First pick
Kakawaie Island
Wood or forest
26 ha
12 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: P199 · CC BY-SA 3.01%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Central Manitoulin · parks, protected land & trails
Central Manitoulin is 54 km from Bruce Peninsula National Park
Swimmers have 32 beaches within 5 km, Carter's Bay the nearest. Blue Jay Creek Provincial Park is the closest provincial park, at 1.9 km. 26 protected areas lie within 10 km.
Protected land
1%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
26
within 10 km, 1 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
54 km
Bruce Peninsula National Park
Nearest provincial park
1.9 km
Blue Jay Creek Provincial Park
Beaches
32
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Against other towns
Each figure for Central Manitoulin, set against 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 graded in Canada. The page compares each figure with other towns and leaves it there.
Protected within 10 km1%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town0.4%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
Beaches32Beaches mapped on OpenStreetMap within 5 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Central Manitoulin has the 18th least protected land nearby of 40 towns its size
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (2,386 to 2,587 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 Manitoulin1%
Towns its size1.4%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Central Manitoulin1
Towns its size3
Towns in Ontario4
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Central Manitoulin0
Towns its size0
Towns in Ontario1
Typical Canadian town0
Where Central Manitoulin trails its peers is public protected areas; 28 of 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anmore BC | 22% | 47% | 16 | 5 | 98 |
| 2 | Saint-Alexandre-de-Kamouraska QC | 19% | 0% | 28 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Gracefield QC | 19% | 19% | 34 | 0 | 6 |
| 4 | East Preston NS | 16% | 6.3% | 20 | 1 | 5 |
| 5 | Clearwater BC | 7.7% | 4.1% | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| 6 | Roberval QC | 6.1% | 1.2% | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague QC | 5.8% | 0% | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | North Frontenac ON | 5.7% | 5.2% | 13 | 6 | 4 |
| 9 | Cap-Chat QC | 5.3% | 0.4% | 13 | 0 | 10 |
| 10 | Killaloe, Hagarty and Richards ON | 4.4% | 1.5% | 9 | 0 | 4 |
| 11 | Saint-Polycarpe QC | 4.2% | 0% | 11 | 0 | 2 |
| 12 | Macassa ON | 4.1% | 0% | 18 | 1 | 0 |
| 13 | Saint-Damien QC | 4% | 3.2% | 22 | 1 | 9 |
| 14 | Unity SK | 3.4% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | Sherwood ON | 3.4% | 0% | 19 | 2 | 0 |
| 16 | McNab SK | 2.6% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 17 | Mandeville QC | 2.5% | 1.8% | 19 | 4 | 7 |
| 18 | Esterhazy SK | 1.8% | 0% | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | City Commercial Core ON | 1.8% | 0% | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Caswell Hill SK | 1.4% | 0% | 16 | 0 | 3 |
| 21 | Fossambault-sur-le-Lac QC | 1.3% | 7.8% | 15 | 0 | 14 |
| 22 | Pembina MB | 1.1% | 1.8% | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | Central Manitoulin ON | 1% | 0.4% | 26 | 0 | 32 |
| 24 | Burrows-Keewatin MB | 1% | 0% | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | Elmwood AB | 0.8% | 0% | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 26 | Hatley QC | 0.7% | 0% | 9 | 0 | 5 |
| 27 | Munroe West MB | 0.4% | 0% | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Brooke-Alvinston ON | 0.3% | 0.2% | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | Rosedale AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 30 | Minchau AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 31 | Lunenburg NS | 0.1% | 0% | 19 | 0 | 5 |
| 32 | Salisbury NB | 0.1% | 2.1% | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | Dufferin MB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Ekota AB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 35 | Satoo AB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 36 | Saint-Éphrem-de-Beauce QC | 0% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 37 | Magrath AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | Nanton AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Rimbey AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Sexsmith AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The map
Where the green is in Central Manitoulin
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
3 parks and woods to walk in, in or near Central Manitoulin
Largest first: Kakawaie Island leads with 26 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.
Close to home
Few people in Central Manitoulin live near 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 (0%)Further (100%)
Central Manitoulin0%
Towns in Ontario90%
Typical Canadian town83%
That leaves about 2,400 people more than a short walk away. The typical Canadian town reaches 83%.
Protected areas
Protected areas cover 1% of the land near Central Manitoulin
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Central Manitoulin0.4%
Within 10 km1%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
1 of the 26 belong to a government or an Indigenous nation. 25 areas belong to private owners or land trusts and aren’t named here.
Blue Jay Creek Provincial ParkProvincial park · 246 ha · 1.9 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 Central Manitoulin
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
Blue Jay Creek Provincial Park
1.9 km south-east2.5 km²since 1997
National park
Bruce Peninsula National Park
54 km south-east125 km²since 1987
Blue Jay Creek Provincial Park, a provincial park, is nearer at 1.9 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: 26 km in and around Central Manitoulin
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
26 km
in and around the town (740.6 km²)
Woodland
54%
about 396.7 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
Central ManitoulinTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0
01.53 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
Central ManitoulinTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Woodland54%
0%50%100%
For woods, it beats 85% of Canadian towns. It has fewer paths per km² than 94% 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
No mapped walking route near Central Manitoulin
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
OpenStreetMap lists no walking route near the town, though paths on the ground may well exist.
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 Manitoulin: May to August
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Wiarton (140 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 | 14.9 | 15.7 | 15.4 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.4 | 8.7 |
| High (°C) | -4 | -4 | 2 | 9 | 16 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 20 | 12 | 5 | 0 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 111 | 77 | 66 | 84 | 82 | 79 | 70 | 83 | 99 | 110 | 110 | 104 |
From -4 °C in January to 24 °C in July: that is the range of daytime highs. January is the wettest month (111 mm) and March the driest (66 mm). The climate in Central Manitoulin →
Beaches
Carter's Bay, 0.1 km away, is the beach near Central Manitoulin
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Carter's Bay0.1 km from town
DirectionsThe map adds 31 unnamed stretches of beach. No open data on beach water quality covers every province, so check with public health before a swim.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
26 things to do outdoors near Central Manitoulin
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
Count 8 campsites, the biggest group.
Every named place, with directions
Hills and peaks 3
Picnic sites 4
Plus 4 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 3
Plus 3 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 8
Idyll Glenn Roadin town
DirectionsManitoulin Eco Park0.9 km from town
DirectionsPlus 6 campsites without a name on the map.
Slipways 8
Government Dockin town
DirectionsRockville Dock and Boat Launchin town
DirectionsBoat Launch0.1 km from town
DirectionsPlus 5 slipways without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Central Manitoulin
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page. Central Manitoulin has few close neighbours with figures, so the list reaches 29–46 km out.
AssiginackLittle CurrentWikwemikong UncededSagamokCentral Manitoulin
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Manitoulin | 1% | 26 | 0 | 32 |
| Assiginack 29 km | 0.9% | 15 | 0 | 1 |
| Little Current 34 km | 13% | 36 | 0 | 5 |
| Wikwemikong Unceded 37 km | 1.3% | 11 | 1 | 6 |
| Sagamok 46 km | 44% | 6 | 0 | 2 |
Around Little Current and Sagamok the protected share is at least double.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Private land. CPCAD includes conservation land held privately; the page counts it and leaves the names out.
- Beaches. Beaches are OpenStreetMap’s, named or not; in the north many are unnamed shoreline imports.
- National and provincial parks. Distances run from the town’s edge to the park’s, so 0 km means they touch.
- 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.
- 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 Central Manitoulin
What is the nearest provincial park to Central Manitoulin?
Blue Jay Creek Provincial Park, 1.9 km from the edge of town.
What is the best season to get outdoors in Central Manitoulin?
On the normals, May to August: that is when days are long, highs reach 15 °C and rain is light.
Which is the biggest protected area near Central Manitoulin?
Blue Jay Creek Provincial Park: 246 ha, a provincial park.
What is the nearest national park to Central Manitoulin?
Bruce Peninsula National Park is closest, at 54 km.
Are there protected areas near Central Manitoulin?
Yes: 1% of the land within 10 km is protected.
What is the nearest beach to Central Manitoulin?
Try Carter's Bay, 0.1 km from town, first of several.
Sources
Where Central Manitoulin’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).