First pick
Spencerville Fairgrounds
Park or garden
14 ha
9.3 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Squirrelwhisperer · CC BY-SA 4.00.8%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Cardinal · parks, protected land & trails
Cardinal is 22 km from Thousand Islands National Park
15 km from town is Brockville Long Swamp Fen Provincial Park, the nearest provincial park. 13 protected areas lie within 10 km. The Heritage Walking Trail is the one mapped walking route close by.
Protected land
0.8%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
13
within 10 km, 0 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
22 km
Thousand Islands National Park
Nearest provincial park
15 km
Brockville Long Swamp Fen Provincial Park
Walking routes
1
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Beaches
1
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Against other towns
How Cardinal compares with 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. Outdoors isn’t one of Canada’s graded subjects, so there’s no letter here: each figure is set against other Canadian towns instead.
Protected within 10 km0.8%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town0.9%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas0Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes1Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches1Beaches mapped on OpenStreetMap within 5 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Cardinal has the 12th least protected land nearby of 40 towns its size
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (7,825 to 8,087 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
Cardinal0.8%
Towns its size2.1%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Cardinal0
Towns its size4
Towns in Ontario4
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Cardinal1
Towns its size0
Towns in Ontario1
Typical Canadian town0
Where Cardinal trails its peers is public protected areas; 33 of 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Morgan Creek BC | 17% | 1% | 157 | 4 | 1 |
| 2 | Shaughnessy BC | 13% | 0% | 12 | 1 | 55 |
| 3 | Kenora, Unorganized ON | 12% | 12% | 98 | 5 | 38 |
| 4 | Clare NS | 11% | 5.8% | 43 | 0 | 19 |
| 5 | Minden Hills ON | 8.1% | 5.9% | 7 | 3 | 2 |
| 6 | Cypress County AB | 7.9% | 5.9% | 46 | 1 | 3 |
| 7 | Holdom BC | 4.9% | 0% | 19 | 2 | 48 |
| 8 | Woodbine AB | 4.6% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 9 | Coteau-du-Lac QC | 4.4% | 0.6% | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | Dufferin Hill ON | 4.4% | 1.6% | 29 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | Al Ritchie SK | 4.4% | 39% | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| 12 | La Perle AB | 4.4% | 0% | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | Bienville QC | 4.1% | 0% | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Drayton Valley AB | 3.3% | 0% | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | Legacy AB | 3.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| 16 | Windsor Park AB | 2.8% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 5 |
| 17 | Broadview BC | 2.6% | 0% | 14 | 4 | 25 |
| 18 | Whitewater Region ON | 2.5% | 1.3% | 44 | 0 | 12 |
| 19 | Woodbine-Lumsden ON | 2.5% | 5.1% | 13 | 1 | 18 |
| 20 | Electoral Area A, Nanaimo BC | 2.4% | 3.8% | 39 | 2 | 7 |
| 21 | Cornwall PE | 1.7% | 0% | 14 | 10 | 10 |
| 22 | Talbot ON | 1.6% | 4.3% | 15 | 2 | 0 |
| 23 | Scenic Acres AB | 1.6% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 24 | Electoral Area B (Lazo North), Comox Valley BC | 1.3% | 3.1% | 64 | 0 | 3 |
| 25 | Labrador City NL | 1.2% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 26 | North Stormont ON | 1.2% | 1.8% | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Silver Heights MB | 1.2% | 0.3% | 17 | 1 | 37 |
| 28 | Newell County AB | 0.9% | 1% | 11 | 0 | 14 |
| 29 | Cardinal ON | 0.8% | 0.9% | 13 | 1 | 1 |
| 30 | Otonabee-South Monaghan ON | 0.7% | 0.7% | 14 | 0 | 2 |
| 31 | Killarney/Glengarry AB | 0.6% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | Bayham ON | 0.5% | 0.6% | 9 | 0 | 3 |
| 33 | Callingwood South AB | 0.4% | 0% | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 34 | Lambton Baby Point ON | 0.3% | 7.1% | 6 | 3 | 13 |
| 35 | Queen Mary Park AB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 36 | Acton Vale QC | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| 37 | Taber AB | 0% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 38 | Harvest Hills AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Sage Hill AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Ottewell AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 1 | 1 |
The map
Cardinal on the map: green space, protected land and paths
The town’s parks, woods, protected land and paths, with its named places numbered.
Green: OpenStreetMap parks, gardens, playing fields and woods. Hatched: CPCAD protected areas.© OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL); CPCAD (OGL-Canada)
Places to walk
4 named parks and woods to walk in near Cardinal
The biggest is Spencerville Fairgrounds, 14 ha. Biggest first, numbered as on the map.
4 named parks and woods, 24 ha in all
Parks & gardens 24 ha
The bulk, 84%, is Spencerville Fairgrounds and Fort Wellington National Historic Site.
Fort Wellington National Historic Site
Park or garden · 380 m outside town
6.1 ha0.4 km of path
14 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Fairways Park
Park or garden · 250 m outside town
3.1 ha
13 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Battle of the Windmill National Historic Site
Park or garden
0.7 ha
12 km southfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
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.
Close to home
A park is within a short walk for 1 in 10 in Cardinal
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 (6.8%)Further (93%)
Cardinal6.8%
Towns in Ontario90%
Typical Canadian town83%
For about 7,400 people, the nearest park is over 400 m away. Most towns do better: the typical Canadian town is at 83%.
Protected areas
Cardinal has 13 protected areas within 10 km
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Cardinal0.9%
Within 10 km0.8%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
No public land among them: all are private conservation land, counted but unnamed.
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
Parks around Cardinal
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
Brockville Long Swamp Fen Provincial Park
15 km south-west2.2 km²since 2017
National park
Thousand Islands National Park
22 km south-west24 km²since 1904
Brockville Long Swamp Fen Provincial Park, a provincial park, is nearer at 15 km.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
Paths to walk: 52 km in and around Cardinal
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
52 km
in and around the town (407.1 km²)
Woodland
51%
about 206.1 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
CardinalTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0.1
01.53 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
CardinalTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Woodland51%
0%50%100%
Paths are thinner on the ground than in 83% of Canadian towns. For woods, it beats 84% 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
One mapped route to walk from Cardinal
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
Local
Heritage Walking Trail1.5 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 Cardinal: May, June, August and September
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Kemptville, 25 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 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.6 | 15.3 | 14.0 | 12.5 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.8 |
| High (°C) | -4 | -2 | 3 | 11 | 19 | 24 | 27 | 26 | 21 | 14 | 6 | -1 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 70 | 52 | 62 | 88 | 73 | 82 | 98 | 75 | 83 | 92 | 79 | 72 |
The yearly snowfall is near 180 cm. From -4 °C in January to 27 °C in July: that is the range of daytime highs. Summer storms make July the wettest month, 98 mm; February sees 52 mm. The climate in Cardinal →
Beaches
A beach within 5 km of Cardinal
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
For water quality, look to the local health unit: no open beach-testing data covers Canada.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
Cardinal has 2 viewpoints within 2 km
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
There are 11 playgrounds, more than of anything else.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 2
Viewing Platform0.8 km from town
DirectionsObservation Platform1.0 km from town
DirectionsHills and peaks 3
Nature reserves 2
Robert Graham Conservation Area0.3 km from town
DirectionsLimerick Forest (South)0.5 km from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 4
Plus 4 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 11
playground of Angels1.8 km from town
DirectionsPlus 10 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
Wildwood Camp Groundin town
DirectionsSlipways 3
Cardinal Boat Rampin town
DirectionsSt. Laurence Marinain town
DirectionsBoat Launch1.8 km from town
DirectionsSource: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Cardinal
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
PrescottMorrisburgAugustaCardinal
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinal | 0.8% | 13 | 1 | 1 |
| Prescott 14 km | 0.1% | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Morrisburg 18 km | 2.6% | 17 | 0 | 5 |
| Augusta 19 km | 0.8% | 11 | 1 | 1 |
Morrisburg has at least twice the protected share around it.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- National and provincial parks. Distances run from the town’s edge to the park’s, so 0 km means they touch.
- Protected land. The 10 km band starts at the town’s outline, not its centre, so a large municipality reaches further than a small town.
- Beaches. Beaches are OpenStreetMap’s, named or not; in the north many are unnamed shoreline imports.
- Private land. CPCAD includes conservation land held privately; the page counts it and leaves the names out.
- 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 Cardinal
How much land around Cardinal is protected?
Yes: 0.8% of the land within 10 km is protected.
How far is Cardinal from a national park?
Thousand Islands National Park, 22 km from the edge of town.
What is the nearest beach to Cardinal?
One beach is mapped within 5 km, though without a name.
What walking routes are near Cardinal?
OpenStreetMap maps the Heritage Walking Trail close by.
When is the best time for walking in Cardinal?
May, June, August and September: long days, mild highs and little rain.
Is there a provincial park near Cardinal?
Brockville Long Swamp Fen Provincial Park, 15 km away.
Sources
Where Cardinal’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).