First pick
Lakeside Park
Park or garden · 380 m outside town
21 ha3.5 km of path
45 minto walk all 3.5 km of path
1.2 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
1.7%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Forest Hill · parks, protected land & trails
Within 10 km of Forest Hill: 20 public protected areas
Within 100 km there is no national park. Biggest among them: Huron Natural Area, 96 ha, 2.7 km off. 46 km from town is Trillium Woods Provincial Park, the nearest provincial park.
Protected land
1.7%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
21
within 10 km, 20 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest provincial park
46 km
Trillium Woods Provincial Park
Character
The outdoors in Forest Hill, in short
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
Many protected areas20 public areas within 10 kmParks are a drive awayThe nearest provincial park, Trillium Woods Provincial Park, is 46 km off
For someone who likes to get outside, Forest Hill’s draw is the number of public protected areas close by. Less going for it: a big park within easy reach.
Against other towns
Forest Hill 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. Canada’s grades don’t include the outdoors, so this page compares the figures rather than grading them.
Protected within 10 km1.7%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 areas20Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes0Named 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
Forest Hill sits 14th from last of 40 towns its size for protected land around it
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (5,663 to 5,843 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
Forest Hill1.7%
Towns its size4.3%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Forest Hill20
Towns its size7
Towns in Ontario4
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Forest Hill0
Towns its size0
Towns in Ontario1
Typical Canadian town0
Forest Hill beats most towns its size for public protected areas; 6 of 39 do better. It trails them for protected land nearby, where 26 of 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electoral Area B, Peace River BC | 18% | 17% | 71 | 0 | 655 |
| 2 | Electoral Area A, Bulkley-Nechako BC | 15% | 14% | 9 | 0 | 17 |
| 3 | Shediac NB | 14% | 0.9% | 20 | 0 | 6 |
| 4 | Dunrobin ON | 14% | 0.1% | 50 | 1 | 15 |
| 5 | Osoyoos BC | 14% | 0.8% | 22 | 0 | 9 |
| 6 | Saint Marys NB | 13% | 15% | 44 | 1 | 5 |
| 7 | Iris ON | 12% | 0% | 26 | 4 | 6 |
| 8 | New Edinburgh ON | 11% | 0.1% | 37 | 4 | 3 |
| 9 | East Ferris ON | 10% | 1.8% | 3 | 0 | 8 |
| 10 | Seguin ON | 10% | 1.2% | 20 | 0 | 10 |
| 11 | Orford QC | 9.3% | 39% | 44 | 4 | 15 |
| 12 | Lanoraie QC | 9% | 7.8% | 35 | 0 | 1 |
| 13 | Verchères QC | 8.9% | 1.7% | 44 | 0 | 1 |
| 14 | Emerald Woods - Sawmill Creek ON | 6.9% | 21% | 16 | 0 | 1 |
| 15 | Chertsey QC | 6.5% | 7.2% | 16 | 0 | 7 |
| 16 | Annapolis County, Subdivision C NS | 6.3% | 0.1% | 11 | 0 | 1 |
| 17 | Spallumcheen BC | 6% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| 18 | Havelock ON | 5.7% | 0% | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | Vieux-Québec—Cap-Blanc—Colline parlementaire QC | 5% | 0% | 18 | 1 | 5 |
| 20 | Rosedale Village ON | 4.5% | 0% | 7 | 1 | 1 |
| 21 | Braeside AB | 4% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 5 |
| 22 | Waterloo QC | 3.4% | 0% | 23 | 0 | 2 |
| 23 | Sherwood/McCarthy SK | 2.7% | 0% | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | County Court ON | 2% | 0% | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| 25 | Duncan BC | 1.9% | 0% | 31 | 2 | 1 |
| 26 | Montcalm MB | 1.8% | 0% | 19 | 0 | 1 |
| 27 | Forest Hill ON | 1.7% | 0% | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Buena Vista SK | 1.7% | 1.6% | 17 | 0 | 2 |
| 29 | St. Matthews MB | 1.6% | 0% | 22 | 4 | 0 |
| 30 | Minto MB | 1.4% | 0% | 23 | 1 | 0 |
| 31 | Confederation Park SK | 1.2% | 0% | 14 | 0 | 1 |
| 32 | Parkview AB | 1.2% | 0% | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 33 | Heritage Park MB | 1% | 0% | 9 | 1 | 37 |
| 34 | Westwood MB | 1% | 0% | 10 | 1 | 37 |
| 35 | Meadow Lake SK | 0.7% | 0.7% | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 36 | Saint-Roch-de-l'Achigan QC | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 37 | Elsinore AB | 0.2% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | Remington Park ON | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 39 | Casselman AB | 0.1% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Sandstone Valley AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The map
The green map of Forest Hill
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
18 named parks and woods to walk in near Forest Hill
Largest first: Lakeside Park leads with 21 ha. Numbers match the map.
18 named parks and woods, 75 ha in all
Parks & gardens 75 ha
Lakeside Park and Filsinger Park together hold 47% of it.
Filsinger Park
Park or garden · 70 m outside town
14 ha2.5 km of path
35 minto walk all 2.5 km of path
1.2 km north-westfrom the centre
Henry Sturm Trail
Directionsto a point inside
Concordia Park
Park or garden
12 ha1.2 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.2 km of path
1.1 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Laurentian Park
Park or garden · 390 m outside town
4.7 ha0.3 km of path
1.4 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Fischer Park
Park or garden
3.5 ha0.5 km of path
5 minto walk all 0.5 km of path
0.9 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Borden Creek Greenway
Park or garden
3.5 ha0.4 km of path
1.7 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Queensmount Park
Park or garden
2.7 ha0.2 km of path
0.6 km northfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Cloverdale Park
Park or garden
2.1 ha0.3 km of path
Centralin the middle of Forest Hill
Directionsto a point inside
All 18 named parks and green spaces
Lakeside ParkPark or garden · 21 ha · 3.5 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsFilsinger ParkPark or garden · 14 ha · 2.5 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsConcordia ParkPark or garden · 12 ha · 1.2 km of path
DirectionsLaurentian ParkPark or garden · 4.7 ha · 0.3 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsFischer ParkPark or garden · 3.5 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsBorden Creek GreenwayPark or garden · 3.5 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsQueensmount ParkPark or garden · 2.7 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsCloverdale ParkPark or garden · 2.1 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsForest HeightsPark or garden · 2.0 ha · 0.4 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsHearth GreenPark or garden · 1.5 ha · 0.6 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsForest Hill ParkPark or garden · 2.6 ha
DirectionsWindale ParkPark or garden · 1.5 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsChandler ParkPark or garden · 0.9 ha · just outside town
DirectionsAdmiral ParkPark or garden · 0.7 ha · 0.1 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsVoisin GreenwayPark or garden · 0.7 ha · just outside town
DirectionsOverlea ParkPark or garden · 0.7 ha
DirectionsSouthridge ParkPark or garden · 0.7 ha
DirectionsForler GreenPark or garden · 0.3 ha · just outside town
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
All of Forest Hill is within a short walk of 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 (100%)Further (0%)
Forest Hill100%
Towns in Ontario90%
Typical Canadian town83%
A typical Canadian town reaches only 83%.
Protected areas
Within 10 km of Forest Hill, 1.7% 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 Forest Hill0%
Within 10 km1.7%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public bodies own 20 of the 21; land trusts and private owners hold the others. Huron Natural Area is the biggest, 96 ha. One more area within 10 km is private land, held by a landowner or a conservation group: counted here, not named.
Lakeside ParkNature reserve · 9.2 ha · 0.7 km from the edge of town
Laurentian WetlandNature reserve · 17 ha · 0.9 km from the edge of town
Borden WetlandsNature reserve · 16 ha · 1.2 km from the edge of town
Huron Natural AreaNature reserve · 96 ha · 2.7 km from the edge of town
Steckle WoodsNature reserve · 30 ha · 3.4 km from the edge of town
Brigadoon Woods-Strasburg CreekNature reserve · 34 ha · 4.7 km from the edge of town
Homer Watson ParkNature reserve · 60 ha · 4.9 km from the edge of town
Tilt's BushNature reserve · 39 ha · 5.2 km from the edge of town
Idlewood ParkNature reserve · 48 ha · 5.3 km from the edge of town
Springmount Park - Idlewood CreekNature reserve · 27 ha · 6.3 km from the edge of town
10 more named areas within 10 km are in the figures.
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
The nearest big park: Trillium Woods Provincial Park, 46 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
Trillium Woods Provincial Park
46 km south-west0.1 km²since 1969
No national park lies within 100 km of Forest Hill; the provincial parks are the big protected land within reach.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
Paths to walk: 50 km in and around Forest Hill
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
50 km
in and around the town (10.7 km²)
Woodland
4%
about 0.4 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
Forest HillTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Footpaths4.7
036 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
Forest HillTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Woodland4%
0%50%100%
Few places match it for paths: more than 90% of Canadian towns have fewer. For woods, 65% of Canadian towns have more.
Source: OpenStreetMap, © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Mapping varies by place: a dense figure can mean keen local mappers as much as many paths.
Walking routes
No mapped walking route near Forest Hill
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
No named route shows within 2 km of the neighbourhood; volunteers map trails unevenly from one region to the next.
Source: OpenStreetMap (route relations hiking, foot and walking), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Trans Canada Trail sections as OSM maps them.
When to get out
Get out in Forest Hill in May, June, August and September
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Kitchener/Waterloo (11 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 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 9.0 |
| High (°C) | -2 | -1 | 4 | 12 | 19 | 24 | 27 | 26 | 22 | 14 | 7 | 1 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 66 | 46 | 57 | 81 | 80 | 81 | 96 | 67 | 75 | 71 | 75 | 55 |
July is the warmest month, with highs around 27 °C; January the coldest, at -2 °C. Rain peaks with the heat: 96 mm in July, against 46 mm in February. The climate in Forest Hill →
Things to do
Near Forest Hill: 138 outdoor spots on the map
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
Mount Trashmore, 370 m, is the high point nearby. 125 playgrounds top the list.
Every named place, with directions
Hills and peaks 1
Mount Trashmore370 m · 1.0 km from town
DirectionsNature reserves 10
Eastforest Park Natural Area0.9 km from town
DirectionsTrailview Park Natural Area0.9 km from town
DirectionsLaurentian Wetlands1.1 km from town
DirectionsDetweiler Park Natural Area1.2 km from town
DirectionsLorilee Park1.2 km from town
DirectionsWestheights Park Natural Area1.2 km from town
DirectionsBorden Wetlands1.4 km from town
DirectionsWestwood Park Natural Area1.6 km from town
DirectionsPlus 2 nature reserves more.
Picnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 125
Filsinger Park Playground0.3 km from town
Directionsdigger sand pit1.6 km from town
DirectionsPlus 123 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Dog Run1.6 km from town
DirectionsSource: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Gardens to visit
Waterloo Park, 3.9 km from Forest Hill, 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.
Waterloo ParkGarden or park · 3.9 km from town
DirectionsSources: 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 Forest Hill
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
Meinzinger Park-LakesideLaurentian HillsVictoria HillsForest HeightsVictoria ParkSouthdaleForest Hill
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Hill | 1.7% | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| Meinzinger Park-Lakeside 0.8 km | 1.7% | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| Laurentian Hills 1.5 km | 1.8% | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| Victoria Hills 1.7 km | 1.6% | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| Forest Heights 1.9 km | 1.6% | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| Victoria Park 2.2 km | 1.8% | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| Southdale 2.3 km | 1.9% | 22 | 0 | 0 |
Forest Hill is not outdone two to one on protected land by any neighbour.
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. A park at 0 km touches or overlaps the town’s outline; directions point from the town’s centre.
- 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.
- Private land. CPCAD includes conservation land held privately; the page counts it and leaves the names out.
Questions about the outdoors in Forest Hill
How much land around Forest Hill is protected?
Within 10 km, 1.7% of the land lies in protected areas.
What is the nearest provincial park to Forest Hill?
The closest is Trillium Woods Provincial Park, at 46 km.
What is the biggest park or reserve near Forest Hill?
Huron Natural Area: 96 ha, a nature reserve.
What is the nearest national park to Forest Hill?
The nearest national park is more than 100 km from Forest Hill.
When is the best time for walking in Forest Hill?
On the normals, May, June, August and September: that is when days are long, highs reach 15 °C and rain is light.
Sources
The sources behind Forest Hill’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).