1 | 8 |
| 18 | Sherbrooke QC | 4.1% | 0.8% | 23 | 2 | 3 |
| 19 | Whitby ON | 3.9% | 4.7% | 37 | 1 | 3 |
| 20 | Abbotsford BC | 3.9% | 0.5% | 37 | 2 | 10 |
| 21 | Terrebonne QC | 3.8% | 3.6% | 60 | 0 | 3 |
| 22 | Langley BC | 3.5% | 2.9% | 144 | 8 | 10 |
| 23 | Barrie ON | 2.6% | 0% | 9 | 0 | 8 |
| 24 | Burlington ON | 2.5% | 1.6% | 27 | 2 | 17 |
| 25 | St. John's NL | 2.2% | 1.2% | 6 | 1 | 41 |
| 26 | Moncton NB | 2.2% | 1.7% | 17 | 0 | 2 |
| 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 | Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu QC | 1.1% | 1.2% | 18 | 1 | 3 |
| 33 | Niagara Falls ON | 1.1% | 1.7% | 15 | 3 | 4 |
| 34 | Chatham ON | 1% | 1% | 21 | 0 | 8 |
| 35 | Guelph ON | 0.9% | 3.1% | 15 | 10 | 5 |
| 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
Parks, woods and paths around Ajax
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 Ajax: 25 named parks and woods
Largest first: Pan Am Games Ajax Ballpark leads with 41 ha. Numbers match the map.
25 named parks and woods, 132 ha in all
Parks & gardens 132 ha
Add Pan Am Games Ajax Ballpark to Lakeside Park and you have 50% of it.
Lakeside Park
Park or garden
25 ha3.3 km of path
45 minto walk all 3.3 km of path
5.3 km south-eastfrom the centre
Waterfront Trail
Directionsto a point inside
Hermitage Park
Park or garden
11 ha1.9 km of path
25 minto walk all 1.9 km of path
1.9 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Paradise Park
Park or garden
6.2 ha0.5 km of path
4.8 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Denis O'Connor Park
Park or garden
4.8 ha0.8 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.8 km of path
1.0 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Kinsman Park
Park or garden
4.9 ha0.5 km of path
5 minto walk all 0.5 km of path
4.2 km south-eastfrom the centre
Kingsman Park Pathway
Directionsto a point inside
Mullen Park
Park or garden
3.9 ha0.6 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
1.9 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
All 25 named parks and green spaces
Pan Am Games Ajax BallparkPark or garden · 41 ha · 5.3 km of path
DirectionsLakeside ParkPark or garden · 25 ha · 3.3 km of path
DirectionsHermitage ParkPark or garden · 11 ha · 1.9 km of path
DirectionsParadise ParkPark or garden · 6.2 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsDenis O'Connor ParkPark or garden · 4.8 ha · 0.8 km of path
DirectionsKinsman ParkPark or garden · 4.9 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsMiles ParkPark or garden · 4.5 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsMullen ParkPark or garden · 3.9 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsGreenbelt ParkPark or garden · 3.2 ha · 0.8 km of path
DirectionsJohn A. Murray ParkPark or garden · 3.1 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsSt. Patrick ParkPark or garden · 3.3 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsAjax Lion's ParkPark or garden · 3.7 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsLord Elgin ParkPark or garden · 3.0 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsSt. Andrews ParkPark or garden · 1.9 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsAjax Lexington ParkPark or garden · 1.9 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsExeter ParkPark or garden · 1.8 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsCedar ParkPark or garden · 2.4 ha
DirectionsAjax Memorial ParkPark or garden · 2.3 ha
DirectionsLord Durham ParkPark or garden · 1.3 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsForest ParkPark or garden · 1.0 ha
DirectionsAjax Porte Rd ParkettePark or garden · 0.5 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsAjax Arbor ParkPark or garden · 0.4 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsAjax Turnerberry ParkettePark or garden · 0.3 ha
DirectionsWoodhouse ParkPark or garden · 0.4 ha
DirectionsSt. Andrew's Community GardenPark or garden · 0.2 ha
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
Nearly all of Ajax is 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 (95%)Further (4.7%)
Ajax95%
Towns in Ontario90%
Typical Canadian town83%
Few do better: the typical Canadian town is at 83%. For about 7,000 people, the nearest park is over 400 m away.
Protected areas
Within 10 km of Ajax, 4.9% is protected land
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Ajax5.8%
Within 10 km4.9%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public bodies own 15 of the 31; land trusts and private owners hold the others. Biggest of the named areas: Rouge National Urban Park, 4,551 ha. 16 more areas within 10 km are private land, held by landowners or conservation groups: counted here, not named.
Atkinson Open SpaceNature reserve · 5.0 ha · 1.5 km from the edge of town
Jeffery ParkNature reserve · 8.0 ha · 1.7 km from the edge of town
D'Hillier Park & Open SpaceNature reserve · 27 ha · 2.1 km from the edge of town
Iroquois Beach ParkNature reserve · 15 ha · 3.0 km from the edge of town
Windsor Bay Open SpaceNature reserve · 4.1 ha · 3.8 km from the edge of town
Pringle Creek Open SpaceNature reserve · 17 ha · 4.5 km from the edge of town
Consumers ParkNature reserve · 2.1 ha · 4.5 km from the edge of town
Garden Street Open SpaceNature reserve · 8.1 ha · 4.7 km from the edge of town
Burns Street Open SpaceNature reserve · 6.3 ha · 4.7 km from the edge of town
Wynfield Open SpaceNature reserve · 6.1 ha · 4.8 km from the edge of town
5 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
The parks within reach of Ajax
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 urban park
Rouge National Urban Park
6.9 km south-west46 km²since 2015
Provincial park
Darlington Provincial Park
15 km east2.1 km²since 1959
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
220 km of paths in and around Ajax
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
220 km
in and around the town (110.3 km²)
Woodland
15%
about 16.8 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
AjaxTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Footpaths2
01.53 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
AjaxTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Woodland15%
0%50%100%
Few places match it for paths: more than 55% of Canadian towns have fewer. Woods cover more of it than in 61% 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
One mapped route to walk from Ajax
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
Other waymarked
Seaton Hiking Trail12.5 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 Ajax: May and August
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Oshawa, 14 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) | 9.2 | 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 | 0 | 5 | 11 | 18 | 23 | 26 | 25 | 21 | 14 | 8 | 2 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 75 | 54 | 54 | 87 | 85 | 94 | 86 | 74 | 86 | 72 | 73 | 68 |
About 102 cm of snow falls in a year. January brings highs of -1 °C, July highs of 26 °C. February is the driest month at 54 mm; June the wettest at 94 mm. The climate in Ajax →
Beaches
Beaches near Ajax: 8 within 5 km
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Paradise Beachin town
DirectionsPickering Beach0.2 km from town
DirectionsFrenchman's Bay East beach3.2 km from town
DirectionsFrenchman's Bay West beach4.4 km from town
DirectionsAdd 4 unnamed beaches to the count. 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
Near Ajax: 6 viewpoints, 1 waterfalls
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
Playgrounds lead the count with 164.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 6
Plus 6 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Waterfalls 1
Plus 1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 4
Ajax Waterfront Conservation Areain town
DirectionsGreenwood Conservation Areain town
DirectionsLynde Shores Conservation Area1.4 km from town
DirectionsHeber Down Conservation Area1.9 km from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 4
Plus 4 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 164
Ashbury Playgroundin town
DirectionsDino-Slide Playground0.8 km from town
DirectionsDenmar Park Kid's Playground1.0 km from town
DirectionsPlus 161 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Plus 1 dog park without a name on the map.
Campsites 2
Plus 2 campsites without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Gardens to visit
Xeriscape Garden, 3.5 km from Ajax, is the garden to visit
Gardens and arboretums within 15 km of the town’s edge, and the historic gardens, parks and estates in the town itself, nearest first.
Xeriscape GardenGarden or park · 3.5 km from town
DirectionsSources: 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 Ajax
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
PickeringWhitbyWest RougeCentennial ScarboroughHighland CreekOshawaAjax
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ajax | 4.9% | 31 | 1 | 8 |
| Pickering 6.6 km | 7.6% | 46 | 1 | 11 |
| Whitby 8.5 km | 3.9% | 37 | 1 | 3 |
| West Rouge 12 km | 3.4% | 14 | 0 | 10 |
| Centennial Scarborough 13 km | 3.5% | 14 | 0 | 7 |
| Highland Creek 14 km | 3.5% | 14 | 0 | 5 |
| Oshawa 15 km | 2.4% | 30 | 1 | 4 |
Next door, protected shares stay within twice Ajax’s.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Protected land. The share is of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s outline, from CPCAD’s mapped areas; marine areas count, so a coastal town can score high on water.
- Beaches. The count includes unnamed stretches mapped as beach, which can make a lakeside town’s figure large.
- 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.
- Walking routes. The list is OpenStreetMap’s, so a missing trail may just be unmapped. The Trans Canada Trail appears where OSM maps it.
- National and provincial parks. Distances run from the town’s edge to the park’s, so 0 km means they touch.
Questions about the outdoors in Ajax
Is there a provincial park near Ajax?
The closest is Darlington Provincial Park, at 15 km.
What is the largest protected area near Ajax?
Rouge National Urban Park, a national urban park of 4,551 ha.
When is the best time for walking in Ajax?
May and August, on the 1991–2020 normals and the daylight: long days, highs of 15 °C or more, light rain for the place.
What is the nearest national park to Ajax?
The nearest is Rouge National Urban Park, 6.9 km away.
Are there hiking trails near Ajax?
Try the Seaton Hiking Trail.
Where can you swim near Ajax?
The nearest is Paradise Beach, in town.
Are there protected areas near Ajax?
Protected areas cover 4.9% of the land within 10 km.
Sources
Sources for this page on Ajax
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).