First pick
Slo-Pitch City
Park or garden
14 ha0.4 km of path
5.8 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: P199 · CC BY-SA 3.00.6%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Dorchester · parks, protected land & trails
Dorchester has 0.6% protected land within 10 km
A provincial park, Trillium Woods Provincial Park, lies 14 km away. 2 mapped walking routes pass within 2 km, among them the Thames Valley Trail and St. Marys Loop. 2 beaches are mapped within 5 km, none with a name.
Protected land
0.6%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
17
within 10 km, 2 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest provincial park
14 km
Trillium Woods Provincial Park
Walking routes
2
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Beaches
2
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Against other towns
Each figure for Dorchester, 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. This page carries no grade, because Canada’s grading doesn’t cover the outdoors; the comparisons are the point.
Protected within 10 km0.6%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 areas2Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes2Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches2Beaches mapped on OpenStreetMap within 5 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Dorchester has the 9th least protected land nearby of 40 towns its size
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (15,181 to 15,792 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
Dorchester0.6%
Towns its size2.4%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Dorchester2
Towns its size7
Towns in Ontario4
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Dorchester2
Towns its size0
Towns in Ontario1
Typical Canadian town0
For protected land nearby, Dorchester lags towns its size: 31 of 39 are ahead.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pincourt QC | 33% | 0.6% | 38 | 0 | 4 |
| 2 | Lachine-Ouest QC | 19% | 0.1% | 28 | 0 | 4 |
| 3 | Beauharnois QC | 17% | 2.2% | 32 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Gaspé QC | 13% | 21% | 41 | 13 | 51 |
| 5 | Ledbury-Heron Gate-Ridgemont ON | 12% | 0% | 34 | 0 | 1 |
| 6 | Severn ON | 9.6% | 1.1% | 52 | 1 | 7 |
| 7 | Brookside - Briarbrook - Morgans Grant ON | 8.1% | 0% | 14 | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | Pointe-Saint-Charles QC | 7.7% | 0% | 24 | 1 | 6 |
| 9 | Vieux-Longueuil QC | 6.4% | 0% | 24 | 0 | 5 |
| 10 | Lougheed BC | 5.6% | 0% | 53 | 2 | 49 |
| 11 | Saint-François QC | 5.4% | 1% | 56 | 0 | 1 |
| 12 | Lairet QC | 5% | 0% | 15 | 0 | 4 |
| 13 | Sainte-Adèle QC | 4.8% | 8% | 24 | 1 | 5 |
| 14 | Jésuites QC | 4.6% | 0% | 17 | 1 | 6 |
| 15 | Parksville BC | 4.4% | 13% | 24 | 0 | 11 |
| 16 | Vallée-de-la-Lièvre QC | 4.3% | 16% | 39 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | Downtown ON | 3.6% | 2.8% | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| 18 | Lachute QC | 3.5% | 0.9% | 27 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | François-Perrault QC | 2.6% | 0% | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Vanier ON | 2.6% | 0% | 22 | 1 | 0 |
| 21 | Trinity-Bellwoods ON | 2.1% | 0% | 11 | 7 | 24 |
| 22 | Byron ON | 2.1% | 0% | 14 | 1 | 0 |
| 23 | Pleasant View ON | 1.9% | 0% | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Little Portugal ON | 1.8% | 0% | 11 | 4 | 20 |
| 25 | East Willowdale ON | 1.7% | 0% | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | Hamilton Road ON | 1.7% | 0% | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Stonebridge SK | 1.7% | 0% | 18 | 0 | 1 |
| 28 | Saint-Vincent-de-Paul QC | 1.5% | 0% | 23 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | Parc-Jarry QC | 1.5% | 0% | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Loretteville QC | 1.1% | 0% | 21 | 1 | 2 |
| 31 | Pembroke ON | 1% | 0% | 6 | 0 | 3 |
| 32 | Dorchester ON | 0.6% | 1% | 17 | 2 | 2 |
| 33 | High River AB | 0.6% | 0% | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Thorncliffe AB | 0.3% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 35 | Central Elgin ON | 0.2% | 0.3% | 8 | 7 | 6 |
| 36 | Edenbridge-Humber Valley ON | 0.2% | 2.1% | 6 | 1 | 6 |
| 37 | Laurel AB | 0.2% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 38 | Sheridan ON | 0.1% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 39 | East Riverside ON | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 40 | Edgemont AB | 0% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 2 |
The map
The green map of Dorchester
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 Dorchester
Slo-Pitch City is the largest, at 14 ha; the rest follow by size, numbered as on the map.
4 named parks and woods, 38 ha in all
Parks & gardens 38 ha
Most of it sits in Slo-Pitch City and Thorndale Fairground: 67% together.
Thorndale Fairground
Park or garden
12 ha1.1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.1 km of path
11 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Thames Centre Outdoor Recreation Complex
Park or garden
12 ha0.8 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.8 km of path
4.5 km southfrom the centre
Weaver Trail
Directionsto a point inside
Rememberance Gardens
Park or garden · 200 m outside town
0.5 ha
7.0 km south-westfrom 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 3 in 10 in Dorchester
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 (27%)Further (73%)
Dorchester27%
Towns in Ontario90%
Typical Canadian town83%
Around 11,300 residents are further than 400 m from a park. That is below the typical Canadian town (83%).
Protected areas
Dorchester has 17 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 Dorchester1%
Within 10 km0.6%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
2 of the 17 are on public land. The largest named one is Meadowlily Woods Esa, at 60 ha. The count includes 15 areas that are private or not recorded as public; they aren’t named.
Meadowlily Woods EsaNature reserve · 60 ha · 3.6 km from the edge of town
Pottersburg Central South EsaNature reserve · 15 ha · 3.7 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
Trillium Woods Provincial Park, 14 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
Trillium Woods Provincial Park
14 km east0.1 km²since 1969
Canada’s national parks are all more than 100 km from Dorchester, so the parks here are provincial.
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: 101 km in and around Dorchester
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
101 km
in and around the town (585.3 km²)
Woodland
12%
about 71.3 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
DorchesterTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0.2
01.53 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
DorchesterTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Woodland12%
0%50%100%
Woods cover more of it than in 56% of Canadian towns. 79% of Canadian towns have more footpath per km².
Source: OpenStreetMap, © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Mapping varies by place: a dense figure can mean keen local mappers as much as many paths.
Walking routes
2 mapped routes to walk from Dorchester
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
RegionalLocal
Thames Valley Trail141.3 km
St. Marys Loop14.0 km
At 141.3 km, the Thames Valley Trail is the longest local route.
Source: OpenStreetMap (route relations hiking, foot and walking), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Trans Canada Trail sections as OSM maps them.
When to get out
Dorchester is best on foot in May to September
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from London (6.9 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) | 9.3 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.3 | 15.1 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 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 |
July is the warmest month, with highs around 27 °C; January the coldest, at -2 °C. Precipitation runs from 63 mm in February to 93 mm in September. Expect around 152 cm of snow over a winter. The climate in Dorchester →
Beaches
2 beaches within 5 km of Dorchester, none named
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
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
Near Dorchester: 2 viewpoints on the map
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
Count 16 playgrounds, the biggest group.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 2
Plus 2 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 2
Dorchester Conservation Areain town
DirectionsFanshawe Conservation Areain town
DirectionsPicnic sites 3
Plus 3 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 16
Plus 16 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 6
Camp Belin town
DirectionsCamper's Corner RV Campgroundin town
DirectionsGolden Pond RV Resortin town
DirectionsFanshawe Conservation Area Campground0.5 km from town
DirectionsPlus 2 campsites without a name on the map.
Slipways 3
Plus 3 slipways without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Dorchester
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
ArgyleJacksonHamilton RoadHuron HeightsEast LondonGlen CairnDorchester
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dorchester | 0.6% | 17 | 2 | 2 |
| Argyle 8.5 km | 1.5% | 13 | 1 | 0 |
| Jackson 11 km | 1.6% | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Hamilton Road 11 km | 1.7% | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| Huron Heights 12 km | 1.6% | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| East London 12 km | 1.8% | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| Glen Cairn 13 km | 1.6% | 13 | 1 | 0 |
Around Argyle, Jackson and Hamilton Road the protected share is at least double.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Walking routes. The list is OpenStreetMap’s, so a missing trail may just be unmapped. The Trans Canada Trail appears where OSM maps it.
- Protected land. CPCAD maps each protected area; the page counts how much of the 10 km around the town they cover, lakes and sea included.
- National and provincial parks. The nearest national park and the nearest provincial park are always shown when they are within 100 km.
- Beaches. A beach counts when its centre point lies within 5 km of the town’s outline. Names come from the map.
- Private land. Private conservation land is in the totals, not the lists. Many such areas are easements on working farms or woodlots.
Questions about the outdoors in Dorchester
Are there hiking trails near Dorchester?
OpenStreetMap maps the Thames Valley Trail and St. Marys Loop close by, with others.
Where can you swim near Dorchester?
There are beaches within 5 km, none of them named.
How much land around Dorchester is protected?
Yes: 0.6% of the land within 10 km is protected.
Is there a provincial park near Dorchester?
Trillium Woods Provincial Park, 14 km from the edge of town.
Is Dorchester near a national park?
None within 100 km of Dorchester.
What is the best season to get outdoors in Dorchester?
May to September: long days, mild highs and little rain.
What is the largest protected area near Dorchester?
It is Meadowlily Woods Esa, a nature reserve covering 60 ha.
Sources
The sources behind Dorchester’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).