First pick
Eilean Gowan Island
Wood or forest
181 ha
9.4 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: XeresNelro · CC BY-SA 4.05.4%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Bracebridge · parks, protected land & trails
Bracebridge borders Bigwind Lake Provincial Park
33 km separate the town from Georgian Bay Islands National Park, its nearest national park. For a swim, Kirbys Beach is the nearest of 6 beaches within 5 km. The protected share within 10 km is 5.4%, where a typical Canadian town has 2.3%.
Protected land
5.4%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
13
within 10 km, 12 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
33 km
Georgian Bay Islands National Park
Nearest provincial park
At the edge
Bigwind Lake Provincial Park
Walking routes
1
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Beaches
6
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
Where Bracebridge stands out outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
A provincial park at the edgeBigwind Lake Provincial Park reaches the townBeaches6 beaches within 5 km
Bracebridge is strongest on a provincial park at its edge, with its beaches close behind.
Against other towns
Bracebridge 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.
Protected within 10 km5.4%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town3.4%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas12Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes1Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches6Beaches mapped on OpenStreetMap within 5 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Bracebridge has the 8th most protected land nearby of 40 towns its size
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (18,016 to 19,361 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
Bracebridge5.4%
Towns its size2.3%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Bracebridge12
Towns its size4
Towns in Ontario4
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Bracebridge1
Towns its size1
Towns in Ontario1
Typical Canadian town0
Bracebridge beats most towns its size for public protected areas; 6 of 39 do better.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | L'Île-Bizard–Sainte-Geneviève QC | 29% | 40% | 48 | 0 | 13 |
| 2 | Summerside PE | 25% | 0.5% | 15 | 10 | 7 |
| 3 | Deux-Montagnes QC | 14% | 2.1% | 33 | 0 | 4 |
| 4 | Central Saanich BC | 9.2% | 3.3% | 35 | 2 | 29 |
| 5 | Desmarchais-Crawford QC | 8.8% | 1.4% | 21 | 0 | 3 |
| 6 | Greensborough ON | 8.5% | 23% | 44 | 1 | 1 |
| 7 | Schmidtville NS | 5.9% | 0% | 16 | 4 | 18 |
| 8 | Bracebridge ON | 5.4% | 3.4% | 13 | 1 | 6 |
| 9 | Oak Bay BC | 5.4% | 3.4% | 17 | 2 | 26 |
| 10 | Woodbridge ON | 5.1% | 0.5% | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | Granville Entertainment District BC | 5% | 0% | 11 | 3 | 70 |
| 12 | Dewdney East SK | 4.5% | 0% | 5 | 2 | 1 |
| 13 | Royal Oak BC | 4.1% | 0% | 27 | 3 | 6 |
| 14 | Parc-Laurier QC | 3.5% | 0% | 13 | 0 | 1 |
| 15 | Midland ON | 3.4% | 0% | 9 | 1 | 5 |
| 16 | Auburn Bay AB | 2.9% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 12 |
| 17 | Bendale-Glen Andrew ON | 2.8% | 0% | 15 | 0 | 1 |
| 18 | North St.James Town ON | 2.4% | 0% | 10 | 8 | 16 |
| 19 | Downtown Yonge East ON | 2.3% | 0% | 11 | 10 | 39 |
| 20 | O'Connor-Parkview ON | 2.3% | 19% | 13 | 1 | 14 |
| 21 | Medway ON | 2.3% | 4.4% | 16 | 2 | 0 |
| 22 | Kensington-Chinatown ON | 2.2% | 0% | 12 | 8 | 29 |
| 23 | Credit Valley ON | 2.2% | 5.5% | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Fletchers West ON | 2.2% | 0% | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| 25 | Greater Napanee ON | 1.9% | 1.2% | 34 | 0 | 1 |
| 26 | Port Elgin ON | 1.6% | 6.2% | 8 | 0 | 25 |
| 27 | Saint-Sulpice QC | 1.5% | 2.1% | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Nicolas-Viel QC | 1.3% | 0% | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | Saint-Colomban QC | 1.1% | 1.1% | 16 | 0 | 2 |
| 30 | Downsview ON | 1.1% | 0% | 14 | 1 | 0 |
| 31 | Collingwood BC | 0.8% | 0% | 11 | 3 | 6 |
| 32 | Edmundston NB | 0.6% | 0% | 5 | 0 | 3 |
| 33 | Swift Current SK | 0.6% | 0.2% | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Listowel ON | 0.5% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | Eringate-Centennial-West Deane ON | 0.4% | 0% | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| 36 | Weston ON | 0.4% | 0% | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 37 | Port Hope ON | 0.3% | 0.1% | 5 | 2 | 2 |
| 38 | Mimico-Queensway ON | 0.3% | 0% | 6 | 3 | 20 |
| 39 | DT Fairview ON | 0.2% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Wîhkwêntôwin AB | 0.1% | 0% | 2 | 2 | 1 |
The map
Bracebridge 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
20 parks and woods to walk in, in or near Bracebridge
The biggest is Eilean Gowan Island, 181 ha. Biggest first, numbered as on the map.
20 named parks and woods, 335 ha in all
Parks & gardens 24 haWoods 311 ha
Two places, Eilean Gowan Island and Pine Island, make up 66% of the total.
Pine Island
Wood or forest · 60 m outside town
39 ha
9.5 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Annie Williams Park
Park or garden
5.6 ha0.5 km of path
2.3 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Heydon Island
Wood or forest · 160 m outside town
14 ha
13 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
All 20 named parks and green spaces
Eilean Gowan IslandWood or forest · 181 ha
DirectionsPine IslandWood or forest · 39 ha · just outside town
DirectionsGostick ParkPark or garden · 8.0 ha
DirectionsMacBeth IslandWood or forest · 23 ha
DirectionsAnnie Williams ParkPark or garden · 5.6 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsWilson IslandWood or forest · 19 ha
DirectionsHeydon IslandWood or forest · 14 ha · just outside town
DirectionsJubilee ParkPark or garden · 3.8 ha
DirectionsWoodchester VillaPark or garden · 2.8 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsMcVittie IslandWood or forest · 11 ha
DirectionsKelvin Grove ParkPark or garden · 2.3 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsCaisses IslandWood or forest · 7.6 ha
DirectionsMickle IslandWood or forest · 6.5 ha
DirectionsSumatra IslandWood or forest · 3.0 ha · just outside town
DirectionsChief IslandWood or forest · 2.7 ha
DirectionsBracebridge Bay ParkPark or garden · 0.7 ha
DirectionsBaxter IslandWood or forest · 2.5 ha
DirectionsGairney IslandWood or forest · 2.5 ha
DirectionsBass Rock ParkPark or garden · 0.7 ha
DirectionsMemorial ParkPark or garden · 0.4 ha · 0.1 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 2 in 10 in Bracebridge
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 (21%)Further (79%)
Bracebridge21%
Towns in Ontario90%
Typical Canadian town83%
For comparison, the typical Canadian town has 83%. About 14,700 residents live further than 400 m from one.
Protected areas
5.4% of the land around Bracebridge 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 Bracebridge3.4%
Within 10 km5.4%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Of those 13, 12 are public and the remainder private. Queen Elizabeth II Wildlands Provincial Park is the biggest, 33,505 ha. One more area within 10 km is private land, held by a landowner or a conservation group: counted here, not named.
Bigwind Lake Provincial ParkProvincial park · 1,967 ha · reaches Bracebridge
Shack Creek Wetland Conservation ReserveNature reserve · 288 ha · reaches Bracebridge
Draper Township Conservation ReserveNature reserve · 81 ha · reaches Bracebridge
Jevins & Silver Lake Conservation ReserveNature reserve · 2,144 ha · 0.6 km from the edge of town
Eleanor Island National Wildlife AreaWildlife area · 1.6 ha · 0.8 km from the edge of town
Torrance Barrens Conservation ReserveNature reserve · 1,906 ha · 3.9 km from the edge of town
Queen Elizabeth II Wildlands Provincial ParkProvincial park · 33,505 ha · 4.1 km from the edge of town
Hardy Lake Provincial ParkProvincial park · 808 ha · 4.4 km from the edge of town
Kahshe Lake Barrens Conservation ReserveNature reserve · 3,169 ha · 6.2 km from the edge of town
Loon Lake Wetland Conservation ReserveNature reserve · 372 ha · 6.5 km from the edge of town
2 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
33 km to Georgian Bay Islands National Park
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
Bigwind Lake Provincial Park
At the edge20 km²since 1985
Provincial park
Queen Elizabeth II Wildlands Provincial Park
4.1 km south-east335 km²since 2002
Provincial park
Hardy Lake Provincial Park
4.4 km west8.1 km²since 1985
National park
Georgian Bay Islands National Park
33 km south-west14 km²since 1930
There are 3 provincial parks within 10 km.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
56 km of paths in and around Bracebridge
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
56 km
in and around the town (831.6 km²)
Woodland
85%
about 703 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
BracebridgeTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0.1
01.53 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
BracebridgeTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Woodland85%
0%50%100%
For path density, 90% of Canadian towns do better. Woods cover more of it than in 98% 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
Bracebridge has 1 named walking route
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
Regional
TCT:ON Gravenhurst36.8 km
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 Bracebridge: May to September
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Muskoka, 8.4 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) | -5 | -3 | 3 | 10 | 18 | 23 | 25 | 24 | 20 | 13 | 5 | -1 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 92 | 56 | 72 | 79 | 93 | 86 | 100 | 82 | 102 | 111 | 103 | 87 |
The wettest month, October, brings 111 mm, against 56 mm in February. From -5 °C in January to 25 °C in July: that is the range of daytime highs. The climate in Bracebridge →
Beaches
Bracebridge has 6 beaches close by
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Kirbys Beachin town
DirectionsMuskoka Falls Beachin town
DirectionsCedar Beach0.2 km from town
DirectionsOpenStreetMap shows 3 more, nameless. Beach water tests aren’t published as open data across Canada, so swimming advisories come from the local health unit.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
Bracebridge has 1 viewpoints and 13 waterfalls nearby
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
19 campsites top the list.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 1
Plus 1 viewpoint without a name on the map.
Waterfalls 13
Bracebridge Fallsin town
DirectionsCrozier Fallsin town
DirectionsHigh Fallsin town
DirectionsLittle High Fallsin town
DirectionsMatthiasville Fallsin town
DirectionsPotts Fallsin town
DirectionsSlater Fallsin town
DirectionsTrethewey Fallsin town
DirectionsPlus 5 waterfalls without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 3
Bigwind Lake Provincial Parkin town
DirectionsShack Creek Conservation Reservein town
DirectionsPlus 1 nature reserve more.
Playgrounds 8
Plus 8 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 19
Ontario Pioneer Camp2.0 km from town
DirectionsPlus 18 campsites without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Bracebridge
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 Bracebridge with figures are 16–40 km away.
GravenhurstMuskoka LakesHuntsvilleLake of BaysGeorgian BayBracebridge
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bracebridge | 5.4% | 13 | 1 | 6 |
| Gravenhurst 16 km | 18% | 27 | 4 | 7 |
| Muskoka Lakes 21 km | 6.3% | 26 | 1 | 12 |
| Huntsville 31 km | 1.8% | 7 | 2 | 13 |
| Lake of Bays 35 km | 4.8% | 12 | 1 | 6 |
| Georgian Bay 40 km | 13% | 52 | 1 | 10 |
More routes are mapped around Gravenhurst (4). Gravenhurst and Georgian Bay have at least twice the protected share around them.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Beaches. Beaches are OpenStreetMap’s, named or not; in the north many are unnamed shoreline imports.
- Walking routes. Routes are what OpenStreetMap’s volunteers have mapped as named walking or hiking routes; many good trails aren’t mapped that way.
- 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.
- Protected land. The share is of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s outline, from CPCAD’s mapped areas; marine areas count, so a coastal town can score high on water.
- Private land. Areas held by land trusts or private owners stay unnamed here, though they count in the shares.
Questions about the outdoors in Bracebridge
What is the nearest provincial park to Bracebridge?
Bigwind Lake Provincial Park touches the town.
Which is the biggest protected area near Bracebridge?
Queen Elizabeth II Wildlands Provincial Park, a provincial park of 33,505 ha.
When should you visit Bracebridge for the outdoors?
May to September, on the 1991–2020 normals and the daylight: long days, highs of 15 °C or more, light rain for the place.
Where can you swim near Bracebridge?
Kirbys Beach, in town, is the nearest mapped beach.
Where can you walk near Bracebridge?
Try the TCT:ON Gravenhurst.
Is Bracebridge near a national park?
The nearest is Georgian Bay Islands National Park, 33 km away.
How much land around Bracebridge is protected?
Yes: 5.4% of the land within 10 km is protected.
Sources
The sources behind Bracebridge’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).