Photo: Boxcarphilly · CC BY 3.035 public protected areas lie within 10 km of Grey Highlands
OpenStreetMap shows 4 walking routes nearby, including the Bruce Trail - Beaver Valley section and Bruce Trail - Blue Mountains section. 57 km separate the town from Georgian Bay Islands National Park, its nearest national park. The protected share within 10 km is 1.3%, where a typical Canadian town has 2.3%.
Where Grey Highlands stands out outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
For someone who likes to get outside, Grey Highlands’ draw is the number of public protected areas close by, with its choice of walking routes close behind.
Grey Highlands 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. There is no Outdoors grade for Canadian towns; the figures stand beside the country’s towns of 2,500+ without a letter.
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Grey Highlands has the 14th least protected land nearby of 40 towns its size
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (11,910 to 12,413 residents), by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected. Hover for each one’s figures; click for its page.
None of the other 39 towns its size has more public protected areas than Grey Highlands. It trails them for protected land nearby, where 26 of 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | L'Île-Perrot QC | 42% | 0.5% | 44 | 0 | 4 |
| 2 | Cantley QC | 21% | 1.2% | 32 | 0 | 3 |
| 3 | Elliot Lake ON | 18% | 7.2% | 10 | 0 | 4 |
| 4 | Orleans Village - Chateauneuf ON | 14% | 0% | 35 | 0 | 1 |
| 5 | Nelson BC | 14% | 0.1% | 10 | 2 | 8 |
| 6 | Summerland BC | 11% | 7.5% | 25 | 0 | 45 |
| 7 | Rideau Lakes ON | 10% | 14% | 77 | 6 | 12 |
| 8 | Valley Creek ON | 6.3% | 29% | 10 | 0 | 1 |
| 9 | Chapman Mills ON | 6% | 1.9% | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | Saint-Rodrigue QC | 4.8% | 0% | 15 | 1 | 4 |
| 11 | Adjala-Tosorontio ON | 4.7% | 1.1% | 68 | 3 | 4 |
| 12 | Humber Summit ON | 3.6% | 0% | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | Moncton NB | 3.4% | 1.4% | 27 | 0 | 1 |
| 14 | Milliken ON | 3.4% | 0% | 15 | 0 | 1 |
| 15 | McKenzie Lake AB | 3.3% | 1.1% | 2 | 0 | 17 |
| 16 | Marieville QC | 2.9% | 0.7% | 37 | 0 | 5 |
| 17 | Morrisburg ON | 2.6% | 4.2% | 17 | 0 | 5 |
| 18 | Saint-Sauveur QC | 2.3% | 0% | 21 | 0 | 7 |
| 19 | St. Andrews MB | 2.3% | 1.1% | 9 | 2 | 2 |
| 20 | Woodbine Corridor ON | 2.3% | 0% | 13 | 3 | 34 |
| 21 | Bromont QC | 2.2% | 2% | 25 | 0 | 2 |
| 22 | St. Clements MB | 2.2% | 3% | 9 | 8 | 10 |
| 23 | Dovercourt Village ON | 2.1% | 0% | 11 | 3 | 13 |
| 24 | Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts QC | 1.8% | 1.6% | 15 | 1 | 8 |
| 25 | German Mills ON | 1.6% | 0% | 28 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | Royal Oak AB | 1.4% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 27 | Grey Highlands ON | 1.3% | 0.7% | 77 | 4 | 0 |
| 28 | Saint-Raymond QC | 1.2% | 1.2% | 27 | 8 | 5 |
| 29 | The Hamptons AB | 1.2% | 0% | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Georgian Bluffs ON | 1.1% | 1.9% | 67 | 4 | 17 |
| 31 | River Park South MB | 1.1% | 2.1% | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | Tyndall Park MB | 1.1% | 0% | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | Wetaskiwin County No. 10 AB | 0.7% | 1% | 52 | 0 | 3 |
| 34 | Blackfalds AB | 0.6% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | Chalmers MB | 0.6% | 0% | 15 | 1 | 0 |
| 36 | Tay ON | 0.5% | 0.6% | 17 | 3 | 5 |
| 37 | Uptown ON | 0.3% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | Norwich ON | 0.2% | 0% | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| 39 | Etobicoke West Mall ON | 0.2% | 0% | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 40 | DT Hospital ON | 0.1% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 4 |
Where the green is in Grey Highlands
Green space, woods, protected areas and footpaths in and around the town; tap a number for its park or wood.
3 named parks and woods to walk in near Grey Highlands
The biggest is King Edward Park, 4.0 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.
Few people in Grey Highlands 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.
About 12,100 residents live further than 400 m from one. That is below the typical Canadian town (83%).
Within 10 km of Grey Highlands, 1.3% is protected land
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Of the 77, 35 are public land; the others are privately held. The largest named one is Duncan Escarpment Provincial Park, at 161 ha. 18 more areas within 10 km are private land, held by landowners or conservation groups: counted here, not named.
12 more named areas within 10 km are in the figures.
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.
Georgian Bay Islands National Park, 57 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.
Duncan Escarpment Provincial Park
Nottawasaga Lookout Provincial Park
Georgian Bay Islands National Park
2 provincial parks lie within 10 km.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
149 km of paths in and around Grey Highlands
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 · km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
For path density, 82% of Canadian towns do better. It is more wooded than 78% 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.
Grey Highlands has 4 named walking routes
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
At 166.6 km, the Bruce Trail - Sydenham section is the longest local route.
Source: OpenStreetMap (route relations hiking, foot and walking), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Trans Canada Trail sections as OSM maps them.
Grey Highlands is best on foot in May to September
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Mount Forest (43 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) | 9.2 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.9 |
| High (°C) | -1 | -1 | 4 | 10 | 17 | 22 | 25 | 25 | 21 | 14 | 8 | 2 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 92 | 73 | 68 | 74 | 98 | 100 | 98 | 84 | 85 | 81 | 92 | 90 |
Precipitation runs from 68 mm in March to 100 mm in June. From -1 °C in January to 25 °C in July: that is the range of daytime highs. The climate in Grey Highlands →
Near Grey Highlands: 7 viewpoints, 6 waterfalls
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
Viewpoints lead the count with 7.
Every named place, with directions
Waterfalls 6
Plus 3 waterfalls without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 6
Plus 1 nature reserve more.
Picnic sites 3
Playgrounds 4
Plus 4 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 2
Plus 2 campsites without a name on the map.
Slipways 1
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next to Grey Highlands
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page. Distances here run 18–29 km: that is how far the nearest places with figures are from Grey Highlands.
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grey Highlands | 1.3% | 77 | 4 | 0 |
| Dundalk 18 km | 0.1% | 6 | 0 | 1 |
| Melancthon 25 km | 1.3% | 21 | 2 | 2 |
| Thornbury 27 km | 2.2% | 63 | 5 | 8 |
| Chatsworth 29 km | 0.6% | 45 | 1 | 1 |
Around Grey Highlands, nobody nearby has double its protected land.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- 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.
- 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. Protected here means in CPCAD, Canada’s official list: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and other conserved land, measured within 10 km of the town’s edge.
- National and provincial parks. The nearest national park and the nearest provincial park are always shown when they are within 100 km.
Questions about the outdoors in Grey Highlands
Where can you walk near Grey Highlands?
OpenStreetMap maps the Bruce Trail - Beaver Valley section, Bruce Trail - Blue Mountains section and Bruce Trail - Sydenham section close by, with others.
How much land around Grey Highlands is protected?
Protected areas cover 1.3% of the land within 10 km.
Is Grey Highlands near a national park?
The nearest is Georgian Bay Islands National Park, 57 km away.
What is the biggest park or reserve near Grey Highlands?
It is Duncan Escarpment Provincial Park, a provincial park covering 161 ha.
How far is the nearest provincial park from Grey Highlands?
Duncan Escarpment Provincial Park, which reaches the edge of town.
When should you visit Grey Highlands for the outdoors?
May to September: long days, mild highs and little rain.
Sources for this page on Grey Highlands
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).