First pick
Woodlands Park
Park or garden
2.3 ha0.5 km of path
0.8 km northfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Joey Coleman from Hamilton, Canada · CC BY-SA 2.04.6%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Gibson · parks, protected land & trails
From Gibson, Bronte Creek Provincial Park is the nearest provincial park (17 km)
One named trail is close: the Bruce Trail - Iroquoia section. Within 5 km lie 3 beaches, unnamed on the map. Out to 10 km from the town’s edge, 4.6% of the land is protected; 2.3% is typical for a Canadian town.
Protected land
4.6%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
24
within 10 km, 4 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
82 km
Rouge National Urban Park
Nearest provincial park
17 km
Bronte Creek Provincial Park
Walking routes
1
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Beaches
3
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Against other towns
How Gibson 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. There is no Outdoors grade for Canadian towns; the figures stand beside the country’s towns of 2,500+ without a letter.
Protected within 10 km4.6%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 areas4Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes1Named 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
Gibson has the 13th most protected land nearby of 40 towns its size
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (7,411 to 7,752 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
Gibson4.6%
Towns its size2.1%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Gibson4
Towns its size4
Towns in Ontario4
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Gibson1
Towns its size0
Towns in Ontario1
Typical Canadian town0
Against towns its size, Gibson does best for protected land nearby: 12 of the other 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Digby NS | 27% | 33% | 43 | 3 | 15 |
| 2 | Blackburn Hamlet ON | 15% | 0% | 32 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Beacon Hill South - Cardinal Heights ON | 13% | 0% | 37 | 0 | 1 |
| 4 | Hampstead QC | 12% | 0% | 24 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Lochdale BC | 7.2% | 0% | 15 | 2 | 71 |
| 6 | Parry Sound ON | 7.1% | 0% | 7 | 0 | 2 |
| 7 | Mountview ON | 7% | 0% | 21 | 2 | 2 |
| 8 | Louiseville QC | 6.9% | 0.9% | 26 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | Colborne ON | 6.1% | 5.7% | 31 | 3 | 2 |
| 10 | N-Section (bramalea) ON | 5.5% | 0% | 7 | 0 | 1 |
| 11 | Teston ON | 5.1% | 0% | 35 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | Landsdale ON | 4.7% | 0% | 23 | 1 | 3 |
| 13 | Gibson ON | 4.6% | 0% | 24 | 1 | 3 |
| 14 | Saint-Calixte QC | 3.6% | 0.4% | 11 | 0 | 5 |
| 15 | Campbellton NB | 3.5% | 0% | 10 | 1 | 2 |
| 16 | Shefford QC | 3.1% | 1.6% | 34 | 0 | 7 |
| 17 | Westlock County AB | 2.6% | 3.4% | 35 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | Blake-Jones ON | 2.3% | 0% | 12 | 4 | 32 |
| 19 | Playter Estates-Danforth ON | 2.3% | 1.5% | 11 | 5 | 18 |
| 20 | University ON | 2.2% | 0% | 12 | 9 | 20 |
| 21 | Altadore AB | 2% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 22 | Stoneybrook ON | 1.8% | 21% | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| 23 | Eastview SK | 1.7% | 0% | 17 | 0 | 1 |
| 24 | Pulberry MB | 1.5% | 7.7% | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | Bostwick ON | 1.3% | 0.1% | 23 | 1 | 0 |
| 26 | Kentville NS | 1.1% | 17% | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Brazeau County AB | 1% | 1.2% | 29 | 0 | 1 |
| 28 | Ambleside AB | 1% | 0% | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| 29 | Fruitland ON | 0.9% | 4.9% | 25 | 5 | 9 |
| 30 | Betsworth MB | 0.8% | 1.5% | 12 | 1 | 37 |
| 31 | Blairmore Suburban Centre SK | 0.8% | 0% | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | Chesley ON | 0.3% | 0.2% | 19 | 0 | 5 |
| 33 | Fort Frances ON | 0.3% | 0.3% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Forest Lawn AB | 0.3% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 35 | Ermineskin AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 36 | Fairview ON | 0.1% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 37 | Port Credit ON | 0.1% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| 38 | Clarenville NL | 0% | 0% | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 39 | Saint-Lambert-de-Lauzon QC | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Saint-Félix-de-Valois QC | 0% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
The map
Gibson on the map: green space, protected land and paths
The neighbourhood’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
6 named parks and woods to walk in near Gibson
The biggest is Woodlands Park, 2.3 ha. Biggest first, numbered as on the map.
6 named parks and woods, 6 ha in all
Parks & gardens 5.6 ha
61% of the area is in just two places: Woodlands Park and Powell Park.
Powell Park
Park or garden
1.2 ha0.4 km of path
Centralin the middle of Gibson
Directionsto a point inside
Myrtle Park
Park or garden · 130 m outside town
0.5 ha0.1 km of path
0.8 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Birge Park
Park or garden · 160 m outside town
0.6 ha
1.1 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Lucy Day Park
Park or garden · 130 m outside town
0.3 ha
0.9 km north-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
9 in 10 people in Gibson 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 (92%)Further (7.9%)
Gibson92%
Towns in Ontario90%
Typical Canadian town83%
Few do better: the typical Canadian town is at 83%. Around 600 residents are further than 400 m from a park.
Protected areas
Within 10 km of Gibson, 4.6% 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.
Inside Gibson0%
Within 10 km4.6%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
On public land: 4 of the 24. The others are private conservation land. Windermere Basin Park leads for size with 39 ha. Another 20 are privately owned conservation land; they count in the figures but aren’t named, as private land isn’t a place to visit.
Windermere Basin ParkNature reserve · 39 ha · 4.1 km from the edge of town
Former Upper Ottawa LandfillNature reserve · 11 ha · 5.2 km from the edge of town
BontaProtected area · 8.3 ha · 7.7 km from the edge of town
WattieProtected area · 1.8 ha · 9.7 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 82 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
Bronte Creek Provincial Park
17 km north6.8 km²since 1975
National urban park
Rouge National Urban Park
82 km north-east46 km²since 2015
Closer to home, Bronte Creek Provincial Park is 17 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
Gibson and its edge hold 17 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
17 km
in and around the town (8.9 km²)
Woodland
4.6%
about 0.4 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
GibsonTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Footpaths1.9
01.53 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
GibsonTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Woodland4.6%
0%50%100%
Paths are denser here than in 54% of Canadian towns. 62% of Canadian towns are more wooded.
Source: OpenStreetMap, © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Mapping varies by place: a dense figure can mean keen local mappers as much as many paths.
Walking routes
1 walking route near Gibson
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
Regional
Bruce Trail - Iroquoia section124.0 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 Gibson: May, June, August and September
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Hamilton, 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 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.7 | 15.4 | 15.1 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 9.0 |
| High (°C) | 0 | 1 | 5 | 10 | 17 | 22 | 26 | 25 | 21 | 15 | 8 | 3 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 73 | 53 | 69 | 81 | 81 | 78 | 98 | 67 | 74 | 84 | 78 | 67 |
The warmest days come in July (26 °C highs), the coldest in January (0 °C). Expect 98 mm in July, warm and wet, and 53 mm in February. The climate in Gibson →
Beaches
3 beaches within 5 km of Gibson, none named
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Whether the water is fit for a swim isn’t in any open national dataset; public health posts the local advisories.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
Near Gibson: 5 viewpoints on the map
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
The map shows 57 playgrounds, ahead of the rest.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 5
Plus 5 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 57
Peace Memorial playground1.4 km from town
DirectionsPlus 56 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 3
Birch Avenue Dog Park0.1 km from town
DirectionsCorktown Dog Park0.9 km from town
DirectionsPlus 1 dog park without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Gardens to visit
A garden to visit near Gibson: Royal Botanical Gardens, 4.2 km away
Gardens and arboretums within 15 km of the town’s edge, and the historic gardens, parks and estates in the town itself, nearest first.
Royal Botanical GardensNational Historic Site · 4.2 km from town
Its pageA National Historic Site is among them.
Sources: 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 Gibson
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
StipeleySt. ClairLandsdaleStinsonBlakeleyIndustrial Sector A and KeithGibson
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
For protected land, no neighbour of Gibson doubles its share.
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. A beach counts when its centre point lies within 5 km of the town’s outline. Names come from the map.
- Walking routes. Routes are what OpenStreetMap’s volunteers have mapped as named walking or hiking routes; many good trails aren’t mapped that way.
- Private land. Areas held by land trusts or private owners stay unnamed here, though they count in the shares.
- Protected land. The 10 km band starts at the town’s outline, not its centre, so a large municipality reaches further than a small town.
Questions about the outdoors in Gibson
When should you visit Gibson for the outdoors?
May, June, August and September: long days, mild highs and little rain.
What is the nearest national park to Gibson?
Rouge National Urban Park, 82 km from the edge of town.
What is the nearest provincial park to Gibson?
Bronte Creek Provincial Park, 17 km away.
Is there protected land near Gibson?
Protected areas cover 4.6% of the land within 10 km.
Where can you walk near Gibson?
Try the Bruce Trail - Iroquoia section.
Where can you swim near Gibson?
There are beaches within 5 km, none of them named.
What is the largest protected area near Gibson?
Windermere Basin Park: 39 ha, a nature reserve.
Sources
The sources behind Gibson’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.
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).