First pick
Linear Park
Park or garden · 50 m outside town
5.8 ha0.8 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.8 km of path
11 km north-eastfrom the centre
Bob McMullen Linear Trail
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Jfvoll · CC BY-SA 4.02.4%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Ayr · parks, protected land & trails
Ayr has 8 walking routes on the map
CPCAD lists 36 protected areas within 10 km. Swimmers have 4 beaches within 5 km, Valens Beach the nearest. The largest is Huron Natural Area: 96 ha, 3.3 km from the edge of town.
Protected land
2.4%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
36
within 10 km, 24 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
96 km
Rouge National Urban Park
Nearest provincial park
33 km
Bronte Creek Provincial Park
Walking routes
8
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Beaches
4
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
What Ayr has going for it outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
Out of doors, Ayr leads with its choice of walking routes, with the number of public protected areas close by close behind.
Against other towns
Ayr 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. This page carries no grade, because Canada’s grading doesn’t cover the outdoors; the comparisons are the point.
Protected within 10 km2.4%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town1.8%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas24Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes8Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches4Beaches 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, Ayr is 19th from the bottom for protected land
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (12,804 to 13,302 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
Ayr2.4%
Towns its size2.6%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Ayr24
Towns its size4
Towns in Ontario4
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Ayr8
Towns its size0
Towns in Ontario1
Typical Canadian town0
For public protected areas, Ayr 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 | Westboro ON | 13% | 5.5% | 32 | 3 | 8 |
| 2 | Centre-Ville QC | 11% | 22% | 40 | 4 | 5 |
| 3 | North Saanich BC | 9.2% | 5.1% | 37 | 0 | 24 |
| 4 | Quantztown ON | 8.5% | 0% | 12 | 1 | 1 |
| 5 | Windsor Park NS | 7.6% | 0% | 18 | 4 | 17 |
| 6 | Saint-Jean-Vianney QC | 6.9% | 0% | 20 | 0 | 5 |
| 7 | Pine Grove ON | 6.2% | 37% | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | Bonnyville No. 87 AB | 5.5% | 1% | 13 | 0 | 20 |
| 9 | Prince Rupert BC | 5.5% | 0% | 5 | 0 | 2 |
| 10 | Deerfield ON | 5.2% | 6.3% | 7 | 0 | 1 |
| 11 | Madoc ON | 5.1% | 0% | 7 | 1 | 1 |
| 12 | Springdale ON | 4.9% | 0% | 7 | 0 | 1 |
| 13 | Aloha Estates BC | 4.3% | 2% | 111 | 2 | 0 |
| 14 | Carrville Corners ON | 4.1% | 0.5% | 33 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | Peel Village ON | 3.8% | 0.9% | 7 | 1 | 1 |
| 16 | Thornhill Woods ON | 3.5% | 2% | 29 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | New Springbrook ON | 3.1% | 2.4% | 19 | 1 | 0 |
| 18 | New Brighton AB | 2.9% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 11 |
| 19 | Stratford PE | 2.7% | 0.9% | 19 | 12 | 13 |
| 20 | Albert Park SK | 2.7% | 0% | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 21 | Yonge-St.Clair ON | 2.5% | 0% | 14 | 3 | 4 |
| 22 | Ayr ON | 2.4% | 1.8% | 36 | 8 | 4 |
| 23 | Yonge-Bay Corridor ON | 2.2% | 0% | 11 | 9 | 38 |
| 24 | Erin ON | 2.1% | 0.2% | 48 | 6 | 1 |
| 25 | Palmerston-Little Italy ON | 2.1% | 0% | 11 | 6 | 17 |
| 26 | Rawdon QC | 1.7% | 0% | 7 | 0 | 5 |
| 27 | Forest ON | 1.7% | 6.7% | 9 | 2 | 18 |
| 28 | Corso Italia-Davenport ON | 1.4% | 0% | 11 | 2 | 8 |
| 29 | Brighton ON | 1.3% | 4.2% | 14 | 2 | 2 |
| 30 | Kincardine ON | 1% | 0.9% | 7 | 0 | 19 |
| 31 | Signal Hill AB | 0.9% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | Dakota Crossing MB | 0.8% | 2.1% | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | Lloydminster (Part) SK | 0.5% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Centre-Nord (Montréal-Nord) QC | 0.5% | 0% | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | Rutherford AB | 0.3% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 36 | Sainte-Julienne QC | 0.2% | 1.7% | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| 37 | Huntington Hills AB | 0.2% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | Downtown AB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 39 | Thompson MB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Redstone AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The map
Where the green is in Ayr
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 Ayr: 10 named parks and woods
Largest first: Linear Park leads with 5.8 ha. Numbers match the map.
10 named parks and woods, 18 ha in all
Parks & gardens 18 ha
Most of it sits in Linear Park and Sturdy Park: 50% together.
Domm Park
Park or garden · 380 m outside town
2.8 ha0.4 km of path
10 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Sturdy Park
Park or garden · 160 m outside town
3.2 ha
11 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Lynn Freure Park
Park or garden · 170 m outside town
1.1 ha0.1 km of path
8.8 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
All 10 named parks and green spaces
Linear ParkPark or garden · 5.8 ha · 0.8 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsDomm ParkPark or garden · 2.8 ha · 0.4 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsSturdy ParkPark or garden · 3.2 ha · just outside town
DirectionsVictoria ParkPark or garden · 2.7 ha
DirectionsLynn Freure ParkPark or garden · 1.1 ha · 0.1 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsDouglas ParkPark or garden · 0.6 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsBranchton ParkPark or garden · 0.9 ha
DirectionsNDCC Dog ParkPark or garden · 0.5 ha
DirectionsPaul Peter's ParkPark or garden · 0.2 ha
DirectionsLanglaw ParkPark or garden · 0.2 ha · just outside town
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
3 in 10 people in Ayr live near 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 (29%)Further (71%)
Ayr29%
Towns in Ontario90%
Typical Canadian town83%
Most towns do better: the typical Canadian town is at 83%. Around 9,300 residents are further than 400 m from a park.
Protected areas
2.4% of the land around Ayr 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 Ayr1.8%
Within 10 km2.4%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
On public land: 24 of the 36. The others are private conservation land. Huron Natural Area leads for size with 96 ha. The figures include 12 private conservation areas, left unnamed.
Doon South CreekNature reserve · 54 ha · 0.9 km from the edge of town
Topper WoodsNature reserve · 23 ha · 1.1 km from the edge of town
Pinnacle Hill Natural AreaNature reserve · 25 ha · 1.2 km from the edge of town
County of Brant NHSNature reserve · 7.4 ha · 1.7 km from the edge of town
Tilt's BushNature reserve · 39 ha · 2.2 km from the edge of town
Homer Watson ParkNature reserve · 60 ha · 2.2 km from the edge of town
Brigadoon Woods-Strasburg CreekNature reserve · 34 ha · 2.3 km from the edge of town
County of Brant NHSNature reserve · 19 ha · 2.4 km from the edge of town
Grand River Natural Area - Pioneer TowerNature reserve · 17 ha · 2.6 km from the edge of town
Huron Natural AreaNature reserve · 96 ha · 3.3 km from the edge of town
14 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
Rouge National Urban Park is 96 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.
National parkProvincial park
Provincial park
Bronte Creek Provincial Park
33 km east6.8 km²since 1975
National urban park
Rouge National Urban Park
96 km north-east46 km²since 2015
A provincial park is closer: Bronte Creek Provincial Park, at 33 km.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
Ayr and its edge hold 141 km of footpath
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
141 km
in and around the town (289.2 km²)
Woodland
23%
about 65.5 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
AyrTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0.5
01.53 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
AyrTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Woodland23%
0%50%100%
It is more wooded than 69% of Canadian towns. 66% 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
Where to walk from Ayr
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
RegionalLocalOther waymarked
Grand Valley Trail218.5 km
Morton Trail3.5 km
Toyota Way Trail3.3 km
Witmer Trail2.6 km
Captain Kidd Trail2.6 km
Deer Run Trail2.5 km
Woodlands Trail1.7 km
Conifer Trail0.9 km
The longest of the rest is the Grand Valley Trail, 218.5 km. 5 are short walks under 3 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 Ayr: May, June, August and September
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Kitchener/Waterloo (18 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 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 9.0 |
| High (°C) | -2 | -1 | 4 | 12 | 19 | 24 | 27 | 26 | 22 | 14 | 7 | 1 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 66 | 46 | 57 | 81 | 80 | 81 | 96 | 67 | 75 | 71 | 75 | 55 |
Expect 96 mm in July, warm and wet, and 46 mm in February. From -2 °C in January to 27 °C in July: that is the range of daytime highs. The climate in Ayr →
Beaches
For a swim near Ayr: Valens Beach, 5.0 km off
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Valens Beach5.0 km from town
Directions3 further beaches go unnamed. Whether the water is fit for a swim isn’t in any open national dataset; public health posts the local advisories.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
Ayr has 4 viewpoints and 1 waterfalls nearby
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
4Viewpoints7Hills and peaks1Waterfalls16Nature reserves4Picnic sites128Playgrounds1Dog parks6Campsites8Slipways
Most numerous: playgrounds (128). Among the peaks, Pine Hill is highest at 351 m.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 4
Plus 4 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 7
Pine Hill351 m · 1.3 km from town
DirectionsPinnacle Hill330 m · 1.7 km from town
DirectionsPlus 5 hills and peaks without a name on the map.
Waterfalls 1
Devil's Creek Falls0.3 km from town
DirectionsNature reserves 16
Barrie's Lake Protected Areain town
DirectionsDryden Tract (GRCA)in town
DirectionsDrynan Regional Forestin town
DirectionsFWR Dickson Conservation Areain town
DirectionsRoseville Swamp / Blair Creek Corridorin town
DirectionsSudden Regional Forestin town
DirectionsBlair Creek Corridor0.2 km from town
DirectionsDumfries Conservation Area1.2 km from town
DirectionsPlus 8 nature reserves without a name on the map.
Picnic sites 4
Plus 4 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 128
Toddler’s Playground0.5 km from town
DirectionsWillard Park Playground0.8 km from town
DirectionsPlayground and Sprinkler Pad2.0 km from town
DirectionsPlus 125 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
NDCC Dog Parkin town
DirectionsCampsites 6
Pinehurst Lake - Area 40.5 km from town
DirectionsPinehurst Lake - Area 20.6 km from town
DirectionsPinehurst Lake - Area 30.8 km from town
DirectionsPinehurst Lake - Area 10.9 km from town
DirectionsCamp Impeesa2.0 km from town
DirectionsPlus 1 campsite without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Ayr
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
Doon SouthHuron SouthPioneer ParkRosenbergPioneer Tower WestCambridgeAyr
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ayr | 2.4% | 36 | 8 | 4 |
| Doon South 8.4 km | 2.3% | 22 | 2 | 0 |
| Huron South 9.9 km | 2.1% | 23 | 2 | 0 |
| Pioneer Park 11 km | 2.5% | 23 | 2 | 0 |
| Rosenberg 11 km | 2.2% | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| Pioneer Tower West 11 km | 2.3% | 23 | 2 | 0 |
| Cambridge 13 km | 1.7% | 33 | 10 | 2 |
Around Ayr, nobody nearby has double its protected land. For walking routes, Cambridge leads the area with 10.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Walking routes. Routes are what OpenStreetMap’s volunteers have mapped as named walking or hiking routes; many good trails aren’t mapped that way.
- 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.
- National and provincial parks. Distances run from the town’s edge to the park’s, so 0 km means they touch.
- Protected land. Measured on CPCAD’s outlines: the part of a 10 km band around the town that lies in a protected or conserved area, water included.
Questions about the outdoors in Ayr
What is the best season to get outdoors in Ayr?
May, June, August and September: long days, mild highs and little rain.
How far is Ayr from a national park?
It is Rouge National Urban Park, 96 km off.
How much land around Ayr is protected?
Yes: 2.4% of the land within 10 km is protected.
What is the nearest provincial park to Ayr?
It is Bronte Creek Provincial Park, 33 km away.
Are there hiking trails near Ayr?
Try the Grand Valley Trail, Toyota Way Trail and Deer Run Trail; more are on the map.
What is the nearest beach to Ayr?
Valens Beach, 5.0 km from town, is the nearest mapped beach.
Which is the biggest protected area near Ayr?
Huron Natural Area, a nature reserve of 96 ha.
Sources
The sources behind Ayr’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).