First pick
Aurora Community Arboretum
Park or garden
63 ha8.1 km of path
1 h 50 minto walk all 8.1 km of path
1.4 km north-eastfrom the centre
Tim Jones Trail / Nokiidaa TrailNokiidaa TrailTim Jones Trail / Nokiida Trail
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Onasill ~ Bill - Onasill ~ 109 Millions Views · CC BY-SA 2.02.2%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Aurora · parks, protected land & trails
Within 11 km of Aurora: Rouge National Urban Park
CPCAD lists 42 protected areas within 10 km. For walks, the Oak Ridges Trail runs within 2 km. 4.6 km out lies the largest, Elgin West Channel Lands, at 89 ha.
Protected land
2.2%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
42
within 10 km, 18 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
11 km
Rouge National Urban Park
Nearest provincial park
11 km
Holland Landing Prairie Provincial Park
Walking routes
1
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Against other towns
Aurora 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. No letter: the outdoors is described for Canadian towns, not graded.
Protected within 10 km2.2%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town0.6%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas18Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes1Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Aurora sits 19th from last of 40 towns its size for protected land around it
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (51,346 to 85,944 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
Aurora2.2%
Towns its size2.4%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Aurora18
Towns its size6
Towns in Ontario4
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Aurora1
Towns its size1
Towns in Ontario1
Typical Canadian town0
Aurora beats most towns its size for public protected areas; 9 of 39 do better.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fort McMurray AB | 34% | 35% | 21 | 1 | 289 |
| 2 | Langford BC | 27% | 18% | 41 | 7 | 19 |
| 3 | Shawinigan QC | 24% | 61% | 40 | 16 | 10 |
| 4 | Châteauguay QC | 19% | 0.8% | 34 | 0 | 3 |
| 5 | Port Coquitlam BC | 15% | 5.6% | 125 | 3 | 30 |
| 6 | Saint John NB | 14% | 11% | 63 | 3 | 97 |
| 7 | Rimouski QC | 8.8% | 3.6% | 43 | 10 | 48 |
| 8 | Whalley BC | 8.2% | 1% | 125 | 5 | 7 |
| 9 | Fleetwood BC | 7.8% | 7.9% | 162 | 10 | 0 |
| 10 | Lindsay ON | 7.6% | 9.2% | 60 | 5 | 9 |
| 11 | North Vancouver BC | 7.5% | 0% | 13 | 4 | 66 |
| 12 | North Bay ON | 7.4% | 5.6% | 4 | 4 | 13 |
| 13 | Mirabel QC | 5.9% | 0.3% | 76 | 1 | 2 |
| 14 | Stouffville ON | 5.9% | 0.5% | 51 | 1 | 1 |
| 15 | Fredericton NB | 4.3% | 0% | 26 | 2 | 16 |
| 16 | Mascouche QC | 4% | 0% | 32 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | Chomedey QC | 3.9% | 0.1% | 43 | 0 | 2 |
| 18 | St. Albert AB | 3.4% | 2.1% | 7 | 7 | 1 |
| 19 | Welland ON | 3.2% | 0% | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Granby QC | 2.5% | 3.6% | 18 | 0 | 6 |
| 21 | Simcoe ON | 2.3% | 4.7% | 102 | 5 | 36 |
| 22 | Aurora ON | 2.2% | 0.6% | 42 | 1 | 0 |
| 23 | Georgetown ON | 1.8% | 3.5% | 38 | 6 | 2 |
| 24 | Grande Prairie AB | 1.7% | 0% | 6 | 1 | 6 |
| 25 | Sault Ste. Marie ON | 1.6% | 7.5% | 10 | 0 | 3 |
| 26 | Belleville ON | 1.2% | 1.8% | 18 | 1 | 0 |
| 27 | Blainville QC | 1.1% | 0% | 27 | 2 | 0 |
| 28 | Bradford ON | 1.1% | 1.3% | 28 | 5 | 1 |
| 29 | Brandon MB | 1.1% | 0.9% | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Saint-Jérôme QC | 1% | 0.1% | 16 | 0 | 3 |
| 31 | Saint-Hyacinthe QC | 0.7% | 0% | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | Keswick ON | 0.7% | 0.9% | 13 | 1 | 14 |
| 33 | Roseborough ON | 0.7% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Woodstock ON | 0.4% | 0% | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| 35 | Prince George BC | 0.3% | 0.5% | 5 | 1 | 51 |
| 36 | Caledonia ON | 0.2% | 0.4% | 17 | 4 | 7 |
| 37 | Sarnia ON | 0.2% | 0.3% | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| 38 | Drummondville QC | 0.1% | 0.2% | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 39 | Cornwall ON | 0.1% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 40 | Medicine Hat AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1 |
The map
Aurora 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
30 parks and woods to walk in, in or near Aurora
Largest first: Aurora Community Arboretum leads with 63 ha. Numbers match the map.
30 named parks and woods, 277 ha in all
Parks & gardens 248 haWoods 29 ha
Two places, David Tomlinson Nature Reserve and Aurora Community Arboretum, make up 46% of the total.
David Tomlinson Nature Reserve
Park or garden
63 ha4.3 km of path
55 minto walk all 4.3 km of path
3.0 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Sheppard's Bush
Park or garden
33 ha5.2 km of path
1 h 10 minto walk all 5.2 km of path
1.1 km south-eastfrom the centre
Tim Jones Trail / Nokiidaa TrailOak Ridges TrailKlaus Wehrenberg Trail/Oak Ridges Trail
Directionsto a point inside
Stewart Burnett Park
Park or garden
11 ha1.3 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.3 km of path
3.5 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Highland Gate Park
Park or garden
8.8 ha1.8 km of path
25 minto walk all 1.8 km of path
2.4 km south-westfrom the centre
Highland Gate TrailHighland Gate Trail (Boardwalk)
Directionsto a point inside
Vandorf Woodlot
Wood or forest
19 ha2.7 km of path
35 minto walk all 2.7 km of path
1.9 km south-eastfrom the centre
Tim Jones Trail / Nokiidaa TrailKlaus Wehrenberg Trail/Oak Ridges TrailOak Ridges Trail / Klaus Wehrenberg Trail / Tim Jones Trail / Nokiidaa Trail+1 path
Directionsto a point inside
Fleury Park
Park or garden
7.2 ha0.6 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
Centralin the middle of Aurora
Directionsto a point inside
Whitchurch-Stouffville Community Park, Vandorf
Park or garden · 290 m outside town
4.9 ha1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1 km of path
5.7 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
All 30 named parks and green spaces
Aurora Community ArboretumPark or garden · 63 ha · 8.1 km of path
DirectionsDavid Tomlinson Nature ReservePark or garden · 63 ha · 4.3 km of path
DirectionsSheppard's BushPark or garden · 33 ha · 5.2 km of path
DirectionsStewart Burnett ParkPark or garden · 11 ha · 1.3 km of path
DirectionsHighland Gate ParkPark or garden · 8.8 ha · 1.8 km of path
DirectionsVandorf WoodlotWood or forest · 19 ha · 2.7 km of path
DirectionsFleury ParkPark or garden · 7.2 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsWhitchurch-Stouffville Community Park, VandorfPark or garden · 4.9 ha · 1 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsMachell ParkPark or garden · 5.3 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsConfederation ParkPark or garden · 4.8 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsNorm Weller ParkPark or garden · 4.4 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsKen Sturgeon ParkPark or garden · 3.5 ha · 0.9 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsAlliance WoodlotWood or forest · 9.6 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsCopland ParkPark or garden · 3.5 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsSummit ParkPark or garden · 3.4 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsThomas Coates ParkPark or garden · 2.5 ha · 0.8 km of path
DirectionsAda Johnson ParkPark or garden · 2.2 ha · 0.8 km of path
DirectionsJames Lloyd ParkPark or garden · 2.3 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsHickson ParkPark or garden · 2.5 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsTrent ParkPark or garden · 1.9 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsCraddock ParkPark or garden · 3.0 ha
DirectionsArt Ferguson ParkPark or garden · 2.4 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsEdward Coltham ParkPark or garden · 2.2 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsAurora Town ParkPark or garden · 1.9 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsTamarac GreenPark or garden · 1.9 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsJohn Abel ParkPark or garden · 1.8 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsAurora Peace ParkPark or garden · 2.4 ha
DirectionsMinthorn ParkPark or garden · 1.4 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsFontainbleu ParkPark or garden · 1.6 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsMcMahon ParkPark or garden · 1.8 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
A park is within a short walk for 9 in 10 in Aurora
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 (89%)Further (11%)
Aurora89%
Towns in Ontario90%
Typical Canadian town83%
That beats the typical Canadian town, where it is 83%. Around 7,000 residents are further than 400 m from a park.
Protected areas
Around Aurora, protected areas make up 2.2%
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Aurora0.6%
Within 10 km2.2%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
18 of the 42 are on public land. Elgin West Channel Lands is the biggest, 89 ha. 22 more areas within 10 km are private land, held by landowners or conservation groups: counted here, not named.
Briar Nine ParkNature reserve · 12 ha · reaches Aurora
Mallard Marsh ParkNature reserve · 2.7 ha · reaches Aurora
Humber Flats EcoparkNature reserve · 12 ha · reaches Aurora
Oak Ridges EastNature reserve · 27 ha · 0.3 km from the edge of town
Thomas Broadhurst TrailNature reserve · 18 ha · 1.1 km from the edge of town
East Humber TrailNature reserve · 17 ha · 1.2 km from the edge of town
Haynes Lake Wetlands and UplandsNature reserve · 14 ha · 1.7 km from the edge of town
Trailwood ReserveNature reserve · 13 ha · 4.2 km from the edge of town
Northwest Quadrant WoodlotNature reserve · 60 ha · 4.3 km from the edge of town
Elgin West Channel LandsNature reserve · 89 ha · 4.6 km from the edge of town
8 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 Aurora
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
Holland Landing Prairie Provincial Park
11 km north0.3 km²since 1994
National urban park
Rouge National Urban Park
11 km east46 km²since 2015
Closer to home, Holland Landing Prairie Provincial Park is 11 km away.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
Aurora has 158 km of footpaths in and around it
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
158 km
in and around the town (84.7 km²)
Woodland
16%
about 13.7 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
AuroraTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Footpaths1.9
01.53 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
AuroraTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Woodland16%
0%50%100%
Few places match it for paths: more than 54% of Canadian towns have fewer. More of it is wooded than in 62% 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
1 walking route near Aurora
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
Regional
Oak Ridges Trail272.4 km
Source: OpenStreetMap (route relations hiking, foot and walking), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Trans Canada Trail sections as OSM maps them.
When to get out
Get out in Aurora in May and July to September
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Toronto Buttonville (Airport), 18 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 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 8.9 |
| High (°C) | -2 | -1 | 5 | 12 | 19 | 25 | 27 | 26 | 22 | 14 | 7 | 2 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 64 | 51 | 52 | 79 | 80 | 87 | 85 | 72 | 83 | 71 | 77 | 63 |
The yearly snowfall is near 146 cm. From -2 °C in January to 27 °C in July: that is the range of daytime highs. Expect 87 mm in June, the wettest month, and 51 mm in February. The climate in Aurora →
Things to do
5 viewpoints near Aurora
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 139.
Every named place, with directions
Hills and peaks 1
The Pinnaclesin town
DirectionsNature reserves 2
Case Woodlotin town
DirectionsSheppard's Bush Conservation Areain town
DirectionsPicnic sites 2
Plus 2 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Aurora Dog Parkin town
DirectionsSource: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Aurora
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
NewmarketKingEast GwillimburyRichmond HillCathedraltownHopeAurora
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora | 2.2% | 42 | 1 | 0 |
| Newmarket 5.4 km | 1.3% | 27 | 0 | 0 |
| King 11 km | 4.1% | 94 | 6 | 1 |
| East Gwillimbury 12 km | 0.8% | 14 | 2 | 1 |
| Richmond Hill 13 km | 1.9% | 51 | 1 | 0 |
| Cathedraltown 14 km | 3% | 38 | 0 | 0 |
| Hope 14 km | 4.8% | 58 | 0 | 0 |
For walking routes, King leads the area with 6. For protected land, Hope has twice as much or more.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Private land. Areas held by land trusts or private owners stay unnamed here, though they count in the shares.
- 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. Protected here means in CPCAD, Canada’s official list: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and other conserved land, measured within 10 km of the town’s edge.
- 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 Aurora
What is the nearest provincial park to Aurora?
The closest is Holland Landing Prairie Provincial Park, at 11 km.
What is the best season to get outdoors in Aurora?
May and July to September: long days, mild highs and little rain.
Which is the biggest protected area near Aurora?
Elgin West Channel Lands, a nature reserve of 89 ha.
How much land around Aurora is protected?
Yes: 2.2% of the land within 10 km is protected.
Where can you walk near Aurora?
The Oak Ridges Trail, mapped within 2 km.
What is the nearest national park to Aurora?
The nearest is Rouge National Urban Park, 11 km away.
Sources
The sources behind Aurora’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).