Photo: P199 · CC BY-SA 3.0Few places match Algonquin Highlands for protected land nearby: more than 9 in 10 Canadian towns
10 beaches are mapped within 5 km, the nearest SANDY BEACH. Inside the town itself, 16% of the land is protected. The nearest national park is Georgian Bay Islands National Park, 83 km away.
The outdoors in Algonquin Highlands, in short
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
Above all, Algonquin Highlands offers protected land around it, with a provincial park at its edge close behind.
Algonquin Highlands 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. There is no Outdoors grade for Canadian towns; the figures stand beside the country’s towns of 2,500+ without a letter.
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Algonquin Highlands comes 2nd of 40 towns its size for protected land around it
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (2,872 to 2,956 residents), by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected. Hover for each one’s figures; click for its page.
For protected land nearby, Algonquin Highlands sits near the top of its size group: 1 of 39 has more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | O'Leary PE | 25% | 4.9% | 53 | 9 | 22 |
| 2 | Algonquin Highlands ON | 18% | 16% | 8 | 0 | 10 |
| 3 | Head of St Margarets Bay NS | 16% | 4.1% | 46 | 1 | 5 |
| 4 | Parry Sound, Unorganized, Centre Part ON | 15% | 16% | 43 | 0 | 19 |
| 5 | Wawa ON | 11% | 5.1% | 4 | 1 | 38 |
| 6 | Carpenter ON | 7% | 0% | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | Dégelis QC | 6.5% | 5.4% | 23 | 3 | 1 |
| 8 | Suder Greens AB | 5.9% | 0% | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | Shaver ON | 5.6% | 0% | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | Crerar ON | 4.8% | 0% | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | Saint-Isidore QC | 4.7% | 0% | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | Moosomin SK | 4.4% | 0% | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | Butler ON | 3.7% | 0% | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Regent Park SK | 3.5% | 0% | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | Saint-Basile QC | 3.3% | 0% | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | Black River-Matheson ON | 2.4% | 0.3% | 7 | 0 | 3 |
| 17 | Sainte-Marie-Madeleine QC | 2% | 0% | 29 | 0 | 1 |
| 18 | Grant Park MB | 1.5% | 0% | 24 | 0 | 1 |
| 19 | Norwood West MB | 1.5% | 0% | 22 | 4 | 0 |
| 20 | Mayfair SK | 1.4% | 0% | 14 | 0 | 3 |
| 21 | Sainte-Catherine-de-Hatley QC | 1.3% | 0.7% | 11 | 0 | 7 |
| 22 | Black Diamond AB | 0.7% | 0% | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | Saint-Paul-d'Abbotsford QC | 0.6% | 0.3% | 22 | 0 | 1 |
| 24 | Saint-Bruno QC | 0.6% | 0% | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| 25 | Athabasca AB | 0.4% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | Paisley AB | 0.4% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 27 | Lauderdale AB | 0.3% | 0% | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 28 | Skyrattler AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 29 | Saint-Gabriel-de-Brandon QC | 0.2% | 0% | 6 | 1 | 7 |
| 30 | Port Credit NHD (West) ON | 0.1% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| 31 | Allendale AB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 32 | McKernan AB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 33 | Tipaskan AB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 34 | Harbour Grace NL | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| 35 | Botwood NL | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 36 | Springdale NL | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 37 | Scott QC | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | Fairview AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Carrington AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Overlanders AB | 0% | 0% | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Parks, woods and paths around Algonquin Highlands
Green space, woods, protected areas and footpaths in and around the town; tap a number for its park or wood.
Walk in Algonquin Highlands: 12 named parks and woods
Dennison Island is the largest, at 79 ha; the rest follow by size, numbered as on the map.
Two places, Dennison Island and Long Island, make up 50% of the total.
All 12 named parks and green spaces
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.
In Algonquin Highlands, 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.
About 2,900 residents live further than 400 m from one. A median Canadian town manages 83%.
8 protected areas around Algonquin Highlands
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Of those 8, 7 are public and the remainder private. Algonquin Provincial Park covers 264,674 ha, the most of any named area. The figures include one private conservation area, left unnamed.
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.
The nearest big park: Georgian Bay Islands National Park, 83 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.
Algonquin Provincial Park
Oxtongue River-Ragged Falls Provincial Park
Dividing Lake Provincial Park
J. Albert Bauer Provincial Park
Upper Madawaska River Provincial Park
Georgian Bay Islands National Park
Within 10 km are 5 provincial parks.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Paths to walk: 265 km in and around Algonquin Highlands
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 · km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
Woods cover more of it than in 97% of Canadian towns. For path density, 78% of Canadian towns do better.
Source: OpenStreetMap, © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Mapping varies by place: a dense figure can mean keen local mappers as much as many paths.
No named walking route passes Algonquin Highlands on the map
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
There is no mapped walking route within 2 km of the town; a local trail club’s maps may show more.
Source: OpenStreetMap (route relations hiking, foot and walking), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Trans Canada Trail sections as OSM maps them.
Get out in Algonquin Highlands in May to September
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Haliburton, 19 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 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.6 | 15.3 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.8 |
| High (°C) | -4 | -2 | 3 | 10 | 19 | 23 | 25 | 24 | 20 | 13 | 5 | -1 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 98 | 71 | 76 | 87 | 92 | 98 | 91 | 94 | 99 | 102 | 103 | 95 |
In July the typical high is 25 °C; in January, -4 °C. For dry weather, February is best (71 mm); November gets 103 mm. A typical year sees 278 cm of snow. The climate in Algonquin Highlands →
10 beaches within 5 km of Algonquin Highlands
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Unnamed on the map: 7 more. For water quality, look to the local health unit: no open beach-testing data covers Canada.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Algonquin Highlands has 8 viewpoints and 8 waterfalls nearby
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
Most numerous: campsites (383).
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 8
Plus 6 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 1
Plus 1 peak without a name on the map.
Waterfalls 8
Plus 5 waterfalls without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 3
Picnic sites 5
Plus 5 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Campsites 383
Plus 377 campsites without a name on the map.
Slipways 22
Plus 14 slipways without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next to Algonquin Highlands
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 Algonquin Highlands with figures are 18–43 km away.
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Algonquin Highlands | 18% | 8 | 0 | 10 |
| Minden Hills 18 km | 8.1% | 7 | 3 | 2 |
| Haliburton Village 22 km | 4.1% | 6 | 0 | 9 |
| Lake of Bays 32 km | 4.8% | 12 | 1 | 6 |
| Highlands East 40 km | 5.2% | 4 | 1 | 7 |
| Bracebridge 43 km | 5.4% | 13 | 1 | 6 |
Algonquin Highlands is not outdone two to one on protected land by any neighbour. Minden Hills has the most mapped walking routes nearby: 3.
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.
- 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.
- Walking routes. A route counts when 300 m or more of it lies within 2 km of the town. Coverage of trails on OpenStreetMap varies by region.
- Private land. Private conservation land is in the totals, not the lists. Many such areas are easements on working farms or woodlots.
- Beaches. The count includes unnamed stretches mapped as beach, which can make a lakeside town’s figure large.
Questions about the outdoors in Algonquin Highlands
Which is the biggest protected area near Algonquin Highlands?
Algonquin Provincial Park: 264,674 ha, a provincial park.
How far is Algonquin Highlands from a national park?
It is Georgian Bay Islands National Park, 83 km off.
When is the best time for walking in Algonquin Highlands?
On the normals, May to September: that is when days are long, highs reach 15 °C and rain is light.
How far is the nearest provincial park from Algonquin Highlands?
Oxtongue River-Ragged Falls Provincial Park begins at the town’s edge.
How much land around Algonquin Highlands is protected?
Yes: 18% of the land within 10 km is protected.
What is the nearest beach to Algonquin Highlands?
SANDY BEACH, 0.6 km from town, is the nearest mapped beach.
Where Algonquin Highlands’ outdoors figures come from
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).