First pick
Ardagh Bluffs
Wood or forest
226 ha23.4 km of path
5 h 10 minto walk all 23.4 km of path
4.4 km south-westfrom the centre
Ardagh Ring TrailWest Creek TrailCentral Creek Trail+1 path
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Duckdave · CC BY-SA 4.02.6%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Barrie · parks, protected land & trails
Georgian Bay Islands National Park lies 47 km beyond Barrie’s edge
A provincial park, Springwater Provincial Park, lies 3.6 km away. For a swim, Johnson's Beach Park is the nearest of 8 beaches within 5 km. The 10 km around town hold 9 protected areas.
Protected land
2.6%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
9
within 10 km, 1 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
47 km
Georgian Bay Islands National Park
Nearest provincial park
3.6 km
Springwater Provincial Park
Beaches
8
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Against other towns
Barrie 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. 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 areas1Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes0Named 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
Barrie sits 19th from last of 40 towns its size for protected land around it
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (105,925 to 243,107 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
Barrie2.6%
Towns its size3.7%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Barrie1
Towns its size15
Towns in Ontario4
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Barrie0
Towns its size2
Towns in Ontario1
Typical Canadian town0
For walking routes, Barrie lags towns its size: 32 of 39 are ahead.
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 | Richmond BC | 21% | 3.2% | 73 | 2 | 31 |
| 5 | Kamloops BC | 14% | 13% | 16 | 0 | 11 |
| 6 | Kelowna BC | 13% | 3.8% | 36 | 0 | 42 |
| 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 | Pickering ON | 7.6% | 11% | 46 | 1 | 11 |
| 12 | Greater Sudbury / Grand Sudbury ON | 6.7% | 3.5% | 43 | 5 | 18 |
| 13 | Saguenay QC | 6% | 6.1% | 29 | 0 | 11 |
| 14 | Kingston ON | 5% | 6.2% | 54 | 2 | 5 |
| 15 | Ajax ON | 4.9% | 5.8% | 31 | 1 | 8 |
| 16 | Lévis QC | 4.1% | 0.6% | 62 | 1 | 8 |
| 17 | Sherbrooke QC | 4.1% | 0.8% | 23 | 2 | 3 |
| 18 | Whitby ON | 3.9% | 4.7% | 37 | 1 | 3 |
| 19 | Abbotsford BC | 3.9% | 0.5% | 37 | 2 | 10 |
| 20 | Terrebonne QC | 3.8% | 3.6% | 60 | 0 | 3 |
| 21 | Langley BC | 3.5% | 2.9% | 144 | 8 | 10 |
| 22 | Barrie ON | 2.6% | 0% | 9 | 0 | 8 |
| 23 | Burlington ON | 2.5% | 1.6% | 27 | 2 | 17 |
| 24 | Oshawa ON | 2.4% | 0.3% | 30 | 1 | 4 |
| 25 | St. John's NL | 2.2% | 1.2% | 6 | 1 | 41 |
| 26 | Richmond Hill ON | 1.9% | 8.4% | 51 | 1 | 0 |
| 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 | Niagara Falls ON | 1.1% | 1.7% | 15 | 3 | 4 |
| 33 | Chatham ON | 1% | 1% | 21 | 0 | 8 |
| 34 | Guelph ON | 0.9% | 3.1% | 15 | 10 | 5 |
| 35 | Oakville ON | 0.9% | 4.1% | 8 | 1 | 9 |
| 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 Barrie
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 named parks and woods to walk in near Barrie
The biggest is Ardagh Bluffs, 226 ha. Biggest first, numbered as on the map.
30 named parks and woods, 496 ha in all
Parks & gardens 189 haWoods 307 ha
Ardagh Bluffs and Sunnidale Park together hold 53% of it.
Sunnidale Park
Park or garden
37 ha6.5 km of path
1 h 25 minto walk all 6.5 km of path
3.5 km north-westfrom the centre
Dog Park Trail
Directionsto a point inside
Allandale Station Park
Park or garden
18 ha4.5 km of path
1 hto walk all 4.5 km of path
0.9 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
The Gables Park
Park or garden
19 ha1.7 km of path
25 minto walk all 1.7 km of path
2.0 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Lampman Ravine
Wood or forest
27 ha5.4 km of path
1 h 10 minto walk all 5.4 km of path
3.9 km north-westfrom the centre
9 mile portage
Directionsto a point inside
Centennial Park
Park or garden
11 ha4.1 km of path
55 minto walk all 4.1 km of path
1.2 km northfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Bear Creek Eco Park
Park or garden
14 ha1.5 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.5 km of path
2.2 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Huronia Park
Park or garden
12 ha1.1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.1 km of path
2.4 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
All 30 named parks and green spaces
Ardagh BluffsWood or forest · 226 ha · 23.4 km of path
DirectionsSunnidale ParkPark or garden · 37 ha · 6.5 km of path
DirectionsAllandale Station ParkPark or garden · 18 ha · 4.5 km of path
DirectionsThe Gables ParkPark or garden · 19 ha · 1.7 km of path
DirectionsLampman RavineWood or forest · 27 ha · 5.4 km of path
DirectionsCentennial ParkPark or garden · 11 ha · 4.1 km of path
DirectionsBear Creek Eco ParkPark or garden · 14 ha · 1.5 km of path
DirectionsHuronia ParkPark or garden · 12 ha · 1.1 km of path
DirectionsDyer TractWood or forest · 30 ha · 2 km of path
DirectionsLackie's BushWood or forest · 23 ha · 2.9 km of path
DirectionsSandringham ParkPark or garden · 9.4 ha · 1.3 km of path
DirectionsLampman ParkPark or garden · 7.9 ha · 1.3 km of path
DirectionsLennox ParkPark or garden · 8.2 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsGeorgian FieldsPark or garden · 4.9 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsEastview ParkPark or garden · 5.5 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsHeritage ParkPark or garden · 3.0 ha · 1.4 km of path
DirectionsGolden Meadow Park Community GardenPark or garden · 3.5 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsTyndale ParkPark or garden · 3.9 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsSunnidale Dog Off Leash Recreation AreaPark or garden · 2.8 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsPringle ParkPark or garden · 3.0 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsLittle Lake ParkPark or garden · 3.4 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsWest Bayfield ParkPark or garden · 3.0 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsBatteaux ParkPark or garden · 3.1 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsMarsellus ParkPark or garden · 3.2 ha
DirectionsCheltenham ParkPark or garden · 2.8 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsRiverwood ParkPark or garden · 3.0 ha
DirectionsMapleton ParkPark or garden · 2.1 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsCoronation ParkPark or garden · 2.2 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsDunsmore ParkPark or garden · 2.2 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsCloughley ParkPark or garden · 1.9 ha · 0.4 km of path
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 8 in 10 in Barrie
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 (85%)Further (15%)
Barrie85%
Towns in Ontario90%
Typical Canadian town83%
Around 27,000 residents are further than 400 m from a park. For comparison, the median Canadian town has 83%.
Protected areas
Around Barrie, protected areas make up 2.6%
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Barrie0%
Within 10 km2.6%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
On public land: 1 of the 9. The others are private conservation land. 8 more areas within 10 km are private land, held by landowners or conservation groups: counted here, not named.
Springwater Provincial ParkProvincial park · 193 ha · 3.6 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 Barrie
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
Springwater Provincial Park
3.6 km north-west1.9 km²since 1958
National park
Georgian Bay Islands National Park
47 km north14 km²since 1930
Springwater Provincial Park, a provincial park, is nearer at 3.6 km.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
Barrie has 179 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
179 km
in and around the town (164.2 km²)
Woodland
19%
about 31.4 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
BarrieTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Footpaths1.1
01.53 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
BarrieTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Woodland19%
0%50%100%
57% of Canadian towns have more footpath per km². Woods cover more of it than in 66% 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
OpenStreetMap shows no walking route near Barrie
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
No named route shows within 2 km of the town; volunteers map trails unevenly from one region to the next.
Source: OpenStreetMap (route relations hiking, foot and walking), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Trans Canada Trail sections as OSM maps them.
When to get out
Walking season in Barrie: May, July and September
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Egbert, 17 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 | 14.8 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.9 |
| High (°C) | -3 | -2 | 3 | 11 | 18 | 23 | 26 | 25 | 21 | 14 | 6 | 0 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 55 | 45 | 48 | 62 | 74 | 83 | 78 | 83 | 72 | 65 | 72 | 58 |
Snowfall averages 174 cm a year. The wettest month, June, brings 83 mm, against 45 mm in February. Daytime highs run from -3 °C in January up to 26 °C in July. The climate in Barrie →
Beaches
8 beaches within 5 km of Barrie
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Johnson's Beach Parksand · in town
DirectionsMinets Point Beachin town
Directions6 more are mapped without a name. This page can’t show water quality: no open, Canada-wide record of beach testing exists. Check local advisories first.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
Outdoors around Barrie: 142 places to go
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
137 playgrounds top the list.
Every named place, with directions
Picnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 137
Berczy Park Playgroundin town
DirectionsCatherine Parkin town
DirectionsCentennial Park Playgroundin town
DirectionsMadelaine Parkin town
DirectionsPainswick Parkin town
DirectionsShalom Park Playgroundin town
DirectionsSt. Monica's Playgroundin town
DirectionsPlus 130 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
Plus 1 campsite without a name on the map.
Slipways 3
Barrie Boat launchin town
DirectionsTiffin Boat Launchin town
DirectionsPlus 1 slipway without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Barrie
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
InnisfilAngusSpringwaterBarrie
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barrie | 2.6% | 9 | 0 | 8 |
| Innisfil 12 km | 0.3% | 6 | 1 | 17 |
| Angus 15 km | 4.3% | 12 | 1 | 2 |
| Springwater 15 km | 3.8% | 14 | 1 | 17 |
Barrie is not outdone two to one on protected land by any neighbour.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Beaches. The count includes unnamed stretches mapped as beach, which can make a lakeside town’s figure large.
- Protected land. CPCAD maps each protected area; the page counts how much of the 10 km around the town they cover, lakes and sea included.
- National and provincial parks. National parks are Parks Canada’s; provincial parks are the province’s or territory’s, Québec’s parcs nationaux among them.
- 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. CPCAD includes conservation land held privately; the page counts it and leaves the names out.
Questions about the outdoors in Barrie
Which is the biggest protected area near Barrie?
It is Springwater Provincial Park, a provincial park covering 193 ha.
Is there a beach near Barrie?
The nearest is Johnson's Beach Park, in town.
What is the nearest provincial park to Barrie?
The closest is Springwater Provincial Park, at 3.6 km.
How much land around Barrie is protected?
Protected areas cover 2.6% of the land within 10 km.
What is the nearest national park to Barrie?
The nearest is Georgian Bay Islands National Park, 47 km away.
When is the best time for walking in Barrie?
May, July and September: long days, mild highs and little rain.
Sources
Sources for this page on Barrie
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).