First pick
Mohawk Sports Park
Park or garden
40 ha1.4 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.4 km of path
5.5 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: JFVoll · CC BY-SA 4.03.1%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Sheldon · parks, protected land & trails
3 mapped walking routes pass Sheldon
22 km from town is Bronte Creek Provincial Park, the nearest provincial park. One unnamed beach is mapped within 5 km. For a national park, Rouge National Urban Park is 86 km away.
Protected land
3.1%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
26
within 10 km, 4 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
86 km
Rouge National Urban Park
Nearest provincial park
22 km
Bronte Creek Provincial Park
Walking routes
3
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Beaches
1
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Against other towns
Each figure for Sheldon, 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. This page carries no grade, because Canada’s grading doesn’t cover the outdoors; the comparisons are the point.
Protected within 10 km3.1%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town0.3%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 routes3Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches1Beaches 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, Sheldon is 20th from the bottom for protected land
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (24,266 to 26,862 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
Sheldon3.1%
Towns its size3.2%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Sheldon4
Towns its size5
Towns in Ontario4
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Sheldon3
Towns its size0
Towns in Ontario1
Typical Canadian town0
Where Sheldon trails its peers is public protected areas; 21 of 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sept-Îles QC | 24% | 33% | 64 | 0 | 15 |
| 2 | White Rock BC | 22% | 0.2% | 101 | 2 | 4 |
| 3 | Loyola QC | 14% | 0% | 25 | 0 | 1 |
| 4 | Box Grove ON | 10% | 18% | 15 | 2 | 1 |
| 5 | L'Assomption QC | 8.5% | 0.4% | 40 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Foothills County AB | 7.8% | 7.5% | 29 | 1 | 11 |
| 7 | Bridlewood - Emerald Meadows ON | 6.3% | 4.2% | 9 | 3 | 0 |
| 8 | Outremont QC | 5.9% | 0.1% | 24 | 1 | 1 |
| 9 | Candiac QC | 5.8% | 0% | 17 | 0 | 1 |
| 10 | Morningside Heights ON | 5.7% | 4.1% | 16 | 0 | 6 |
| 11 | Cartierville QC | 5.6% | 19% | 27 | 0 | 2 |
| 12 | Kingston NS | 4.8% | 3.1% | 30 | 1 | 5 |
| 13 | Mile End QC | 4.5% | 0% | 18 | 0 | 1 |
| 14 | Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville QC | 4.4% | 20% | 39 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | Milliken ON | 4.4% | 0% | 19 | 0 | 1 |
| 16 | Angus ON | 4.3% | 0.2% | 12 | 1 | 2 |
| 17 | Beloeil QC | 3.6% | 0% | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | Agincourt South-Malvern West ON | 3.5% | 0% | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | Malvern East ON | 3.4% | 0% | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Woburn North ON | 3.2% | 5.1% | 18 | 0 | 2 |
| 21 | Sheldon ON | 3.1% | 0.3% | 26 | 3 | 1 |
| 22 | Dorset Park ON | 2.5% | 0% | 16 | 0 | 1 |
| 23 | West London ON | 2.4% | 0% | 16 | 1 | 0 |
| 24 | Wellington Place ON | 2.2% | 0% | 12 | 7 | 34 |
| 25 | Lunenburg NS | 2.1% | 1.7% | 140 | 5 | 33 |
| 26 | Westminster-Branson ON | 1.7% | 0% | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Fort St. John BC | 1.4% | 0% | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Sault-au-Récollet QC | 1.3% | 0% | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | Mount Pearl NL | 1.2% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 30 | Paradise NL | 0.8% | 0% | 2 | 2 | 20 |
| 31 | Oro-Medonte ON | 0.6% | 0.6% | 32 | 4 | 18 |
| 32 | Grande Prairie County No. 1 AB | 0.6% | 0.7% | 33 | 1 | 56 |
| 33 | Beltline AB | 0.5% | 0% | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| 34 | Strathroy ON | 0.4% | 0.4% | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| 35 | Saint-Lin--Laurentides QC | 0.3% | 0% | 6 | 0 | 3 |
| 36 | Stonegate-Queensway ON | 0.3% | 0.6% | 6 | 3 | 20 |
| 37 | Kingsville ON | 0.1% | 0% | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| 38 | Tecumseh ON | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 39 | Beaumont AB | 0% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 40 | Panorama Hills AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The map
Parks, woods and paths around Sheldon
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
28 parks and woods to walk in, in or near Sheldon
Largest first: Mohawk Sports Park leads with 40 ha. Numbers match the map.
28 named parks and woods, 191 ha in all
Parks & gardens 191 ha
Mohawk Sports Park plus Turner Park account for 41% of the green.
Turner Park
Park or garden
38 ha1.7 km of path
25 minto walk all 1.7 km of path
Centralin the middle of Sheldon
Directionsto a point inside
William Connell City-Wide Park
Park or garden
22 ha4.2 km of path
55 minto walk all 4.2 km of path
2.8 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
William Schwenger Park
Park or garden · 240 m outside town
11 ha1.5 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.5 km of path
4.0 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Glanbrook Sports Complex
Park or garden · 250 m outside town
13 ha0.1 km of path
7.2 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Billy Sherring Park
Park or garden · 190 m outside town
9.8 ha1.1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.1 km of path
2.1 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Garth Reservoir Park
Park or garden
9.2 ha0.1 km of path
3.7 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Gourley Park
Park or garden · 350 m outside town
5.7 ha0.8 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.8 km of path
3.9 km northfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
All 28 named parks and green spaces
Mohawk Sports ParkPark or garden · 40 ha · 1.4 km of path
DirectionsTurner ParkPark or garden · 38 ha · 1.7 km of path
DirectionsWilliam Connell City-Wide ParkPark or garden · 22 ha · 4.2 km of path
DirectionsWilliam Schwenger ParkPark or garden · 11 ha · 1.5 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsGlanbrook Sports ComplexPark or garden · 13 ha · 0.1 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsBilly Sherring ParkPark or garden · 9.8 ha · 1.1 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsGarth Reservoir ParkPark or garden · 9.2 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsGourley ParkPark or garden · 5.7 ha · 0.8 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsTrenholme ParkPark or garden · 5.0 ha · 1 km of path
DirectionsJames Smith ParkPark or garden · 5.2 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsDr William Bethune ParkPark or garden · 4.3 ha · 0.3 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsTemplemead ParkPark or garden · 4.1 ha · 0.2 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsElmar ParkPark or garden · 3.2 ha · 0.4 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsMount Hope ParkPark or garden · 2.7 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsSummit ParkPark or garden · 2.3 ha · 0.6 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsCarpenter ParkPark or garden · 2.2 ha · 0.5 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsHomebrook ParkPark or garden · 1.9 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsParamount ParkPark or garden · 2.0 ha · 0.3 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsBerrisfield ParkPark or garden · 1.6 ha · 0.3 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsSt. ElizabethPark or garden · 1.9 ha
DirectionsBroughton West ParkPark or garden · 1.3 ha
DirectionsSouthampton Estates ParkPark or garden · 0.7 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsGreti ParkPark or garden · 0.9 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsSt. Mary ParkPark or garden · 0.6 ha
DirectionsShaver Estates ParkPark or garden · 0.6 ha · 0.1 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsKernighan Neighbourhood ParkPark or garden · 0.5 ha · 0.1 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsOak Knoll ParkPark or garden · 0.3 ha · just outside town
DirectionsBishop A. Tonnos ParkPark 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
7 in 10 people in Sheldon 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 (71%)Further (29%)
Sheldon71%
Towns in Ontario90%
Typical Canadian town83%
That is below the typical Canadian town (83%). Around 7,000 residents are further than 400 m from a park.
Protected areas
3.1% of the land around Sheldon is protected
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Sheldon0.3%
Within 10 km3.1%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
On public land: 4 of the 26. The others are private conservation land. The largest named one is Windermere Basin Park, at 39 ha. 22 areas belong to private owners or land trusts and aren’t named here.
Former Upper Ottawa LandfillNature reserve · 11 ha · reaches Sheldon
FarmerProtected area · 15 ha · 3.6 km from the edge of town
WattieProtected area · 1.8 ha · 5.9 km from the edge of town
Windermere Basin ParkNature reserve · 39 ha · 6.9 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, 86 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
22 km north6.8 km²since 1975
National urban park
Rouge National Urban Park
86 km north-east46 km²since 2015
A provincial park is closer: Bronte Creek Provincial Park, at 22 km.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
Sheldon has 144 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
144 km
in and around the town (207.1 km²)
Woodland
7.5%
about 15.5 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
SheldonTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0.7
01.53 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
SheldonTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Woodland7.5%
0%50%100%
For woods, 54% of Canadian towns have more. 62% of Canadian towns have more footpath per km².
Source: OpenStreetMap, © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Mapping varies by place: a dense figure can mean keen local mappers as much as many paths.
Walking routes
Trails around Sheldon
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
RegionalOther waymarked
Bruce Trail - Iroquoia section124.0 km
Chippawa Trail (hiking)15.7 km
Bruce Trail - Iroquoia section side trails10.7 km
At 124.0 km, the Bruce Trail - Iroquoia section 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
Sheldon is best on foot in May, June, August and September
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Hamilton, 4.9 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) | -1 | -1 | 5 | 12 | 19 | 24 | 27 | 26 | 22 | 15 | 8 | 2 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 73 | 53 | 69 | 81 | 81 | 78 | 98 | 67 | 74 | 84 | 78 | 67 |
January brings highs of -1 °C, July highs of 27 °C. July is warm and wet, 98 mm; the driest month, February, has 53 mm. The climate in Sheldon →
Beaches
One unnamed beach near Sheldon
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
Viewpoints and waterfalls near Sheldon: 6 and 9
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
Count 157 playgrounds, the biggest group.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 6
Albion Fallsin town
DirectionsLover's Leap0.0 km from town
DirectionsWater fall lookout0.2 km from town
DirectionsFelker's Falls Viewpoint1.3 km from town
DirectionsPlus 2 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Waterfalls 9
Albion Fallsin town
DirectionsBaby Albion Fallsin town
DirectionsBilly Monkley Cascadein town
DirectionsHannon Cascadein town
DirectionsButtermilk Falls0.2 km from town
DirectionsFelker's Falls1.3 km from town
DirectionsLittle Davis Falls1.4 km from town
DirectionsTaro Falls1.5 km from town
DirectionsPlus 1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 3
Binbrook Conservation Areain town
DirectionsEramosa Karst Conservation Area1.1 km from town
DirectionsPlus 1 nature reserve more.
Picnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 157
Splash Pad0.5 km from town
DirectionsBaby Swings0.5 km from town
DirectionsSwings0.6 km from town
DirectionsJerome Park0.9 km from town
DirectionsFonthill Park Playground1.6 km from town
DirectionsFay Park Playground1.7 km from town
DirectionsImaginasium1.7 km from town
DirectionsPlus 150 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Plus 1 dog park without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
Plus 1 campsite without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Gardens to visit
Royal Botanical Gardens, 9.0 km from Sheldon, 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 · 9.0 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 Sheldon
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
ButlerBarnstownEleanorCrerarRushdaleTemplemeadSheldon
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
Sheldon holds its own on protected land: no neighbour has twice its share.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Walking routes. The list is OpenStreetMap’s, so a missing trail may just be unmapped. The Trans Canada Trail appears where OSM maps it.
- Beaches. A beach counts when its centre point lies within 5 km of the town’s outline. Names come from the map.
- Private land. Private conservation land is in the totals, not the lists. Many such areas are easements on working farms or woodlots.
- 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.
Questions about the outdoors in Sheldon
Is there protected land near Sheldon?
Protected areas cover 3.1% of the land within 10 km.
Are there hiking trails near Sheldon?
OpenStreetMap maps the Chippawa Trail (hiking), Bruce Trail - Iroquoia section and Bruce Trail - Iroquoia section side trails close by, with others.
Where can you swim near Sheldon?
One beach is mapped within 5 km, though without a name.
What is the largest protected area near Sheldon?
It is Windermere Basin Park, a nature reserve covering 39 ha.
Is Sheldon near a national park?
Rouge National Urban Park is closest, at 86 km.
What is the best season to get outdoors in Sheldon?
On the normals, May, June, August and September: that is when days are long, highs reach 15 °C and rain is light.
What is the nearest provincial park to Sheldon?
Bronte Creek Provincial Park, 22 km from the edge of town.
Sources
Sources for this page on Sheldon
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).