Photo: Andre Carrotflower · CC BY-SA 4.0Protected areas cover 41% of Blind River
21% of the land and water within 10 km is protected (the typical Canadian town: 2.3%). The nearest national park is more than 100 km away. 8 areas within 10 km are protected for nature.
What Blind River has going for it outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
Out of doors, Blind River leads with protected land inside its own boundary, with protected land around it close behind.
Blind River 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. This page carries no grade, because Canada’s grading doesn’t cover the outdoors; the comparisons are the point.
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Blind River has the 3rd most protected land nearby of 40 towns its size
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (3,643 to 3,741 residents), by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected. Hover for each one’s figures; click for its page.
Blind River beats most towns its size for protected land nearby; 2 of 39 do better.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baie-D'Urfé QC | 49% | 0.1% | 44 | 0 | 6 |
| 2 | Electoral Area A, Columbia-Shuswap BC | 33% | 25% | 26 | 26 | 2 |
| 3 | Blind River ON | 21% | 41% | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Saint-Sulpice QC | 12% | 5.8% | 29 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Golf Course ON | 7.3% | 3% | 20 | 3 | 1 |
| 6 | Bright NB | 7.1% | 4.6% | 46 | 0 | 5 |
| 7 | Woodbridge Meadows ON | 5.7% | 2.7% | 23 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | Central ON | 5.6% | 0% | 24 | 1 | 3 |
| 9 | Electoral Area F, Bulkley-Nechako BC | 4.8% | 4.4% | 15 | 0 | 9 |
| 10 | Cowichan Bay BC | 4.2% | 5.7% | 64 | 2 | 10 |
| 11 | Westville NS | 4.1% | 0% | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | Industrial Sector A and Keith ON | 3.5% | 0.9% | 30 | 0 | 15 |
| 13 | Deer Run AB | 3.4% | 47% | 2 | 0 | 15 |
| 14 | Parkland AB | 3.4% | 39% | 2 | 0 | 10 |
| 15 | Piedmont QC | 3.1% | 15% | 17 | 2 | 3 |
| 16 | Parkview West ON | 2.1% | 2.7% | 26 | 0 | 14 |
| 17 | North Glenora AB | 1.9% | 0% | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 18 | Killarney MB | 1.8% | 2.3% | 61 | 0 | 1 |
| 19 | Powassan ON | 1.6% | 1.8% | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Electoral Area C, Nanaimo BC | 1.5% | 1.1% | 60 | 6 | 47 |
| 21 | Kensington AB | 1.5% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | Studholm NB | 1.4% | 0% | 15 | 0 | 3 |
| 23 | Deer Lodge MB | 1.3% | 0% | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Fifty Point ON | 1.2% | 0% | 19 | 0 | 3 |
| 25 | Alpine Place MB | 0.9% | 2.3% | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | Cameron Heights AB | 0.9% | 0% | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| 27 | Inkster-Faraday MB | 0.8% | 0% | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Ascot Corner QC | 0.7% | 0% | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | North Inkster Industrial MB | 0.5% | 0% | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Flagstaff County AB | 0.4% | 0.3% | 47 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | Radisson MB | 0.4% | 0% | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | Victoria West MB | 0.4% | 0% | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | Eau Claire AB | 0.4% | 0% | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 34 | West Kildonan Industrial MB | 0.3% | 0% | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | Greenfield AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 36 | Magrath Heights AB | 0.3% | 13% | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 37 | Cartier MB | 0.2% | 0.5% | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 38 | Sainte-Claire QC | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Saint-Michel QC | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Country Hills AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The green map of Blind River
Green space, woods, protected areas and footpaths in and around the town; tap a number for its park or wood.
3 named parks and woods to walk in near Blind River
Largest first: Hennepin Island leads with 132 ha. Numbers match the map.
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.
A park is within a short walk for 4 in 10 in Blind River
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.
Most towns do better: the typical Canadian town is at 83%. Around 2,100 residents are further than 400 m from a park.
Around Blind River, protected areas make up 21%
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Governments or Indigenous nations hold all 8. Biggest of the named areas: North Channel Islands - la Cloche Provincial Park Addition, 82,115 ha.
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.
From the edge of Blind River, North Channel Islands - la Cloche Provincial Park Addition begins
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.
North Channel Islands - la Cloche Provincial Park Addition
Matinenda Provincial Park
Little White River Provincial Park
Blind River Provincial Park
North Channel Inshore Provincial Park
Mississagi Delta Provincial Park
Canada’s national parks are all more than 100 km from Blind River, so the parks here are provincial. 7 provincial parks lie within 10 km.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Blind River and its edge hold 41 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 · km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
93% of Canadian towns have more footpath per km². More of it is wooded than in 93% 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.
No named walking route passes Blind River 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.
No named walking or hiking route is mapped near the town; local paths may simply not be on OpenStreetMap as routes.
Source: OpenStreetMap (route relations hiking, foot and walking), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Trans Canada Trail sections as OSM maps them.
The best months for walking in Blind River: May to August
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Sault Ste Marie (125 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) | 9.0 | 10.3 | 11.8 | 13.5 | 15.0 | 15.8 | 15.4 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.4 | 8.6 |
| High (°C) | -4 | -4 | 2 | 9 | 16 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 20 | 12 | 5 | 0 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 65 | 46 | 52 | 71 | 69 | 79 | 77 | 78 | 109 | 111 | 89 | 70 |
February is the driest month at 46 mm; October the wettest at 111 mm. The warmest days come in July (24 °C highs), the coldest in January (-4 °C). The climate in Blind River →
Near Blind River: 2 viewpoints, 6 waterfalls
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
Waterfalls lead the count with 6.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 2
Plus 2 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 4
Waterfalls 6
Plus 3 waterfalls without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 1
Picnic sites 3
Plus 3 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 1
Plus 1 playground without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
Slipways 5
Plus 5 slipways without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next to Blind River
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page. Distances here run 31–47 km: that is how far the nearest places with figures are from Blind River.
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blind River | 21% | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Elliot Lake 31 km | 18% | 10 | 0 | 4 |
| Huron Shores 32 km | 8.2% | 9 | 0 | 3 |
| Thessalon 47 km | 13% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
None of its neighbours has twice the protected land around it that Blind River has.
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.
- 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.
- Private land. CPCAD includes conservation land held privately; the page counts it and leaves the names out.
- 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 Blind River
What is the best season to get outdoors in Blind River?
May to August: long days, mild highs and little rain.
How far is Blind River from a national park?
The nearest national park is more than 100 km from Blind River.
How far is the nearest provincial park from Blind River?
Little White River Provincial Park, which reaches the edge of town.
What is the biggest park or reserve near Blind River?
North Channel Islands - la Cloche Provincial Park Addition: 82,115 ha, a provincial park.
How much land around Blind River is protected?
Within 10 km, 21% of the land lies in protected areas.
Where Blind River’s 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).