First pick
Hillcrest Park
Park or garden
2.5 ha
1.3 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: P199 · CC BY-SA 3.05.3%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Cochrane · parks, protected land & trails
1.5 km from Cochrane to Greenwater Provincial Park
Of the country within 10 km, 5.3% lies in protected areas; the median Canadian town has 2.3%. Within 100 km there is no national park. There is a beach within 5 km, unnamed on the map.
Protected land
5.3%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
3
within 10 km, 3 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest provincial park
1.5 km
Greenwater Provincial Park
Beaches
1
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Against other towns
How Cochrane 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. Canada’s grades don’t include the outdoors, so this page compares the figures rather than grading them.
Protected within 10 km5.3%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town0.6%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas3Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes0Named 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
Among 40 towns its size, Cochrane ranks 12th for protected land within 10 km
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (5,829 to 6,079 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
Cochrane5.3%
Towns its size1.8%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Cochrane3
Towns its size3
Towns in Ontario4
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Cochrane0
Towns its size0
Towns in Ontario1
Typical Canadian town0
Against towns its size, Cochrane does best for protected land nearby: 11 of the other 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Crowsnest Pass AB | 25% | 20% | 21 | 6 | 0 |
| 2 | Cumberland County, Subdivision C NS | 20% | 8% | 133 | 0 | 9 |
| 3 | Electoral Area A, Bulkley-Nechako BC | 15% | 14% | 9 | 0 | 17 |
| 4 | Mile 108 Recreational Ranch BC | 12% | 12% | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | East Ferris ON | 10% | 1.8% | 3 | 0 | 8 |
| 6 | Lowertown West ON | 10% | 1.5% | 36 | 4 | 4 |
| 7 | Sainte-Martine QC | 8.8% | 0% | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | Kirkendall North ON | 7.2% | 0% | 23 | 2 | 3 |
| 9 | Crystal Bay - Lakeview Park ON | 7.1% | 20% | 37 | 5 | 8 |
| 10 | Spallumcheen BC | 6% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| 11 | Creston BC | 5.5% | 0% | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | Cochrane ON | 5.3% | 0.6% | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 13 | Port Mann BC | 5.1% | 4.4% | 108 | 6 | 7 |
| 14 | Lawfield ON | 4.2% | 0% | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | Stettler County No. 6 AB | 3.9% | 3.3% | 96 | 0 | 3 |
| 16 | Cedarbrae AB | 3.7% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| 17 | Homeside ON | 2.6% | 0% | 16 | 1 | 6 |
| 18 | Underwood ON | 2.4% | 0% | 13 | 0 | 1 |
| 19 | Country Hills West ON | 2.1% | 0% | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | River Bend ON | 1.8% | 13% | 14 | 2 | 0 |
| 21 | Central Frederick ON | 1.7% | 0% | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | Nutana Urban Centre SK | 1.7% | 0% | 17 | 0 | 1 |
| 23 | Broadway-Assiniboine MB | 1.5% | 0% | 23 | 4 | 0 |
| 24 | Richelieu QC | 1.4% | 4.8% | 18 | 0 | 1 |
| 25 | Minto MB | 1.4% | 0% | 23 | 1 | 0 |
| 26 | Caernarvon AB | 1.4% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Val-David QC | 1.3% | 8.3% | 11 | 0 | 5 |
| 28 | Dunluce AB | 1.3% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | Brokenhead MB | 1.2% | 2% | 6 | 0 | 4 |
| 30 | University SK | 1.2% | 0% | 14 | 1 | 3 |
| 31 | Saint-Henri QC | 0.5% | 0% | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | Stettler AB | 0.3% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | Mayland Heights AB | 0.3% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 34 | Lac-Mégantic QC | 0.2% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 35 | Melfort SK | 0.1% | 1.5% | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 36 | Ellerslie AB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 37 | Amqui QC | 0% | 0% | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| 38 | Redcliff AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 39 | Boyle Street AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 40 | Homesteader AB | 0% | 0% | 1 | 1 | 0 |
The map
The green map of Cochrane
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
2 parks and woods to walk in, in or near Cochrane
The biggest is Hillcrest Park, 2.5 ha. Biggest first, numbered as on 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
3 in 10 people in Cochrane 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 (28%)Further (72%)
Cochrane28%
Towns in Ontario90%
Typical Canadian town83%
That is below the typical Canadian town (83%). For about 4,300 people, the nearest park is over 400 m away.
Protected areas
Protected areas cover 5.3% of the land near Cochrane
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Cochrane0.6%
Within 10 km5.3%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Governments or Indigenous nations hold all 3. Biggest of the named areas: Greenwater Provincial Park, 8,504 ha.
Nahma Bog and Poor Fens Conservation ReserveNature reserve · 3,606 ha · reaches Cochrane
Greenwater Provincial ParkProvincial park · 8,504 ha · 1.5 km from the edge of town
North Driftwood River Provincial ParkProvincial park · 3.0 ha · 6.0 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
Greenwater Provincial Park, 1.5 km off
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
Greenwater Provincial Park
1.5 km north-west85 km²since 1957
Provincial park
North Driftwood River Provincial Park
6.0 km north-west0.0 km²since 1985
No national park lies within 100 km of Cochrane; the provincial parks are the big protected land within reach. Within 10 km are 2 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
Cochrane has 51 km of footpaths in and around it
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
51 km
in and around the town (682.9 km²)
Woodland
82%
about 560.5 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
CochraneTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0.1
01.53 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
CochraneTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Woodland82%
0%50%100%
For woods, it beats 97% of Canadian towns. Paths are thinner on the ground than in 89% 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
OpenStreetMap shows no walking route near Cochrane
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
OpenStreetMap has no named walking route within 2 km of the town. Trails may exist without being mapped as routes.
Source: OpenStreetMap (route relations hiking, foot and walking), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Trans Canada Trail sections as OSM maps them.
When to get out
Cochrane is best on foot in May, July and August
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Timmins/Victor Power (63 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) | 8.6 | 10.1 | 11.7 | 13.6 | 15.3 | 16.2 | 15.8 | 14.4 | 12.5 | 10.7 | 9.0 | 8.2 |
| High (°C) | -10 | -8 | -1 | 7 | 17 | 22 | 24 | 23 | 18 | 9 | 1 | -7 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 49 | 40 | 48 | 62 | 70 | 80 | 79 | 76 | 81 | 86 | 69 | 57 |
Precipitation runs from 40 mm in February to 86 mm in October. The warmest days come in July (24 °C highs), the coldest in January (-10 °C). The climate in Cochrane →
Beaches
A beach within 5 km of Cochrane
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
This page can’t show water quality: no open, Canada-wide record of beach testing exists. Check local advisories first.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
10 things to do outdoors near Cochrane
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
There are 4 playgrounds, more than of anything else.
Every named place, with directions
Playgrounds 4
Plus 4 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Plus 1 dog park without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
Plus 1 campsite without a name on the map.
Slipways 2
Plus 2 slipways without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Cochrane
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 Cochrane with figures are 44–49 km away.
Iroquois FallsCochrane, Unorganized, North PartSmooth Rock FallsCochrane
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cochrane | 5.3% | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| Iroquois Falls 44 km | 0.8% | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Cochrane, Unorganized, North Part 47 km | 5.1% | 81 | 0 | 28 |
| Smooth Rock Falls 49 km | 1.2% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
None of its neighbours has twice the protected land around it that Cochrane has.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- National and provincial parks. The nearest national park and the nearest provincial park are always shown when they are within 100 km.
- Walking routes. Routes are what OpenStreetMap’s volunteers have mapped as named walking or hiking routes; many good trails aren’t mapped that way.
- 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.
- Beaches. Beaches are OpenStreetMap’s, named or not; in the north many are unnamed shoreline imports.
- Private land. Areas held by land trusts or private owners stay unnamed here, though they count in the shares.
Questions about the outdoors in Cochrane
What is the biggest park or reserve near Cochrane?
Greenwater Provincial Park: 8,504 ha, a provincial park.
What is the nearest national park to Cochrane?
No national park lies within 100 km of Cochrane.
When should you visit Cochrane for the outdoors?
On the normals, May, July and August: that is when days are long, highs reach 15 °C and rain is light.
How much land around Cochrane is protected?
Protected areas cover 5.3% of the land within 10 km.
How far is the nearest provincial park from Cochrane?
Greenwater Provincial Park, 1.5 km away.
Where can you swim near Cochrane?
There is an unnamed beach within 5 km.
Sources
Sources for this page on Cochrane
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).