First pick
Southward Park
Park or garden
35 ha3.8 km of path
50 minto walk all 3.8 km of path
4.8 km southfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: William B. Grice · CC BY-SA 4.00.7%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Grimsby · parks, protected land & trails
7 named trails run within 2 km of Grimsby
Swimmers have 8 beaches within 5 km, Nelles Beach the nearest. The nearest provincial park, Short Hills Provincial Park, is 18 km away. A drive of 75 km reaches Rouge National Urban Park, the nearest national park.
Protected land
0.7%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
26
within 10 km, 8 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
75 km
Rouge National Urban Park
Nearest provincial park
18 km
Short Hills Provincial Park
Walking routes
7
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Beaches
8
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
What Grimsby has going for it outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
Grimsby is strongest on its choice of walking routes, with its beaches close behind.
Against other towns
Each figure for Grimsby, 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. 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 km0.7%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town1.5%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas8Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes7Named 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
Grimsby has the 6th least protected land nearby of 40 towns its size
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (29,725 to 33,229 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
Grimsby0.7%
Towns its size2.9%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Grimsby8
Towns its size8
Towns in Ontario4
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Grimsby7
Towns its size0
Towns in Ontario1
Typical Canadian town0
For protected land nearby, Grimsby lags towns its size: 34 of 39 are ahead.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pierrefonds-Ouest QC | 34% | 25% | 48 | 0 | 13 |
| 2 | Des Explorateurs QC | 23% | 12% | 46 | 1 | 10 |
| 3 | Vieux-Lachine - Saint-Pierre QC | 17% | 0% | 30 | 0 | 3 |
| 4 | Portobello South ON | 12% | 0% | 41 | 0 | 1 |
| 5 | Centretown ON | 12% | 1.5% | 37 | 4 | 6 |
| 6 | Savane QC | 11% | 0% | 25 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | La Cité QC | 9.1% | 0% | 46 | 0 | 2 |
| 8 | Verdun-Centre QC | 8.2% | 0% | 18 | 0 | 7 |
| 9 | Du Moulin QC | 8.2% | 9.9% | 46 | 0 | 2 |
| 10 | Magog QC | 7.5% | 1.2% | 53 | 1 | 16 |
| 11 | West End BC | 6.6% | 51% | 12 | 4 | 76 |
| 12 | Sainte-Julie QC | 5.8% | 0.7% | 45 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | Saint-Constant QC | 5.8% | 0% | 25 | 0 | 1 |
| 14 | Johnston Heights BC | 5.8% | 29% | 131 | 7 | 6 |
| 15 | Rockland ON | 5.2% | 0.9% | 57 | 0 | 2 |
| 16 | Orangeville ON | 4.2% | 3.5% | 38 | 1 | 1 |
| 17 | Mount Olive-Silverstone-Jamestown ON | 4.1% | 0% | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| 18 | Killarney BC | 4% | 3.5% | 14 | 2 | 6 |
| 19 | Conception Bay South NL | 3.6% | 0% | 1 | 2 | 23 |
| 20 | Victoria-Fraserview BC | 3.1% | 0% | 15 | 2 | 4 |
| 21 | Chambly QC | 2.7% | 1.1% | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | Est (Montréal-Nord) QC | 2.6% | 0% | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | Boisbriand QC | 2.3% | 0.2% | 35 | 2 | 1 |
| 24 | Annex ON | 2.1% | 0% | 13 | 9 | 13 |
| 25 | Vimont QC | 1.9% | 0% | 33 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | Crémazie QC | 1.8% | 0% | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Val-Bélair QC | 1.7% | 2.9% | 27 | 2 | 12 |
| 28 | St Lawrence-East Bayfront-The Islands ON | 1.7% | 6.1% | 12 | 9 | 48 |
| 29 | Glenfield-Jane Heights ON | 1.6% | 0% | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Courtenay BC | 1.4% | 2.9% | 54 | 0 | 1 |
| 31 | Nouveau-Bordeaux QC | 1.4% | 0% | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | Meadowvale Village ON | 0.9% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | Alma QC | 0.8% | 0.2% | 6 | 0 | 8 |
| 34 | Elmira ON | 0.8% | 0% | 27 | 10 | 1 |
| 35 | Grimsby ON | 0.7% | 1.5% | 26 | 7 | 8 |
| 36 | Lisgar ON | 0.7% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 37 | Chestermere AB | 0.5% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| 38 | Applewood ON | 0.3% | 0% | 6 | 1 | 3 |
| 39 | DT Core ON | 0.3% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Fort Saskatchewan AB | 0.1% | 0% | 2 | 1 | 1 |
The map
Parks, woods and paths around Grimsby
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
Walk in Grimsby: 30 named parks and woods
Southward Park is the largest, at 35 ha; the rest follow by size, numbered as on the map.
30 named parks and woods, 101 ha in all
Parks & gardens 101 ha
43% of the area is in just two places: Southward Park and Forty Mile Creek Park.
Forty Mile Creek Park
Park or garden
8.5 ha1.4 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.4 km of path
1.0 km north-eastfrom the centre
Forty Mile Creek Side TrailForty Mile Creek trail
Directionsto a point inside
Biggar Lagoon Wetlands
Park or garden
8.4 ha1.1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.1 km of path
4.6 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Centennial Park
Park or garden
7.0 ha1.6 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.6 km of path
1.3 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Peach King Centre
Park or garden
5.7 ha0.6 km of path
5 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
1.5 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Mayfair Park
Park or garden
2.5 ha0.6 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
2.4 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Casablanca Waterfront Park
Park or garden
1.9 ha0.8 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.8 km of path
2.9 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
All 30 named parks and green spaces
Southward ParkPark or garden · 35 ha · 3.8 km of path
DirectionsForty Mile Creek ParkPark or garden · 8.5 ha · 1.4 km of path
DirectionsBiggar Lagoon WetlandsPark or garden · 8.4 ha · 1.1 km of path
DirectionsCentennial ParkPark or garden · 7.0 ha · 1.6 km of path
DirectionsPeach King CentrePark or garden · 5.7 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsMayfair ParkPark or garden · 2.5 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsOakes Road ParkPark or garden · 3.6 ha
DirectionsCasablanca Waterfront ParkPark or garden · 1.9 ha · 0.8 km of path
DirectionsSmith School Soccer FieldPark or garden · 3.2 ha
DirectionsSherwood Hills ParkPark or garden · 2.1 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsOakes Road Dog RunPark or garden · 1.9 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsMurray Street ParkPark or garden · 2.2 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsPlace Polonaise ParkPark or garden · 1.3 ha · 0.8 km of path
DirectionsCoronation ParkPark or garden · 1.9 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsEvergreens ParkPark or garden · 1.8 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsNelles Beach ParkPark or garden · 1.9 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsGrimsby BeachPark or garden · 1.3 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsSteve McDonnell Leash Free Dog ParkPark or garden · 0.8 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsAlway Community CentrePark or garden · 1.6 ha
DirectionsDorchester ParkPark or garden · 0.9 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsAspen ParkPark or garden · 0.8 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsMorrison ParkPark or garden · 1.1 ha
DirectionsBal HarbourPark or garden · 1.1 ha
DirectionsArrowhead ParkPark or garden · 0.9 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsPinewood ParkPark or garden · 0.6 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsVineyard ValleyPark or garden · 0.6 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsRoberts Road ParkPark or garden · 1.0 ha
DirectionsEscarpment Vista ParkPark or garden · 0.9 ha
DirectionsBravo by the Lake ParkPark or garden · 0.6 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsShane Armstrong Skate ParkPark or garden · 0.5 ha · 0.2 km of path
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
A park is within a short walk for 8 in 10 in Grimsby
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 (84%)Further (16%)
Grimsby84%
Towns in Ontario90%
Typical Canadian town83%
For about 5,000 people, the nearest park is over 400 m away. Few do better: the typical Canadian town is at 83%.
Protected areas
Featherstone touches Grimsby
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Grimsby1.5%
Within 10 km0.7%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public ownership covers 8 of the 26. The largest named one is Featherstone, at 9.6 ha. 18 areas belong to private owners or land trusts and aren’t named here.
FeatherstoneProtected area · 9.6 ha · reaches Grimsby
RicenburgProtected area · 9.0 ha · reaches Grimsby
DopkoProtected area · 3.2 ha · reaches Grimsby
Romlee (Rossetto)Protected area · 1.8 ha · reaches Grimsby
KlackoProtected area · 1.3 ha · reaches Grimsby
DenickProtected area · 0.5 ha · reaches Grimsby
TaylorProtected area · 4.9 ha · 1.8 km from the edge of town
WattieProtected area · 1.8 ha · 8.3 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
Rouge National Urban Park is 75 km away
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
Short Hills Provincial Park
18 km south-east7.2 km²since 1985
National urban park
Rouge National Urban Park
75 km north-east46 km²since 2015
Closer to home, Short Hills Provincial Park is 18 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
Grimsby and its edge hold 62 km of footpath
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
62 km
in and around the town (113.1 km²)
Woodland
16%
about 17.6 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
GrimsbyTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0.5
01.53 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
GrimsbyTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Woodland16%
0%50%100%
More of it is wooded than in 62% of Canadian towns. Paths are thinner on the ground than in 65% 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
Where to walk from Grimsby
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
RegionalLocalOther waymarked
Bruce Trail - Iroquoia section124.0 km
Bruce Trail - Niagara section81.8 km
Bruce Trail - Iroquoia section side trails10.7 km
Dofasco 2000 Trail9.7 km
Forty Mile Creek Trail3.0 km
Lookout Trail1.3 km
Bruce Trail Side Trails - Iroquoia Section0.8 km
Among local routes, the Bruce Trail - Iroquoia section is longest at 124.0 km. For a short stroll, 2 are under 3 km.
Source: OpenStreetMap (route relations hiking, foot and walking), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Trans Canada Trail sections as OSM maps them.
When to get out
The best months for walking in Grimsby: May to September
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Vineland, 12 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) | 9.3 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.7 | 15.4 | 15.1 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 9.0 |
| High (°C) | 0 | 1 | 5 | 12 | 19 | 24 | 27 | 26 | 22 | 16 | 9 | 3 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 71 | 52 | 62 | 83 | 70 | 78 | 74 | 69 | 69 | 77 | 72 | 62 |
The yearly snowfall is near 141 cm. From 0 °C in January to 27 °C in July: that is the range of daytime highs. February is the driest month at 52 mm; April the wettest at 83 mm. The climate in Grimsby →
Beaches
Beaches near Grimsby: 8 within 5 km
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Nelles Beachsand · in town
DirectionsOpenStreetMap shows 7 more, nameless. Water quality isn’t shown: there’s no open national record of beach tests. Local health authorities post advisories.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
Near Grimsby: 6 viewpoints, 11 waterfalls
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
The most common are playgrounds: 46 on the map.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 6
Falcon Viewtowerin town
DirectionsGrimsby Pointin town
DirectionsPlus 4 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 1
Grimsby Mountainin town
DirectionsWaterfalls 11
Beamer's Fallsin town
DirectionsLower Beamer Fallsin town
DirectionsThirty Road Fallsin town
DirectionsPuddicombe Falls0.2 km from town
DirectionsEast of Fifty Falls0.5 km from town
DirectionsFifty Road Cascade0.7 km from town
DirectionsWest of Fifty Lower Falls0.9 km from town
DirectionsWest of Fifty Upper Cascade0.9 km from town
DirectionsPlus 3 waterfalls more.
Nature reserves 6
Beamer Memorial Conservation Areain town
DirectionsFifty Point Conservation Areain town
DirectionsWoolverton Conservation Areain town
DirectionsWinona Conservation Area0.5 km from town
DirectionsMountainview Conservation Area1.1 km from town
DirectionsPlus 1 nature reserve more.
Dog parks 3
Oakes Road Dog Runin town
DirectionsSouthward Leash-Free Dog Parkin town
DirectionsSteve McDonnell Leash Free Dog Parkin town
DirectionsSlipways 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 Grimsby
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
Fifty PointIndustrialTrilliumSmithvilleBeamsvilleWestmeriaGrimsby
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grimsby | 0.7% | 26 | 7 | 8 |
| Fifty Point 6.3 km | 1.2% | 19 | 0 | 3 |
| Industrial 7.9 km | 1.2% | 24 | 2 | 10 |
| Trillium 10 km | 1.4% | 18 | 1 | 5 |
| Smithville 11 km | 1.3% | 42 | 0 | 1 |
| Beamsville 12 km | 1.2% | 26 | 5 | 9 |
| Westmeria 12 km | 1.6% | 18 | 2 | 5 |
For protected land, Trillium and Westmeria have twice as much or more.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- National and provincial parks. Distances run from the town’s edge to the park’s, so 0 km means they touch.
- Beaches. Beaches are OpenStreetMap’s, named or not; in the north many are unnamed shoreline imports.
- 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.
- Private land. Areas held by land trusts or private owners stay unnamed here, though they count in the shares.
- Walking routes. Routes are what OpenStreetMap’s volunteers have mapped as named walking or hiking routes; many good trails aren’t mapped that way.
Questions about the outdoors in Grimsby
Is there a provincial park near Grimsby?
Short Hills Provincial Park, 18 km from the edge of town.
What is the best season to get outdoors in Grimsby?
On the normals, May to September: that is when days are long, highs reach 15 °C and rain is light.
Where can you walk near Grimsby?
Try the Bruce Trail - Niagara section, Bruce Trail - Iroquoia section and Forty Mile Creek Trail; more are on the map.
Which is the biggest protected area near Grimsby?
It is Featherstone, a protected area covering 9.6 ha.
Is there a beach near Grimsby?
Try Nelles Beach, in town, first of several.
Are there protected areas near Grimsby?
Within 10 km, 0.7% of the land lies in protected areas.
What is the nearest national park to Grimsby?
Rouge National Urban Park is closest, at 75 km.
Sources
The sources behind Grimsby’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).