First pick
Wildwood By The Lake
Park or garden
29 ha
31 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Rub-a-dub Hedgehog · CC BY 4.01%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Chatham · parks, protected land & trails
Point Pelee National Park is 9.2 km from Chatham
Within 5 km are 8 beaches; Willow Beach is the nearest. 1% of the land and water within 10 km is protected (the typical Canadian town: 2.3%). Count 21 protected areas within 10 km of town.
Protected land
1%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
21
within 10 km, 5 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
9.2 km
Point Pelee National Park
Nearest provincial park
At the edge
Rondeau Provincial Park
Beaches
8
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
The outdoors in Chatham, in short
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
A national park nearbyPoint Pelee National Park, 9.2 km awayA provincial park at the edgeRondeau Provincial Park reaches the townBeaches8 beaches within 5 km
Chatham is strongest on Point Pelee National Park within easy reach, with a provincial park at its edge close behind.
Against other towns
Chatham 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. 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 km1%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town1%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas5Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes0Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches8Beaches mapped on OpenStreetMap within 5 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Chatham has the 10th least protected land nearby of 40 towns its size
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (81,813 to 153,865 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
Chatham1%
Towns its size3.9%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Chatham5
Towns its size12
Towns in Ontario4
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Chatham0
Towns its size1
Towns in Ontario1
Typical Canadian town0
Against towns its size, Chatham is weakest for walking routes: 27 of 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maple Ridge BC | 26% | 21% | 101 | 1 | 41 |
| 2 | Delta BC | 24% | 17% | 181 | 9 | 19 |
| 3 | North Vancouver BC | 15% | 22% | 18 | 11 | 169 |
| 4 | Kamloops BC | 14% | 13% | 16 | 0 | 11 |
| 5 | Chilliwack BC | 11% | 7.7% | 36 | 4 | 26 |
| 6 | Saanich BC | 11% | 9.4% | 43 | 7 | 56 |
| 7 | Strathcona County AB | 9.4% | 1.4% | 38 | 7 | 6 |
| 8 | Trois-Rivières QC | 8.4% | 1.2% | 44 | 1 | 10 |
| 9 | Repentigny QC | 8.3% | 1.6% | 41 | 0 | 2 |
| 10 | Cape Breton NS | 8.2% | 8.6% | 176 | 1 | 74 |
| 11 | New Westminster BC | 8% | 0% | 83 | 4 | 9 |
| 12 | Victoria BC | 8% | 0.9% | 20 | 4 | 34 |
| 13 | Lindsay ON | 7.6% | 9.2% | 60 | 5 | 9 |
| 14 | Pickering ON | 7.6% | 11% | 46 | 1 | 11 |
| 15 | Saguenay QC | 6% | 6.1% | 29 | 0 | 11 |
| 16 | Brossard QC | 5.6% | 9.1% | 31 | 0 | 6 |
| 17 | Kingston ON | 5% | 6.2% | 54 | 2 | 5 |
| 18 | Ajax ON | 4.9% | 5.8% | 31 | 1 | 8 |
| 19 | Bolton ON | 4.8% | 5.9% | 113 | 11 | 3 |
| 20 | Chomedey QC | 3.9% | 0.1% | 43 | 0 | 2 |
| 21 | Terrebonne QC | 3.8% | 3.6% | 60 | 0 | 3 |
| 22 | St. John's NL | 2.2% | 1.2% | 6 | 1 | 41 |
| 23 | Moncton NB | 2.2% | 1.7% | 17 | 0 | 2 |
| 24 | Nanaimo BC | 1.9% | 6.7% | 42 | 2 | 33 |
| 25 | Bowmanville ON | 1.6% | 3% | 25 | 2 | 9 |
| 26 | Newmarket ON | 1.3% | 1.8% | 27 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | St. Catharines ON | 1.2% | 1.7% | 15 | 4 | 7 |
| 28 | Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu QC | 1.1% | 1.2% | 18 | 1 | 3 |
| 29 | Niagara Falls ON | 1.1% | 1.7% | 15 | 3 | 4 |
| 30 | Saint-Jérôme QC | 1% | 0.1% | 16 | 0 | 3 |
| 31 | Chatham ON | 1% | 1% | 21 | 0 | 8 |
| 32 | Red Deer AB | 0.7% | 1.2% | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| 33 | Peterborough ON | 0.6% | 0% | 6 | 1 | 2 |
| 34 | Waterloo ON | 0.6% | 0% | 17 | 12 | 1 |
| 35 | Lethbridge AB | 0.4% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 36 | Brantford ON | 0.3% | 0% | 15 | 3 | 0 |
| 37 | Prince George BC | 0.3% | 0.5% | 5 | 1 | 51 |
| 38 | Drummondville QC | 0.1% | 0.2% | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 39 | Thunder Bay ON | 0.1% | 0.4% | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| 40 | Airdrie AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The map
Chatham 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
Walk in Chatham: 30 named parks and woods
Largest first: Wildwood By The Lake leads with 29 ha. Numbers match the map.
30 named parks and woods, 245 ha in all
Parks & gardens 236 haWoods 9.0 ha
No one place dominates; the largest has 12%.
Mitchell's Bay Marine Park
Park or garden
22 ha0.3 km of path
19 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
TREES Memorial Forest
Park or garden
17 ha1.8 km of path
25 minto walk all 1.8 km of path
25 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Blythe Park
Park or garden
12 ha2.2 km of path
30 minto walk all 2.2 km of path
3.6 km southfrom the centre
Mud Creek Path
Directionsto a point inside
Kingston Park
Park or garden
7.3 ha3.8 km of path
50 minto walk all 3.8 km of path
1.2 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Laverne Kelly Memorial Park
Park or garden
12 ha1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1 km of path
29 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Memorial Park
Park or garden
8.9 ha1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1 km of path
26 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
All 30 named parks and green spaces
Wildwood By The LakePark or garden · 29 ha
DirectionsMitchell's Bay Marine ParkPark or garden · 22 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsTREES Memorial ForestPark or garden · 17 ha · 1.8 km of path
DirectionsBlythe ParkPark or garden · 12 ha · 2.2 km of path
DirectionsTilbury Northside ParkPark or garden · 16 ha
DirectionsKingston ParkPark or garden · 7.3 ha · 3.8 km of path
DirectionsLaverne Kelly Memorial ParkPark or garden · 12 ha · 1 km of path
DirectionsMemorial ParkPark or garden · 8.9 ha · 1 km of path
DirectionsFerguson ParkPark or garden · 8.8 ha · 1 km of path
DirectionsVictoria ParkPark or garden · 8.9 ha
DirectionsLioness ParkPark or garden · 6.2 ha · 1 km of path
DirectionsMcVean/Stranak ParkPark or garden · 6.9 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsCrothers Conservation AreaPark or garden · 7.2 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsMacDonald ParkPark or garden · 7.4 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsBlenheim B-Fit ParkPark or garden · 5.4 ha · 1.1 km of path
DirectionsCentennial ParkPark or garden · 6.6 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsLarry J O'Rourke ParkPark or garden · 5.6 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsHenry Smyth ParkPark or garden · 5.6 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsTecumseh ParkPark or garden · 4.5 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsO'Neil Nature PreserveWood or forest · 9.0 ha · 1.7 km of path
DirectionsGlen Mickle ParkPark or garden · 6.1 ha
DirectionsIndian Creek ParkPark or garden · 4.9 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsBlenheim South-Kent Recreation ComplexPark or garden · 4.2 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsPerry ParkPark or garden · 4.9 ha
DirectionsMerlin Conservation AreaPark or garden · 2.7 ha · 0.8 km of path
DirectionsKinsmen ParkPark or garden · 4.2 ha
DirectionsLark ParkPark or garden · 2.8 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsElgin ParkPark or garden · 3.4 ha
DirectionsMcGregor ParkPark or garden · 2.6 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsSteinoff ParkPark or garden · 3.2 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 6 in 10 of Chatham’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 (59%)Further (41%)
Chatham59%
Towns in Ontario90%
Typical Canadian town83%
For about 47,000 people, the nearest park is over 400 m away. The usual figure for a Canadian town is 83%, above this.
Protected areas
1% of the land around Chatham 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 Chatham1%
Within 10 km1%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public bodies own 5 of the 21; land trusts and private owners hold the others. Biggest of the named areas: Rondeau Provincial Park, 3,254 ha. 16 more areas within 10 km are private land, held by landowners or conservation groups: counted here, not named.
Rondeau Provincial ParkProvincial park · 3,254 ha · reaches Chatham
Clear Creek Forest Provincial ParkProvincial park · 402 ha · reaches Chatham
St. Clair National Wildlife Area - Bear Creek UnitWildlife area · 359 ha · reaches Chatham
Wheatley Provincial ParkProvincial park · 241 ha · reaches Chatham
Point Pelee National ParkNational park · 1,520 ha · 9.2 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 Chatham
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
Rondeau Provincial Park
At the edge33 km²since 1894
Provincial park
Clear Creek Forest Provincial Park
At the edge4.0 km²since 2014
Provincial park
Wheatley Provincial Park
At the edge2.4 km²since 1971
National park
Point Pelee National Park
9.2 km south-west15 km²since 1918
Within 10 km are 3 provincial parks.
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: 197 km in and around Chatham
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
197 km
in and around the town (2,945.1 km²)
Woodland
4.3%
about 125.2 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
ChathamTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0.1
01.53 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
ChathamTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Woodland4.3%
0%50%100%
64% of Canadian towns are more wooded. Paths are thinner on the ground than in 90% 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 named walking route passes Chatham 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 route shows within 2 km of the town; volunteers map trails unevenly from one region to the next.
Source: OpenStreetMap (route relations hiking, foot and walking), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Trans Canada Trail sections as OSM maps them.
When to get out
Chatham is best on foot in May to September
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Ridgetown, 26 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 | 9.1 |
| High (°C) | -1 | 1 | 6 | 13 | 19 | 25 | 27 | 26 | 23 | 16 | 8 | 2 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 83 | 61 | 64 | 87 | 83 | 78 | 75 | 74 | 81 | 72 | 74 | 70 |
Rain and snow peak in April (87 mm) and ease in February (61 mm). January brings highs of -1 °C, July highs of 27 °C. About 91 cm of snow falls in a year. The climate in Chatham →
Beaches
The beach near Chatham: Willow Beach, 2.4 km away
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Willow Beachsand · 2.4 km from town
DirectionsUnnamed on the map: 7 more. 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
Near Chatham: one viewpoint on the map
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
1Viewpoints2Hills and peaks9Nature reserves21Picnic sites128Playgrounds1Dog parks13Campsites16Slipways
128 playgrounds top the list.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 1
Plus 1 viewpoint without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 2
52 Hillin town
DirectionsKlondike Hillin town
DirectionsNature reserves 9
C. M. Wilson Conservation Areain town
DirectionsO'Neil Nature Preservein town
DirectionsPeers Wetlandin town
DirectionsRoberta Stewart Wildlife Areain town
DirectionsRondeau Provincial Parkin town
DirectionsSt. Clair National Wildlife Area - St. Clair Unitin town
DirectionsWheatley Provincial Parkin town
DirectionsPlus 2 nature reserves without a name on the map.
Picnic sites 21
Picnic Shelterin town
DirectionsSheltered picnic areain town
DirectionsPlus 19 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 128
Jungle Gymin town
DirectionsMcDonald's PlayPlacein town
DirectionsSwingsin town
DirectionsThe Magic Landin town
DirectionsWallaceburg Splash Padin town
DirectionsPlus 123 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Happy Tails Dog Parkin town
DirectionsCampsites 13
Bass Havenin town
DirectionsBlue Water Shiloh Parkin town
DirectionsCampers Covein town
DirectionsErie Beach Campgroundsin town
DirectionsRondeau Park Campgroundin town
DirectionsEnchanted Hideaway Trailer Park and Camping1.9 km from town
DirectionsPlus 7 campsites without a name on the map.
Slipways 16
Boat Launchin town
DirectionsPublic Boat Launchin town
DirectionsShiloh Park Boat Rampin town
DirectionsPlus 13 slipways without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Chatham
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 Chatham with figures are 29–50 km away.
Walpole Island 46Dawn-EuphemiaLakeshoreEnniskillenChatham
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chatham | 1% | 21 | 0 | 8 |
| Walpole Island 46 29 km | 0.2% | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Dawn-Euphemia 34 km | 0.3% | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Lakeshore 46 km | 0.4% | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| Enniskillen 50 km | 0.2% | 5 | 0 | 0 |
Next door, protected shares stay within twice Chatham’s.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Private land. Private conservation land is in the totals, not the lists. Many such areas are easements on working farms or woodlots.
- Walking routes. The list is OpenStreetMap’s, so a missing trail may just be unmapped. The Trans Canada Trail appears where OSM maps it.
- National and provincial parks. The nearest national park and the nearest provincial park are always shown when they are within 100 km.
- Beaches. Beaches are OpenStreetMap’s, named or not; in the north many are unnamed shoreline imports.
- 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.
Questions about the outdoors in Chatham
How far is the nearest provincial park from Chatham?
Rondeau Provincial Park touches the town.
When is the best time for walking in Chatham?
May to September, on the 1991–2020 normals and the daylight: long days, highs of 15 °C or more, light rain for the place.
What is the nearest national park to Chatham?
The nearest is Point Pelee National Park, 9.2 km away.
Which is the biggest protected area near Chatham?
Rondeau Provincial Park, a provincial park of 3,254 ha.
What is the nearest beach to Chatham?
Willow Beach, 2.4 km from town, is the nearest mapped beach.
Are there protected areas near Chatham?
Yes: 1% of the land within 10 km is protected.
Sources
The sources behind Chatham’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).