First pick
Blacks Woods
Wood or forest
118 ha14.5 km of path
3 h 15 minto walk all 14.5 km of path
1.8 km southfrom the centre
Rockcliffe Side Trail
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Laslovarga · CC BY-SA 3.04.4%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Waterdown · parks, protected land & trails
Burlington Easement begins at the edge of Waterdown
For a provincial park, Bronte Creek Provincial Park lies 8.8 km off. For walks, the Bruce Trail - Iroquoia section runs within 2 km. The protected share within 10 km is 4.4%, where a typical Canadian town has 2.3%.
Protected land
4.4%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
25
within 10 km, 3 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
76 km
Rouge National Urban Park
Nearest provincial park
8.8 km
Bronte Creek Provincial Park
Walking routes
1
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Against other towns
Waterdown beside other Canadian towns, figure by figure
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. Canada’s grades don’t include the outdoors, so this page compares the figures rather than grading them.
Protected within 10 km4.4%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town4.9%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
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Among 40 towns its size, Waterdown ranks 15th for protected land within 10 km
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (22,821 to 24,920 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
Waterdown4.4%
Towns its size2.5%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Waterdown3
Towns its size7
Towns in Ontario4
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Waterdown1
Towns its size1
Towns in Ontario1
Typical Canadian town0
For protected land nearby, Waterdown sits near the top of its size group: 13 of 39 have more. On public protected areas it is behind: 26 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 | Saint-Lazare QC | 13% | 0% | 42 | 0 | 4 |
| 3 | Westmount NS | 11% | 4.8% | 16 | 6 | 18 |
| 4 | Brownsville BC | 11% | 1.3% | 119 | 7 | 6 |
| 5 | Saint-Lambert QC | 8.1% | 0.4% | 31 | 0 | 6 |
| 6 | Mont-Royal QC | 7.5% | 0% | 29 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | Old Barrhaven East ON | 6.9% | 0% | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | Riley Park BC | 6.2% | 0% | 14 | 2 | 48 |
| 9 | Outremont QC | 5.9% | 0.1% | 24 | 1 | 1 |
| 10 | Candiac QC | 5.8% | 0% | 17 | 0 | 1 |
| 11 | Rivière-Blanche QC | 5.8% | 8.1% | 45 | 0 | 2 |
| 12 | Cartierville QC | 5.6% | 19% | 27 | 0 | 2 |
| 13 | Kingston NS | 4.8% | 3.1% | 30 | 1 | 5 |
| 14 | Milliken ON | 4.4% | 0% | 19 | 0 | 1 |
| 15 | Waterdown ON | 4.4% | 4.9% | 25 | 1 | 0 |
| 16 | Springwater ON | 3.8% | 6.9% | 14 | 1 | 17 |
| 17 | Agincourt South-Malvern West ON | 3.5% | 0% | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | Port Perry ON | 2.9% | 2% | 32 | 1 | 1 |
| 19 | South Eglinton-Davisville ON | 2.7% | 0% | 13 | 2 | 1 |
| 20 | Birchcliffe-Cliffside ON | 2.5% | 0% | 14 | 2 | 19 |
| 21 | Dorset Park ON | 2.5% | 0% | 16 | 0 | 1 |
| 22 | West London ON | 2.4% | 0% | 16 | 1 | 0 |
| 23 | Renfrew-Collingwood BC | 2.2% | 0.7% | 12 | 4 | 28 |
| 24 | Brockville ON | 1.9% | 3.1% | 5 | 0 | 2 |
| 25 | Steeles ON | 1.9% | 0% | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | Huntsville ON | 1.8% | 2.2% | 7 | 2 | 13 |
| 27 | Junction-Wallace Emerson ON | 1.8% | 0% | 11 | 4 | 13 |
| 28 | Newtonbrook West ON | 1.7% | 0% | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | Fort St. John BC | 1.4% | 0% | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Owen Sound ON | 1.3% | 0.2% | 33 | 2 | 12 |
| 31 | Mount Pearl NL | 1.2% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 32 | High Park-Swansea ON | 0.9% | 5% | 9 | 4 | 17 |
| 33 | Embrun ON | 0.8% | 0% | 10 | 0 | 1 |
| 34 | Ouest (Montréal-Nord) QC | 0.8% | 0% | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | Oro-Medonte ON | 0.6% | 0.6% | 32 | 4 | 18 |
| 36 | New Hamburg ON | 0.4% | 0% | 18 | 3 | 1 |
| 37 | Islington ON | 0.2% | 0% | 4 | 1 | 9 |
| 38 | Essex ON | 0.1% | 0.5% | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| 39 | Etobicoke City Centre ON | 0.1% | 0% | 4 | 1 | 17 |
| 40 | Yellowknife NT | 0% | 0% | 0 | 7 | 4 |
The map
Where the green is in Waterdown
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
12 named parks and woods to walk in near Waterdown
Largest first: Blacks Woods leads with 118 ha. Numbers match the map.
12 named parks and woods, 268 ha in all
Parks & gardens 150 haWoods 118 ha
The bulk, 62%, is Blacks Woods and City View Park.
City View Park
Park or garden
48 ha5.9 km of path
1 h 20 minto walk all 5.9 km of path
3.7 km north-eastfrom the centre
City View Park Side TrailBruce Trail - Iroquoia section
Directionsto a point inside
Kerncliff Park
Park or garden
40 ha6.8 km of path
1 h 30 minto walk all 6.8 km of path
3.9 km north-eastfrom the centre
Woodland TrailRed Oak TrailTyandaga Neighbourhood Trail+5 paths
Directionsto a point inside
Joe Sam's Leisure Park
Park or garden
37 ha4.1 km of path
55 minto walk all 4.1 km of path
1.9 km north-westfrom the centre
Waterdown North Wetlands Trail
Directionsto a point inside
Waterdown Memorial Park
Park or garden
7.6 ha1.4 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.4 km of path
Centralin the middle of Waterdown
Directionsto a point inside
Gatesbury Park
Park or garden
4.8 ha0.1 km of path
1.3 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Agro Park
Park or garden
2.3 ha0.6 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
1.3 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Arrowhon Natural Area
Park or garden
2.9 ha0.2 km of path
1.4 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
All 12 named parks and green spaces
Blacks WoodsWood or forest · 118 ha · 14.5 km of path
DirectionsCity View ParkPark or garden · 48 ha · 5.9 km of path
DirectionsKerncliff ParkPark or garden · 40 ha · 6.8 km of path
DirectionsJoe Sam's Leisure ParkPark or garden · 37 ha · 4.1 km of path
DirectionsWaterdown Memorial ParkPark or garden · 7.6 ha · 1.4 km of path
DirectionsGatesbury ParkPark or garden · 4.8 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsAgro ParkPark or garden · 2.3 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsArrowhon Natural AreaPark or garden · 2.9 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsCranberry Hill ParkPark or garden · 2.1 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsSkinner ParkPark or garden · 2.0 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsRockcliffe Gardens ParkPark or garden · 1.7 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsSealy ParkPark or garden · 0.9 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 7 in 10 in Waterdown
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%)
Waterdown71%
Towns in Ontario90%
Typical Canadian town83%
That leaves about 7,000 people more than a short walk away. The typical Canadian town reaches 83%.
Protected areas
Within 10 km of Waterdown, 4.4% 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 Waterdown4.9%
Within 10 km4.4%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Governments hold 3 of the 25, and private owners the rest. The largest named one is Bronte Creek Provincial Park, at 682 ha. The figures include 22 private conservation areas, left unnamed.
Burlington EasementNature reserve · 27 ha · reaches Waterdown
BontaProtected area · 8.3 ha · reaches Waterdown
Bronte Creek Provincial ParkProvincial park · 682 ha · 8.8 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 76 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
8.8 km north-east6.8 km²since 1975
National urban park
Rouge National Urban Park
76 km north-east46 km²since 2015
A provincial park is closer: Bronte Creek Provincial Park, at 8.8 km.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
102 km of paths in and around Waterdown
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
102 km
in and around the town (44.2 km²)
Woodland
26%
about 11.3 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
WaterdownTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Footpaths2.3
01.53 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
WaterdownTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Woodland26%
0%50%100%
More of it is wooded than in 71% of Canadian towns. For path density, it beats 61% 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
1 walking route near Waterdown
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 Waterdown: May, June, August and September
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Hamilton (19 km), and daylight at the town’s latitude. Good months: 12½+ hours of daylight, highs of 15–30 °C, little 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 |
About 115 cm of snow falls in a year. July brings both the warmest days and the most rain (98 mm); February is driest (53 mm). January brings highs of 0 °C, July highs of 26 °C. The climate in Waterdown →
Things to do
Waterdown has 4 viewpoints and 1 waterfalls nearby
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
Top of the list: playgrounds, 28 of them.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 4
Plus 4 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Waterfalls 1
Plus 1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 3
Nicholson Resource Management Area1.2 km from town
DirectionsCartwright Nature Sanctuary1.6 km from town
DirectionsRoyal Botanical Gardens Berry Tract1.7 km from town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 28
Plus 28 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Plus 1 dog park without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
Lost Forest Park & Camping Resort1.9 km from town
DirectionsSource: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Gardens to visit
Royal Botanical Gardens, 3.6 km from Waterdown, 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 · 3.6 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 Waterdown
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
York RoadBurlingtonNorth End EastColborneStrathconaCentralWaterdown
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waterdown | 4.4% | 25 | 1 | 0 |
| York Road 7.1 km | 6.1% | 27 | 3 | 3 |
| Burlington 7.9 km | 2.5% | 27 | 2 | 17 |
| North End East 8.0 km | 4.8% | 23 | 0 | 3 |
| Colborne 8.0 km | 6.1% | 31 | 3 | 2 |
| Strathcona 8.1 km | 6% | 26 | 1 | 3 |
| Central 8.2 km | 5.6% | 24 | 1 | 3 |
For walking routes, York Road leads the area with 3. Waterdown 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.
- 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.
- Protected land. Measured on CPCAD’s outlines: the part of a 10 km band around the town that lies in a protected or conserved area, water included.
Questions about the outdoors in Waterdown
How far is the nearest provincial park from Waterdown?
It is Bronte Creek Provincial Park, 8.8 km away.
Are there protected areas near Waterdown?
Yes: 4.4% of the land within 10 km is protected.
What is the biggest park or reserve near Waterdown?
Bronte Creek Provincial Park: 682 ha, a provincial park.
Where can you walk near Waterdown?
OpenStreetMap maps the Bruce Trail - Iroquoia section close by.
When should you visit Waterdown for the outdoors?
May, June, August and September: long days, mild highs and little rain.
What is the nearest national park to Waterdown?
It is Rouge National Urban Park, 76 km off.
Sources
The sources behind Waterdown’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).