First pick
Lucas Point Park
Park or garden · 210 m outside town
6.2 ha1.2 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.2 km of path
12 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: P199 · CC BY-SA 3.00.9%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Hamilton · parks, protected land & trails
Hamilton is 2.5 km from Serpent Mounds Provincial Park
For walks, 2 named routes run within 2 km, such as the Oak Ridges Trail and Ganaraska Trail. Swimmers have 4 beaches within 5 km, Cobourg Beach the nearest. Rouge National Urban Park is the closest national park, 68 km from town.
Protected land
0.9%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
14
within 10 km, 3 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
68 km
Rouge National Urban Park
Nearest provincial park
2.5 km
Serpent Mounds Provincial Park
Walking routes
2
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Beaches
4
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Against other towns
Each figure for Hamilton, 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 km0.9%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town0.8%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas3Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes2Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches4Beaches mapped on OpenStreetMap within 5 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Among 40 towns its size, Hamilton is 13th from the bottom for protected land
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (11,524 to 12,075 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
Hamilton0.9%
Towns its size2.2%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Hamilton3
Towns its size5
Towns in Ontario4
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Hamilton2
Towns its size0
Towns in Ontario1
Typical Canadian town0
Where Hamilton trails its peers is protected land nearby; 27 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 | Notre-Dame-de-l'Île-Perrot QC | 34% | 0.6% | 50 | 0 | 5 |
| 3 | Mont-Tremblant QC | 27% | 29% | 20 | 0 | 18 |
| 4 | Chapel Hill North ON | 14% | 1.2% | 36 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Clearwater County AB | 13% | 5.7% | 44 | 3 | 4 |
| 6 | Cardinal Creek ON | 11% | 0% | 43 | 0 | 1 |
| 7 | Ramara ON | 8.6% | 0.5% | 37 | 2 | 10 |
| 8 | Sechelt BC | 7.5% | 2% | 17 | 0 | 24 |
| 9 | Valley Creek ON | 6.3% | 29% | 10 | 0 | 1 |
| 10 | Chapman Mills ON | 6% | 1.9% | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | Provinceton BC | 5.3% | 5.9% | 160 | 6 | 0 |
| 12 | Saint-Rodrigue QC | 4.8% | 0% | 15 | 1 | 4 |
| 13 | Adjala-Tosorontio ON | 4.7% | 1.1% | 68 | 3 | 4 |
| 14 | Chester NS | 4.1% | 6.1% | 124 | 1 | 21 |
| 15 | McKenzie Lake AB | 3.3% | 1.1% | 2 | 0 | 17 |
| 16 | Fletchers Meadow North ON | 3% | 4.9% | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | Marieville QC | 2.9% | 0.7% | 37 | 0 | 5 |
| 18 | Morrisburg ON | 2.6% | 4.2% | 17 | 0 | 5 |
| 19 | St. Andrews MB | 2.3% | 1.1% | 9 | 2 | 2 |
| 20 | St. Clements MB | 2.2% | 3% | 9 | 8 | 10 |
| 21 | René-Goupil QC | 2.1% | 0% | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | Selkirk MB | 1.8% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | German Mills ON | 1.6% | 0% | 28 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Fort Richmond MB | 1.6% | 2.3% | 17 | 0 | 1 |
| 25 | Saint-Raymond QC | 1.2% | 1.2% | 27 | 8 | 5 |
| 26 | The Hamptons AB | 1.2% | 0% | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Georgian Bluffs ON | 1.1% | 1.9% | 67 | 4 | 17 |
| 28 | Hamilton ON | 0.9% | 0.8% | 14 | 2 | 4 |
| 29 | Bowness AB | 0.9% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 30 | Tay ON | 0.5% | 0.6% | 17 | 3 | 5 |
| 31 | Jefferson MB | 0.3% | 0% | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | West Springs AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 33 | Weyburn SK | 0.2% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Fontainebleau ON | 0.2% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 35 | South Cameron ON | 0.2% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 36 | Dundalk ON | 0.1% | 0.1% | 6 | 0 | 1 |
| 37 | Morden MB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 38 | Mississauga Valleys ON | 0.1% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| 39 | Cityscape AB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 40 | Martensville SK | 0% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 0 |
The map
Parks, woods and paths around Hamilton
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 Hamilton: 11 named parks and woods
The biggest is Lucas Point Park, 6.2 ha. Biggest first, numbered as on the map.
11 named parks and woods, 29 ha in all
Parks & gardens 12 haWoods 17 ha
Black Island plus Sheep Island account for 49% of the green.
Lakeview Park
Park or garden · 350 m outside town
1.5 ha
11 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
All 11 named parks and green spaces
Lucas Point ParkPark or garden · 6.2 ha · 1.2 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsBlack IslandWood or forest · 7.6 ha
DirectionsSheep IslandWood or forest · 6.6 ha
DirectionsLakeview ParkPark or garden · 1.5 ha · just outside town
DirectionsCold Springs ParkPark or garden · 1.4 ha
DirectionsButtersfield ParkPark or garden · 1.0 ha
DirectionsSpook IslandWood or forest · 3.1 ha
DirectionsNew Amherst ParkPark or garden · 0.6 ha
DirectionsLaurel ParkPark or garden · 0.3 ha
DirectionsHewson ParkPark or garden · 0.3 ha · just outside town
DirectionsOld Camborne School House PlaygroundPark or garden · 0.3 ha
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
In Hamilton, parks are rarely a short walk away
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 (3.9%)Further (96%)
Hamilton3.9%
Towns in Ontario90%
Typical Canadian town83%
For about 11,300 people, the nearest park is over 400 m away. The typical Canadian town reaches 83%.
Protected areas
Protected land at the edge of Hamilton: Northumberland County Forest
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Hamilton0.8%
Within 10 km0.9%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public bodies own 3 of the 14; land trusts and private owners hold the others. Biggest of the named areas: Northumberland County Forest, 440 ha. 11 areas belong to private owners or land trusts and aren’t named here.
Northumberland County ForestNature reserve · 440 ha · reaches Hamilton
Serpent Mounds Provincial ParkProvincial park · 135 ha · 2.5 km from the edge of town
Peter's Woods Provincial ParkProvincial park · 349 ha · 7.7 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
Rouge National Urban Park is 68 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
Serpent Mounds Provincial Park
2.5 km north1.4 km²since 1957
Provincial park
Peter's Woods Provincial Park
7.7 km north-east3.5 km²since 1976
National urban park
Rouge National Urban Park
68 km west46 km²since 2015
A provincial park is closer: Serpent Mounds Provincial Park, at 2.5 km. Within 10 km are 2 provincial parks.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
45 km of paths in and around Hamilton
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
45 km
in and around the town (387.6 km²)
Woodland
20%
about 78 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
HamiltonTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0.1
01.53 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
HamiltonTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Woodland20%
0%50%100%
Paths are thinner on the ground than in 84% of Canadian towns. More of it is wooded than in 67% 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
2 walking routes near Hamilton
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
Regional
Oak Ridges Trail272.4 km
Ganaraska Trail243.6 km
At 272.4 km, the Oak Ridges 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
The best months for walking in Hamilton: May and July to September
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Peterborough, 23 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) | 9.2 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.7 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 8.9 |
| High (°C) | -1 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 24 | 24 | 20 | 13 | 7 | 2 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 67 | 42 | 54 | 73 | 79 | 88 | 69 | 78 | 76 | 75 | 76 | 64 |
Highs peak near 24 °C in July and fall to -1 °C in January. June is the wettest month (88 mm) and February the driest (42 mm). Snow totals about 158 cm a year. The climate in Hamilton →
Beaches
The beach near Hamilton: Cobourg Beach, 3.1 km away
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Cobourg Beachsand · 3.1 km from town
DirectionsOpenStreetMap shows 3 more, nameless. Beach water tests aren’t published as open data across Canada, so swimming advisories come from the local health unit.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
2 viewpoints near Hamilton
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
Count 30 playgrounds, the biggest group.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 2
Plus 2 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 1
Jamieson's Hill0.4 km from town
DirectionsNature reserves 3
Ball's Mill Conservation Areain town
DirectionsRice Lake Conservation Areain town
DirectionsCobourg Conservation Area1.1 km from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 4
Plus 4 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 30
Plus 30 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Cobourg Dog Park1.4 km from town
DirectionsCampsites 8
Lakeshore Pentecostal Camp (Spicer)in town
DirectionsGolden Beach Resort0.6 km from town
DirectionsPlus 6 campsites without a name on the map.
Slipways 5
Plus 5 slipways without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Hamilton
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
CobourgPort HopeAlnwick/HaldimandHamilton
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton | 0.9% | 14 | 2 | 4 |
| Cobourg 9.5 km | 0.1% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Port Hope 12 km | 0.3% | 5 | 2 | 2 |
| Alnwick/Haldimand 13 km | 1.1% | 26 | 1 | 1 |
Around Hamilton, nobody nearby has double its protected land.
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.
- Private land. Private conservation land is in the totals, not the lists. Many such areas are easements on working farms or woodlots.
- 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.
- 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.
Questions about the outdoors in Hamilton
How far is Hamilton from a national park?
Rouge National Urban Park is closest, at 68 km.
Which is the biggest protected area near Hamilton?
Northumberland County Forest, a nature reserve of 440 ha.
What is the best season to get outdoors in Hamilton?
May and July to September: long days, mild highs and little rain.
How much land around Hamilton is protected?
Within 10 km, 0.9% of the land lies in protected areas.
Is there a beach near Hamilton?
Try Cobourg Beach, 3.1 km from town, first of several.
What walking routes are near Hamilton?
Try the Oak Ridges Trail and Ganaraska Trail; more are on the map.
What is the nearest provincial park to Hamilton?
Serpent Mounds Provincial Park, 2.5 km from the edge of town.
Sources
Sources for this page on Hamilton
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).