First pick
Gage Park
Park or garden · 250 m outside town
31 ha6.5 km of path
1 h 25 minto walk all 6.5 km of path
1.2 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
4%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Raleigh · parks, protected land & trails
Bronte Creek Provincial Park, 19 km away, is the closest provincial park to Raleigh
For walks, the Bruce Trail - Iroquoia section runs within 2 km. Within 5 km lie 3 beaches, unnamed on the map. Protected areas cover 4% of the land within 10 km; for the typical Canadian town it is 2.3%.
Protected land
4%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
20
within 10 km, 3 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
84 km
Rouge National Urban Park
Nearest provincial park
19 km
Bronte Creek Provincial Park
Walking routes
1
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Beaches
3
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Against other towns
Raleigh 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. Outdoors isn’t graded in Canada. The page compares each figure with other towns and leaves it there.
Protected within 10 km4%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 areas3Areas 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
Among 40 towns its size, Raleigh ranks 15th for protected land within 10 km
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (6,972 to 7,259 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
Raleigh4%
Towns its size2.4%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Raleigh3
Towns its size7
Towns in Ontario4
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Raleigh1
Towns its size0
Towns in Ontario1
Typical Canadian town0
Raleigh beats most towns its size for protected land nearby; 13 of 39 do better. It trails them for public protected areas, where 21 of 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fernie BC | 31% | 0.1% | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Hope BC | 15% | 4.1% | 11 | 0 | 3 |
| 3 | Vanier South ON | 12% | 1.1% | 39 | 2 | 2 |
| 4 | Springhill NS | 11% | 9% | 79 | 2 | 6 |
| 5 | Algoma, Unorganized, North Part ON | 11% | 10% | 91 | 4 | 228 |
| 6 | Lowertown East ON | 11% | 0% | 38 | 4 | 3 |
| 7 | Les Cèdres QC | 11% | 0.1% | 40 | 0 | 4 |
| 8 | Peace River AB | 8.4% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | Kent BC | 8.3% | 8.2% | 16 | 2 | 42 |
| 10 | Saint-Honoré QC | 5.5% | 0% | 14 | 0 | 5 |
| 11 | L'Ange-Gardien QC | 5.4% | 0% | 59 | 0 | 1 |
| 12 | Perth ON | 5.4% | 0.7% | 10 | 1 | 0 |
| 13 | Hope ON | 4.8% | 1.8% | 58 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Carlisle ON | 4% | 0% | 30 | 1 | 0 |
| 15 | Raleigh ON | 4% | 0% | 20 | 1 | 3 |
| 16 | Edgeley ON | 3.9% | 0.4% | 31 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | Haysboro AB | 3.9% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 7 |
| 18 | Midnapore AB | 3.3% | 32% | 2 | 0 | 9 |
| 19 | Concord ON | 3.1% | 0% | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Saint-Paul QC | 2.4% | 0% | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | Electoral Area C, East Kootenay BC | 2.3% | 1.5% | 32 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | Colborne ON | 2.2% | 0.3% | 28 | 1 | 2 |
| 23 | Fairwinds BC | 2.2% | 4.7% | 23 | 0 | 15 |
| 24 | Brown's Corners ON | 1.8% | 0% | 32 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | Lymburn AB | 1.7% | 0% | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| 26 | North River Heights MB | 1.5% | 0% | 26 | 2 | 0 |
| 27 | Sherbrooke AB | 1.5% | 0% | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 28 | King Edward MB | 1.3% | 0% | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | Meadowood MB | 1.3% | 1.8% | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Inglewood AB | 1.3% | 0% | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 31 | Shannon QC | 0.9% | 3.9% | 21 | 1 | 14 |
| 32 | Merritt BC | 0.9% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| 33 | Cougar Ridge AB | 0.7% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 34 | Yarmouth NS | 0.6% | 0% | 10 | 0 | 5 |
| 35 | Erin Woods AB | 0.6% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 7 |
| 36 | La Sarre QC | 0.5% | 0.1% | 9 | 0 | 2 |
| 37 | Brighton SK | 0.5% | 0.1% | 10 | 1 | 2 |
| 38 | Rhatigan Ridge AB | 0.5% | 0% | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| 39 | Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh ON | 0.4% | 0.9% | 13 | 5 | 5 |
| 40 | Wainwright AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The map
Parks, woods and paths around Raleigh
Green space, woods, protected areas and footpaths in and around the neighbourhood; tap a number for its park or wood.
Green: OpenStreetMap parks, gardens, playing fields and woods. Hatched: CPCAD protected areas.© OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL); CPCAD (OGL-Canada)
Places to walk
10 named parks and woods to walk in near Raleigh
Gage Park is the largest, at 31 ha; the rest follow by size, numbered as on the map.
10 named parks and woods, 112 ha in all
Parks & gardens 51 haWoods 61 ha
82% of the area is in just two places: Rail Trail Park and Gage Park.
Rail Trail Park
Wood or forest
61 ha4.3 km of path
55 minto walk all 4.3 km of path
0.7 km north-eastfrom the centre
Escarpment Rail TrailWentworth Stairs
Directionsto a point inside
Bruce Trail Park
Park or garden · 350 m outside town
6.0 ha0.6 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
1.6 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Mountain Drive Park
Park or garden
3.4 ha0.6 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
0.6 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Peace Memorial Park
Park or garden
2.3 ha0.8 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.8 km of path
Centralin the middle of Raleigh
Directionsto a point inside
Highview Park
Park or garden
3.0 ha0.5 km of path
0.7 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Eastmount Park
Park or garden
3.0 ha0.2 km of path
0.7 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Hampton Park
Park or garden · 350 m outside town
1.2 ha0.2 km of path
1.1 km southfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
All 10 named parks and green spaces
Gage ParkPark or garden · 31 ha · 6.5 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsRail Trail ParkWood or forest · 61 ha · 4.3 km of path
DirectionsBruce Trail ParkPark or garden · 6.0 ha · 0.6 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsMountain Drive ParkPark or garden · 3.4 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsPeace Memorial ParkPark or garden · 2.3 ha · 0.8 km of path
DirectionsHighview ParkPark or garden · 3.0 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsEastmount ParkPark or garden · 3.0 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsHampton ParkPark or garden · 1.2 ha · 0.2 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsVincent Massey ParkPark or garden · 1.2 ha · just outside town
DirectionsConcession / Upper ShermanPark or garden · 0.5 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
A park is within a short walk for 9 in 10 in Raleigh
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 (93%)Further (6.9%)
Raleigh93%
Towns in Ontario90%
Typical Canadian town83%
The usual figure for a Canadian town is 83%, lower than here. That leaves about 500 people more than a short walk away.
Protected areas
Within 10 km of Raleigh, 4% 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 Raleigh0%
Within 10 km4%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Governments hold 3 of the 20, and private owners the rest. Biggest of the named areas: Windermere Basin Park, 39 ha. 17 more areas within 10 km are private land, held by landowners or conservation groups: counted here, not named.
Former Upper Ottawa LandfillNature reserve · 11 ha · 2.7 km from the edge of town
Windermere Basin ParkNature reserve · 39 ha · 5.0 km from the edge of town
WattieProtected area · 1.8 ha · 8.0 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, 84 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.
National parkProvincial park
Provincial park
Bronte Creek Provincial Park
19 km north6.8 km²since 1975
National urban park
Rouge National Urban Park
84 km north-east46 km²since 2015
Bronte Creek Provincial Park, a provincial park, is nearer at 19 km.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
Raleigh has 25 km of footpaths in and around it
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
25 km
in and around the town (10.4 km²)
Woodland
8.1%
about 0.8 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
RaleighTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Footpaths2.4
01.53 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
RaleighTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Woodland8.1%
0%50%100%
For woods, 52% of Canadian towns have more. Few places match it for paths: more than 62% of Canadian towns have fewer.
Source: OpenStreetMap, © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Mapping varies by place: a dense figure can mean keen local mappers as much as many paths.
Walking routes
One mapped route to walk from Raleigh
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
Raleigh is best on foot in May, June, August and September
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Hamilton, 11 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 |
Highs peak near 26 °C in July and fall to 0 °C in January. Expect 98 mm in July, warm and wet, and 53 mm in February. The climate in Raleigh →
Beaches
3 unnamed beaches near Raleigh
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Canada publishes no open register of beach water tests; the local public health unit posts swimming advisories.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
Near Raleigh: 6 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.
73 playgrounds top the list.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 6
Plus 6 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 73
Peace Memorial playgroundin town
DirectionsFay Park Playground0.7 km from town
DirectionsPlus 71 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Corktown Dog Park1.7 km from town
DirectionsSource: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Gardens to visit
Royal Botanical Gardens, 6.4 km from Raleigh, is the 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.
Royal Botanical GardensNational Historic Site · 6.4 km from town
Its pageParks Canada lists one as a National Historic Site.
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 Raleigh
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
MacassaEastmountBlakeleyHampton HeightsBurkholmeSherwoodRaleigh
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
Around Raleigh, nobody nearby has double its protected land.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Protected land. The share is of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s outline, from CPCAD’s mapped areas; marine areas count, so a coastal town can score high on water.
- National and provincial parks. The nearest national park and the nearest provincial park are always shown when they are within 100 km.
- Private land. CPCAD includes conservation land held privately; the page counts it and leaves the names out.
- Walking routes. Only named route relations count; a park’s own path network may not show unless it is mapped as a route.
- Beaches. Beaches are OpenStreetMap’s, named or not; in the north many are unnamed shoreline imports.
Questions about the outdoors in Raleigh
When is the best time for walking in Raleigh?
May, June, August and September, on the 1991–2020 normals and the daylight: long days, highs of 15 °C or more, light rain for the place.
How far is the nearest provincial park from Raleigh?
The closest is Bronte Creek Provincial Park, at 19 km.
How much land around Raleigh is protected?
Protected areas cover 4% of the land within 10 km.
Are there hiking trails near Raleigh?
The Bruce Trail - Iroquoia section, mapped within 2 km.
Where can you swim near Raleigh?
There are beaches within 5 km, none of them named.
What is the nearest national park to Raleigh?
The nearest is Rouge National Urban Park, 84 km away.
What is the biggest park or reserve near Raleigh?
Windermere Basin Park, a nature reserve of 39 ha.
Sources
Where Raleigh’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).