First pick
Pinafore Park
Park or garden · 250 m outside town
39 ha4 km of path
55 minto walk all 4 km of path
3.2 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Tudor Costache · CC BY-SA 3.00.2%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Central Elgin · parks, protected land & trails
Walk from Central Elgin: 7 mapped routes
The nearest provincial park, Port Bruce Provincial Park, is 1.8 km away. Swimmers have 6 beaches within 5 km, Little Beach the nearest. Protected areas cover 0.2% of the land within 10 km; for the typical Canadian town it is 2.3%.
Protected land
0.2%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
8
within 10 km, 2 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest provincial park
1.8 km
Port Bruce Provincial Park
Walking routes
7
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Beaches
6
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
Where Central Elgin stands out outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
Walking routes7 named routes within 2 kmBeaches6 beaches within 5 kmLittle protected land0.2% within 10 km; the typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Above all, Central Elgin offers its choice of walking routes, with its beaches close behind. The gap is protected land nearby.
Against other towns
Central Elgin 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. 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 km0.2%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town0.3%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas2Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes7Named 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
Among 40 towns its size, Central Elgin is 4th from the bottom for protected land
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (14,961 to 15,514 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
Central Elgin0.2%
Towns its size3.1%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Central Elgin2
Towns its size8
Towns in Ontario4
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Central Elgin7
Towns its size0
Towns in Ontario1
Typical Canadian town0
Against towns its size, Central Elgin is weakest for protected land nearby: 36 of 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Whistler BC | 56% | 26% | 11 | 3 | 8 |
| 2 | Pincourt QC | 33% | 0.6% | 38 | 0 | 4 |
| 3 | Lachine-Ouest QC | 19% | 0.1% | 28 | 0 | 4 |
| 4 | Beauharnois QC | 17% | 2.2% | 32 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Les Rapides QC | 16% | 0% | 34 | 0 | 2 |
| 6 | Arbutus Ridge BC | 15% | 0% | 12 | 2 | 62 |
| 7 | Gaspé QC | 13% | 21% | 41 | 13 | 51 |
| 8 | Brookside - Briarbrook - Morgans Grant ON | 8.1% | 0% | 14 | 0 | 1 |
| 9 | Dupéré QC | 7.7% | 0% | 23 | 0 | 1 |
| 10 | Pointe-Saint-Charles QC | 7.7% | 0% | 24 | 1 | 6 |
| 11 | Vieux-Longueuil QC | 6.4% | 0% | 24 | 0 | 5 |
| 12 | Lougheed BC | 5.6% | 0% | 53 | 2 | 49 |
| 13 | Saint-François QC | 5.4% | 1% | 56 | 0 | 1 |
| 14 | Lairet QC | 5% | 0% | 15 | 0 | 4 |
| 15 | Sainte-Adèle QC | 4.8% | 8% | 24 | 1 | 5 |
| 16 | Parksville BC | 4.4% | 13% | 24 | 0 | 11 |
| 17 | Vallée-de-la-Lièvre QC | 4.3% | 16% | 39 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | Lachute QC | 3.5% | 0.9% | 27 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | Buttonville ON | 3.2% | 0% | 34 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Limoges ON | 3.1% | 5.7% | 31 | 0 | 2 |
| 21 | Royal Orchard ON | 3% | 0% | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| 22 | François-Perrault QC | 2.6% | 0% | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | Taylor-Massey ON | 2.3% | 13% | 12 | 1 | 15 |
| 24 | Doon South ON | 2.3% | 16% | 22 | 2 | 0 |
| 25 | Springbrook ON | 2.2% | 15% | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | Byron ON | 2.1% | 0% | 14 | 1 | 0 |
| 27 | Pleasant View ON | 1.9% | 0% | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | East Willowdale ON | 1.7% | 0% | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | Lawrence Park South ON | 1.7% | 0% | 15 | 2 | 1 |
| 30 | Hamilton Road ON | 1.7% | 0% | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | Stonebridge SK | 1.7% | 0% | 18 | 0 | 1 |
| 32 | Saint-Vincent-de-Paul QC | 1.5% | 0% | 23 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | Pembroke ON | 1% | 0% | 6 | 0 | 3 |
| 34 | Campbellford ON | 0.8% | 0.5% | 24 | 7 | 0 |
| 35 | Dorchester ON | 0.6% | 1% | 17 | 2 | 2 |
| 36 | High River AB | 0.6% | 0% | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 37 | Central Elgin ON | 0.2% | 0.3% | 8 | 7 | 6 |
| 38 | Edenbridge-Humber Valley ON | 0.2% | 2.1% | 6 | 1 | 6 |
| 39 | Laurel AB | 0.2% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 40 | Edgemont AB | 0% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 2 |
The map
Parks, woods and paths around Central Elgin
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
16 named parks and woods to walk in near Central Elgin
Pinafore Park is the largest, at 39 ha; the rest follow by size, numbered as on the map.
16 named parks and woods, 65 ha in all
Parks & gardens 65 ha
Between them, Pinafore Park and Athletic Park cover 72%.
Athletic Park
Park or garden
7.0 ha0.6 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
4.4 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Belmont Community Park
Park or garden
1.2 ha0.5 km of path
14 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Rosethorn Park
Park or garden · 180 m outside town
1.3 ha0.2 km of path
1.1 km northfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Union Street Park
Park or garden
1.0 ha0.3 km of path
14 km northfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Greenway Park
Park or garden
1.1 ha0.3 km of path
5.0 km northfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
All 16 named parks and green spaces
Pinafore ParkPark or garden · 39 ha · 4 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsAthletic ParkPark or garden · 7.0 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsCowan ParkPark or garden · 5.6 ha
DirectionsConfederation ParkPark or garden · 2.2 ha
DirectionsBelmont Community ParkPark or garden · 1.2 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsRosethorn ParkPark or garden · 1.3 ha · 0.2 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsUnion Street ParkPark or garden · 1.0 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsGreenway ParkPark or garden · 1.1 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsLittle Creek ParkPark or garden · 0.9 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsOldewood ParkPark or garden · 0.9 ha · 0.3 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsJim Waite ParkPark or garden · 0.8 ha · 0.2 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsSt. Thomas Elevated ParkPark or garden · 0.4 ha · 0.4 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsHofhuis ParkPark or garden · 1.1 ha
DirectionsEastwood ParkPark or garden · 1.0 ha
DirectionsMeadows ParkPark or garden · 0.8 ha
DirectionsWhyte's ParkPark or garden · 0.3 ha
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
About 2 in 10 of Central Elgin’s residents are a short walk from 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 (22%)Further (78%)
Central Elgin22%
Towns in Ontario90%
Typical Canadian town83%
Most towns do better: the typical Canadian town is at 83%. For about 11,800 people, the nearest park is over 400 m away.
Protected areas
8 protected areas lie within 10 km of Central Elgin
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Central Elgin0.3%
Within 10 km0.2%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public bodies own 2 of the 8; land trusts and private owners hold the others. The largest named one is Meadowlily Woods Esa, at 60 ha. The count includes 6 areas that are private or not recorded as public; they aren’t named.
Port Bruce Provincial ParkProvincial park · 7.0 ha · 1.8 km from the edge of town
Meadowlily Woods EsaNature reserve · 60 ha · 9.6 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
Port Bruce Provincial Park is 1.8 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
Port Bruce Provincial Park
1.8 km south-east0.1 km²since 1974
No national park lies within 100 km of Central Elgin; the provincial parks are the big protected land within reach.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
113 km of paths in and around Central Elgin
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
113 km
in and around the town (407.8 km²)
Woodland
16%
about 66.7 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
Central ElginTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0.3
01.53 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
Central ElginTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Woodland16%
0%50%100%
Paths are thinner on the ground than in 74% of Canadian towns. Woods cover more of it than in 63% 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
Walks near Central Elgin
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
Local
Elgin Trail45.9 km
Kettle Creek Conservation Area11.3 km
Springwater Conservation Area10.8 km
Corner's Corner Nature Preserve5.7 km
Archie Coulter Conservation Area5.2 km
Yarmouth5.1 km
Dorothy Palmer Memorial Trail3.4 km
The longest of the rest is the Elgin Trail, 45.9 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 Central Elgin: May to September
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (London, 29 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) | 9.4 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.3 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.0 |
| High (°C) | -2 | -1 | 5 | 12 | 19 | 24 | 27 | 26 | 22 | 15 | 8 | 1 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 79 | 63 | 67 | 89 | 89 | 86 | 81 | 67 | 93 | 83 | 88 | 79 |
Snow totals about 152 cm a year. Highs peak near 27 °C in July and fall to -2 °C in January. February is the driest month at 63 mm; September the wettest at 93 mm. The climate in Central Elgin →
Beaches
Central Elgin has 6 beaches close by
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Little Beachin town
DirectionsPort Stanley Main Beachsand · in town
DirectionsErie Rest Beachsand · in town
DirectionsOpenStreetMap marks 2 as sandy. OpenStreetMap 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
5 viewpoints near Central Elgin
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
Most numerous: playgrounds (38).
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 5
Plus 5 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 9
A E Bucke Conservation Areain town
DirectionsArchie Coulter Conservation Areain town
DirectionsDan Patterson Conservation Areain town
DirectionsHawk Cliff Woodsin town
DirectionsSolitude Nature Reservein town
DirectionsUnion Pond Conservation Areain town
DirectionsYarmouth Natural Heritage Areain town
DirectionsSpringwater Conservation Area0.5 km from town
DirectionsPlus 1 nature reserve without a name on the map.
Picnic sites 4
Plus 4 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 38
Orchard Park0.5 km from town
DirectionsLions Park0.6 km from town
DirectionsPlus 36 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Plus 1 dog park without a name on the map.
Campsites 9
Campsite 1in town
DirectionsCampsite 2in town
DirectionsCampsite 3in town
DirectionsCampsite 4in town
DirectionsBeeline Trailer Park #11.9 km from town
DirectionsPlus 4 campsites without a name on the map.
Slipways 3
Lake Margaret Non-Motorized Boat Launch0.2 km from town
DirectionsPlus 2 slipways without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Central Elgin
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
St. ThomasAylmerSouthwoldMalahideCentral Elgin
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Elgin | 0.2% | 8 | 7 | 6 |
| St. Thomas 2.0 km | 0.2% | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Aylmer 14 km | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Southwold 14 km | 0.1% | 5 | 4 | 5 |
| Malahide 15 km | 0.5% | 8 | 3 | 5 |
Central Elgin holds its own on protected land: no neighbour has twice its share.
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.
- 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.
- Walking routes. Only named route relations count; a park’s own path network may not show unless it is mapped as a route.
- 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 Central Elgin
Is Central Elgin near a national park?
No national park lies within 100 km of Central Elgin.
When should you visit Central Elgin for the outdoors?
On the normals, May to September: that is when days are long, highs reach 15 °C and rain is light.
Is there a provincial park near Central Elgin?
It is Port Bruce Provincial Park, 1.8 km away.
What is the biggest park or reserve near Central Elgin?
It is Meadowlily Woods Esa, a nature reserve covering 60 ha.
Is there protected land near Central Elgin?
Yes: 0.2% of the land within 10 km is protected.
What walking routes are near Central Elgin?
The Elgin Trail, Kettle Creek Conservation Area and Springwater Conservation Area, among the routes mapped within 2 km.
Is there a beach near Central Elgin?
The nearest is Little Beach, in town.
Sources
The sources behind Central Elgin’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).