First pick
The Arboretum
Park or garden
84 ha10.4 km of path
2 h 20 minto walk all 10.4 km of path
2.2 km eastfrom the centre
Trillium TrailArboretum Promenade
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Ryan Hodnett · CC BY-SA 4.00.9%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Guelph · parks, protected land & trails
10 named trails run within 2 km of Guelph
For a swim, Guelph Lake Main Beach is the nearest of 5 beaches within 5 km. The closest provincial park is Forks of the Credit Provincial Park, 30 km from the edge of town. Out to 10 km from the town’s edge, 0.9% of the land is protected; 2.3% is typical for a Canadian town.
Protected land
0.9%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
15
within 10 km, 6 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
87 km
Rouge National Urban Park
Nearest provincial park
30 km
Forks of the Credit Provincial Park
Walking routes
10
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Beaches
5
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
What Guelph has going for it outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
Guelph is strongest on its choice of walking routes, with its beaches close behind.
Against other towns
How Guelph 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. This page carries no grade, because Canada’s grading doesn’t cover the outdoors; the comparisons are the point.
Protected within 10 km0.9%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town3.1%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas6Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes10Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches5Beaches mapped on OpenStreetMap within 5 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Guelph sits 7th from last of 40 towns its size for protected land around it
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (105,925 to 243,107 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
Guelph0.9%
Towns its size3.7%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Guelph6
Towns its size15
Towns in Ontario4
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Guelph10
Towns its size2
Towns in Ontario1
Typical Canadian town0
Against towns its size, Guelph does best for walking routes: 2 of the other 39 have more. It trails them for protected land nearby, where 33 of 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maple Ridge BC | 26% | 21% | 101 | 1 | 41 |
| 2 | Coquitlam BC | 25% | 28% | 130 | 5 | 69 |
| 3 | Delta BC | 24% | 17% | 181 | 9 | 19 |
| 4 | Richmond BC | 21% | 3.2% | 73 | 2 | 31 |
| 5 | Kamloops BC | 14% | 13% | 16 | 0 | 11 |
| 6 | Kelowna BC | 13% | 3.8% | 36 | 0 | 42 |
| 7 | Saanich BC | 11% | 9.4% | 43 | 7 | 56 |
| 8 | Strathcona County AB | 9.4% | 1.4% | 38 | 7 | 6 |
| 9 | Trois-Rivières QC | 8.4% | 1.2% | 44 | 1 | 10 |
| 10 | Cape Breton NS | 8.2% | 8.6% | 176 | 1 | 74 |
| 11 | Pickering ON | 7.6% | 11% | 46 | 1 | 11 |
| 12 | Greater Sudbury / Grand Sudbury ON | 6.7% | 3.5% | 43 | 5 | 18 |
| 13 | Saguenay QC | 6% | 6.1% | 29 | 0 | 11 |
| 14 | Kingston ON | 5% | 6.2% | 54 | 2 | 5 |
| 15 | Ajax ON | 4.9% | 5.8% | 31 | 1 | 8 |
| 16 | Lévis QC | 4.1% | 0.6% | 62 | 1 | 8 |
| 17 | Sherbrooke QC | 4.1% | 0.8% | 23 | 2 | 3 |
| 18 | Whitby ON | 3.9% | 4.7% | 37 | 1 | 3 |
| 19 | Abbotsford BC | 3.9% | 0.5% | 37 | 2 | 10 |
| 20 | Terrebonne QC | 3.8% | 3.6% | 60 | 0 | 3 |
| 21 | Langley BC | 3.5% | 2.9% | 144 | 8 | 10 |
| 22 | Barrie ON | 2.6% | 0% | 9 | 0 | 8 |
| 23 | Burlington ON | 2.5% | 1.6% | 27 | 2 | 17 |
| 24 | Oshawa ON | 2.4% | 0.3% | 30 | 1 | 4 |
| 25 | St. John's NL | 2.2% | 1.2% | 6 | 1 | 41 |
| 26 | Richmond Hill ON | 1.9% | 8.4% | 51 | 1 | 0 |
| 27 | Nanaimo BC | 1.9% | 6.7% | 42 | 2 | 33 |
| 28 | Cambridge ON | 1.7% | 0.4% | 33 | 10 | 2 |
| 29 | Bowmanville ON | 1.6% | 3% | 25 | 2 | 9 |
| 30 | Milton ON | 1.3% | 0% | 38 | 15 | 3 |
| 31 | St. Catharines ON | 1.2% | 1.7% | 15 | 4 | 7 |
| 32 | Niagara Falls ON | 1.1% | 1.7% | 15 | 3 | 4 |
| 33 | Chatham ON | 1% | 1% | 21 | 0 | 8 |
| 34 | Guelph ON | 0.9% | 3.1% | 15 | 10 | 5 |
| 35 | Oakville ON | 0.9% | 4.1% | 8 | 1 | 9 |
| 36 | Red Deer AB | 0.7% | 1.2% | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| 37 | Waterloo ON | 0.6% | 0% | 17 | 12 | 1 |
| 38 | Lethbridge AB | 0.4% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Brantford ON | 0.3% | 0% | 15 | 3 | 0 |
| 40 | Thunder Bay ON | 0.1% | 0.4% | 3 | 0 | 4 |
The map
Parks, woods and paths around Guelph
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
30 named parks and woods to walk in near Guelph
Largest first: The Arboretum leads with 84 ha. Numbers match the map.
30 named parks and woods, 521 ha in all
Parks & gardens 390 haWoods 131 ha
Spread across many places, the largest holding 20%.
Riverside Park
Park or garden
37 ha4.5 km of path
1 hto walk all 4.5 km of path
3.9 km north-westfrom the centre
Speed River TrailTrans Canada Trail
Directionsto a point inside
Silver Creek Park
Park or garden
33 ha5.2 km of path
1 h 10 minto walk all 5.2 km of path
1.2 km south-westfrom the centre
Royal Recreation Trail - Silvercreek TrailRoyal City Park And Silvercreek Park North TrailSilvercreek Skatepark Trail
Directionsto a point inside
Ellis Creek Wetland
Wood or forest
106 ha0.8 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.8 km of path
6.1 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Eastview Community Park
Park or garden
24 ha3.5 km of path
45 minto walk all 3.5 km of path
5.0 km northfrom the centre
Eastview Community Park Trail
Directionsto a point inside
Hanlon Creek Park
Park or garden
27 ha2 km of path
25 minto walk all 2 km of path
2.8 km south-eastfrom the centre
Royal Recreation Trail
Directionsto a point inside
Eramosa River Park
Park or garden
17 ha4.1 km of path
55 minto walk all 4.1 km of path
1.5 km north-eastfrom the centre
Eramosa River Trail
Directionsto a point inside
Margaret Greene Park
Park or garden
21 ha1.8 km of path
25 minto walk all 1.8 km of path
3.4 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
All 30 named parks and green spaces
The ArboretumPark or garden · 84 ha · 10.4 km of path
DirectionsRiverside ParkPark or garden · 37 ha · 4.5 km of path
DirectionsSilver Creek ParkPark or garden · 33 ha · 5.2 km of path
DirectionsEllis Creek WetlandWood or forest · 106 ha · 0.8 km of path
DirectionsEastview Community ParkPark or garden · 24 ha · 3.5 km of path
DirectionsHanlon Creek ParkPark or garden · 27 ha · 2 km of path
DirectionsEramosa River ParkPark or garden · 17 ha · 4.1 km of path
DirectionsMargaret Greene ParkPark or garden · 21 ha · 1.8 km of path
DirectionsCentennial ParkPark or garden · 18 ha · 2.1 km of path
DirectionsExhibition ParkPark or garden · 13 ha · 1.5 km of path
DirectionsGuelph Lake Sports FieldsPark or garden · 14 ha · 1.1 km of path
DirectionsOld-Growth ForestWood or forest · 25 ha · 3 km of path
DirectionsSouth End Community ParkPark or garden · 11 ha · 0.8 km of path
DirectionsRoyal City ParkPark or garden · 8.0 ha · 1.9 km of path
DirectionsNorm Jary ParkPark or garden · 9.2 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsCastlebury ParkPark or garden · 6.6 ha · 1.4 km of path
DirectionsUniversity Village ParkPark or garden · 7.7 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsStephanie ParkPark or garden · 7.1 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsPeter Misersky ParkPark or garden · 5.4 ha · 0.8 km of path
DirectionsClair ParkPark or garden · 3.8 ha · 1.4 km of path
DirectionsJohnston GreenPark or garden · 5.3 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsMollison ParkPark or garden · 4.9 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsYork Road ParkPark or garden · 5.1 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsDeerpath ParkPark or garden · 4.0 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsW.E. Hamilton ParkPark or garden · 3.5 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsOrin Reid ParkPark or garden · 4.7 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsEarl Brimblecombe ParkPark or garden · 4.1 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsLyon ParkPark or garden · 3.6 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsDovercliffe ParkPark or garden · 3.9 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsSt. James Sports FieldsPark or garden · 4.0 ha · 0.3 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
9 in 10 people in Guelph 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 (88%)Further (12%)
Guelph88%
Towns in Ontario90%
Typical Canadian town83%
About 19,000 residents live further than 400 m from one. It is above the typical Canadian town (83%).
Protected areas
Torrance Creek Complex touches Guelph
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Guelph3.1%
Within 10 km0.9%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Of the 15, 6 are public land; the others are privately held. Torrance Creek Complex covers 77 ha, the most of any named area. Another 9 are privately owned conservation land; they count in the figures but aren’t named, as private land isn’t a place to visit.
Torrance Creek ComplexNature reserve · 77 ha · reaches Guelph
Hanlon Creek Tributary LandsNature reserve · 74 ha · reaches Guelph
Watson-Hadati Headwater LandsNature reserve · 49 ha · reaches Guelph
Ellis Creek PSW ComplexNature reserve · 41 ha · reaches Guelph
Clythe and Watson Creeks ComplexNature reserve · 23 ha · reaches Guelph
Industrial Park WetlandNature reserve · 11 ha · reaches Guelph
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
87 km to Rouge National Urban Park
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
Forks of the Credit Provincial Park
30 km north-east2.9 km²since 1985
National urban park
Rouge National Urban Park
87 km east46 km²since 2015
Closer to home, Forks of the Credit Provincial Park is 30 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
Guelph and its edge hold 412 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
412 km
in and around the town (144.5 km²)
Woodland
18%
about 25.6 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
GuelphTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Footpaths2.9
024 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
GuelphTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Woodland18%
0%50%100%
Paths are denser here than in 70% of Canadian towns. More of it is wooded 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 Guelph
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
RegionalLocal
Kissing Bridge Trail46.8 km
Guelph Radial Line Trail38.1 km
Speed River Trail13.3 km
Great Auk Trail4.6 km
North Star Trail2.7 km
Vance Tract2.4 km
River Cardoner Trail1.7 km
The Back-40 Trail1.7 km
Martin Royackers, SJ Trail1.6 km
Arboretum Side Trail0.4 km
The longest of the rest is the Kissing Bridge Trail, 46.8 km. For a short stroll, 6 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
Walking season in Guelph: May, June, August and September
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Kitchener/Waterloo, 14 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 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.7 | 15.4 | 15.1 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 9.0 |
| High (°C) | -2 | -1 | 4 | 12 | 19 | 24 | 27 | 26 | 22 | 14 | 7 | 1 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 66 | 46 | 57 | 81 | 80 | 81 | 96 | 67 | 75 | 71 | 75 | 55 |
Daytime highs run from -2 °C in January up to 27 °C in July. Rain peaks with the heat: 96 mm in July, against 46 mm in February. The climate in Guelph →
Beaches
5 beaches within 5 km of Guelph
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Guelph Lake Main Beach1.1 km from town
DirectionsGuelph Lake Pit Beach1.8 km from town
DirectionsHemlock Cresent Beach2.3 km from town
DirectionsTrillium Beach2.5 km from town
DirectionsAnother beach has no name on the map. 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
2 viewpoints near Guelph
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
There are 181 playgrounds, more than of anything else. The highest named peak nearby is Marksam Ridge, at 349 m.
Every named place, with directions
Hills and peaks 4
Marksam Ridge349 m · in town
DirectionsMoe Hill336 m · in town
DirectionsPlus 2 hills and peaks without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 5
Arboretum Nature Reservein town
DirectionsHowitt Creek Flood Protection Facilityin town
DirectionsPhelan Conservation Areain town
DirectionsPreservation Parkin town
DirectionsGuelph Lake Conservation Area1.7 km from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 2
Plus 2 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 181
Carter Park Playgroundin town
DirectionsHolland Crescent Playgroundin town
DirectionsLyon Park Playgroundin town
DirectionsPinch Parkin town
DirectionsSouth End Community Spray Parkin town
DirectionsSpringdale Playgroundin town
DirectionsSuffolk Street Playgroundin town
DirectionsPlus 174 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 2
Barber Scout Campin town
DirectionsGuelph Lake Conservation Area2.0 km from town
DirectionsSlipways 1
Plus 1 slipway without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Gardens to visit
Near Guelph: one garden to visit
Gardens and arboretums within 15 km of the town’s edge, and the historic gardens, parks and estates in the town itself, nearest first.
University of Guelph ArboretumGarden or park · at the edge of town
DirectionsSources: OpenStreetMap (leisure=garden), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL, and Wikidata (CC0), as gathered in TownRatings’ Canadian attractions set; historic places from Parks Canada’s Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, the Canadian Register of Historic Places and Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel.
Next door
Next to Guelph
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
RockwoodPuslinchGrand River SouthGrand River NorthCambridgeIdlewoodGuelph
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guelph | 0.9% | 15 | 10 | 5 |
| Rockwood 5.3 km | 0.5% | 27 | 15 | 5 |
| Puslinch 9.9 km | 2.2% | 29 | 18 | 5 |
| Grand River South 17 km | 2.5% | 22 | 1 | 0 |
| Grand River North 18 km | 1.8% | 22 | 1 | 0 |
| Cambridge 18 km | 1.7% | 33 | 10 | 2 |
| Idlewood 18 km | 2.8% | 22 | 1 | 0 |
For protected land, Puslinch, Grand River South and Grand River North have twice as much or more. More routes are mapped around Puslinch (18).
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- 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.
- Beaches. The count includes unnamed stretches mapped as beach, which can make a lakeside town’s figure large.
- Walking routes. Only named route relations count; a park’s own path network may not show unless it is mapped as a route.
- National and provincial parks. National parks are Parks Canada’s; provincial parks are the province’s or territory’s, Québec’s parcs nationaux among them.
- Private land. Areas held by land trusts or private owners stay unnamed here, though they count in the shares.
Questions about the outdoors in Guelph
What walking routes are near Guelph?
Try the Guelph Radial Line Trail, Speed River Trail and Great Auk Trail; more are on the map.
Where can you swim near Guelph?
Guelph Lake Main Beach, 1.1 km from town, is the nearest mapped beach.
Is there protected land near Guelph?
Protected areas cover 0.9% of the land within 10 km.
Is there a provincial park near Guelph?
Forks of the Credit Provincial Park, 30 km away.
When is the best time for walking in Guelph?
May, June, August and September: long days, mild highs and little rain.
How far is Guelph from a national park?
Rouge National Urban Park, 87 km from the edge of town.
Which is the biggest protected area near Guelph?
It is Torrance Creek Complex, a nature reserve covering 77 ha.
Sources
Where Guelph’s outdoors figures come from
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.
Gardens: OpenStreetMap (leisure=garden) and Wikidata gardens within 15 km, as gathered in TownRatings’ Canadian attractions set; historic gardens and parks from Canada’s heritage registers (Parks Canada DFHD, the Canadian Register of Historic Places, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel).
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).