First pick
Cowan Park
Park or garden · 310 m outside town
12 ha1.1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.1 km of path
7.0 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: P199 · CC BY-SA 3.00.3%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Fort William 52 · parks, protected land & trails
A national park 19 km from Fort William 52: Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area
A provincial park, Thompson Island Provincial Park, lies 13 km away. 2 areas within 10 km are protected for nature. Swimmers have 3 beaches within 5 km, Sand Trap the nearest.
Protected land
0.3%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
2
within 10 km, 0 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
19 km
Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area
Nearest provincial park
13 km
Thompson Island Provincial Park
Beaches
3
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
The outdoors in Fort William 52, in short
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
A national park nearbyLake Superior National Marine Conservation Area, 19 km awayLittle protected land0.3% within 10 km; the typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Fort William 52’s best card is Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area within easy reach. Where it falls short is protected land nearby.
Against other towns
Each figure for Fort William 52, 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 km0.3%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town0%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas0Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes0Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches3Beaches mapped on OpenStreetMap within 5 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Fort William 52 has the 13th least protected land nearby of 40 towns its size
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (1,038 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
Fort William 520.3%
Towns its size1.4%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Fort William 520
Towns its size3
Towns in Ontario4
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Fort William 520
Towns its size0
Towns in Ontario1
Typical Canadian town0
Where Fort William 52 trails its peers is public protected areas; 33 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 | Burrows-Keewatin MB | 1% | 0% | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Elmwood AB | 0.8% | 0% | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 25 | Hatley QC | 0.7% | 0% | 9 | 0 | 5 |
| 26 | Munroe West MB | 0.4% | 0% | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Brooke-Alvinston ON | 0.3% | 0.2% | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Fort William 52 ON | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 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
Parks, woods and paths around Fort William 52
The First Nations reserve’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
Walk in Fort William 52: 2 named parks and woods
Cowan Park is the largest, at 12 ha; the rest follow by size, numbered as on the map.
Chippewa Park
Park or garden
9.9 ha1.2 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.2 km of path
3.4 km eastfrom 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
Few people in Fort William 52 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%)
Fort William 520%
Towns in Ontario90%
Typical Canadian town83%
Around 1,000 residents are further than 400 m from a park. The typical Canadian town reaches 83%.
Protected areas
Fort William 52 has 2 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 Fort William 520%
Within 10 km0.3%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
All of them are private land, held by landowners or conservation groups, so they are counted here but not named.
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
Big parks near Fort William 52
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
Thompson Island Provincial Park
13 km south1.5 km²since 1985
National marine conservation area
Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area
19 km east10,880 km²since 2007
Nearer still is Thompson Island Provincial Park, a provincial park 13 km away.
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: 61 km in and around Fort William 52
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
61 km
in and around the town (103.5 km²)
Woodland
70%
about 72.2 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
Fort William 52Towns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0.6
01.53 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
Fort William 52Towns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Woodland70%
0%50%100%
64% of Canadian towns have more footpath per km². Woods cover more of it than in 91% 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 Fort William 52
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 First Nations reserve, 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 walking year in Fort William 52
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Atikokan, 179 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) | 8.7 | 10.1 | 11.7 | 13.6 | 15.2 | 16.1 | 15.7 | 14.3 | 12.5 | 10.7 | 9.1 | 8.3 |
| High (°C) | -8 | -5 | 1 | 9 | 16 | 22 | 25 | 24 | 19 | 11 | 3 | -5 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 33 | 26 | 34 | 53 | 80 | 101 | 117 | 94 | 102 | 74 | 40 | 38 |
The warmest month, July, is also the wettest (117 mm), while February is driest at 26 mm. Highs peak near 25 °C in July and fall to -8 °C in January. The climate in Fort William 52 →
Beaches
For a swim near Fort William 52: Sand Trap, 4.6 km off
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Sand Trapsand · 4.6 km from town
DirectionsAdd 2 unnamed beaches to the count. 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
Fort William 52 has 7 viewpoints within 2 km
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
Look up to Mount McKay: 489 m. Count 7 viewpoints, the biggest group.
Every named place, with directions
Hills and peaks 1
Mount McKay489 m · in town
DirectionsPicnic sites 2
Plus 2 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 4
Plus 4 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Slipways 1
Neste Boat Launch0.5 km from town
DirectionsSource: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Fort William 52
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
Thunder BayOliver PaipoongeFort William 52
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort William 52 | 0.3% | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Thunder Bay 9.6 km | 0.1% | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| Oliver Paipoonge 19 km | 0.7% | 5 | 0 | 1 |
Fort William 52 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
- 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.
- National and provincial parks. Distances run from the town’s edge to the park’s, so 0 km means they touch.
- Walking routes. Only named route relations count; a park’s own path network may not show unless it is mapped as a route.
- Beaches. The count includes unnamed stretches mapped as beach, which can make a lakeside town’s figure large.
- Private land. Land owned by individuals, companies or conservation groups counts toward the figures but is never named: a person’s land isn’t a place to visit.
Questions about the outdoors in Fort William 52
What is the nearest beach to Fort William 52?
Sand Trap, 4.6 km from town, is the nearest mapped beach.
How much land around Fort William 52 is protected?
Within 10 km, 0.3% of the land lies in protected areas.
What is the nearest national park to Fort William 52?
Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area is closest, at 19 km.
Is there a provincial park near Fort William 52?
Thompson Island Provincial Park, 13 km from the edge of town.
Sources
The sources behind Fort William 52’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).