First pick
Valley View Park
Park or garden
39 ha3.6 km of path
45 minto walk all 3.6 km of path
0.6 km northfrom the centre
Huntington Trail
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Wesoree · CC BY-SA 4.01.9%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Thornlea · parks, protected land & trails
Rouge National Urban Park is 12 km from Thornlea
Within 10 km are 29 protected areas. For a provincial park, Uxbridge Urban Provincial Park lies 30 km off. The largest is Elgin West Channel Lands: 89 ha, 7.6 km from the edge of town.
Protected land
1.9%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
29
within 10 km, 22 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
12 km
Rouge National Urban Park
Nearest provincial park
30 km
Uxbridge Urban Provincial Park
Character
Where Thornlea stands out outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
A national park nearbyRouge National Urban Park, 12 km awayMany protected areas22 public areas within 10 km
Thornlea’s best card is Rouge National Urban Park within easy reach, with the number of public protected areas close by close behind.
Against other towns
Thornlea 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 km1.9%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 areas22Areas 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
Thornlea sits 17th from last of 40 towns its size for protected land around it
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (20,298 to 21,455 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
Thornlea1.9%
Towns its size2.6%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Thornlea22
Towns its size6
Towns in Ontario4
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Thornlea0
Towns its size0
Towns in Ontario1
Typical Canadian town0
Thornlea beats most towns its size for public protected areas; 3 of 39 do better. For protected land nearby, though, 22 of 39 are ahead.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rivière-du-Loup QC | 36% | 0.6% | 30 | 0 | 1 |
| 2 | Pitt Meadows BC | 28% | 18% | 127 | 2 | 11 |
| 3 | Dorval QC | 20% | 0.2% | 38 | 0 | 6 |
| 4 | Dunbar-Southlands BC | 17% | 0.9% | 12 | 1 | 62 |
| 5 | Woodlawn NS | 15% | 3.3% | 27 | 5 | 11 |
| 6 | Upper Lachine QC | 12% | 0% | 23 | 0 | 2 |
| 7 | Côte-Saint-Antoine QC | 11% | 0% | 24 | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | Wismer Commons ON | 11% | 0% | 8 | 1 | 1 |
| 9 | Westmount QC | 8.5% | 0.3% | 23 | 1 | 4 |
| 10 | Édouard-Montpetit QC | 8.3% | 0.7% | 25 | 0 | 1 |
| 11 | Baie-Comeau QC | 7.4% | 0.4% | 22 | 0 | 2 |
| 12 | Corner Brook NL | 6.3% | 3.8% | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 13 | Sacré-Coeur QC | 6.3% | 0% | 22 | 0 | 3 |
| 14 | Longue-Pointe QC | 6.3% | 0% | 28 | 0 | 1 |
| 15 | Windsor NS | 5.7% | 2.2% | 153 | 1 | 14 |
| 16 | Maisonneuve QC | 5.2% | 0% | 21 | 0 | 2 |
| 17 | Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures QC | 5% | 0.5% | 37 | 1 | 2 |
| 18 | Bridgenorth ON | 4.7% | 0.3% | 21 | 0 | 6 |
| 19 | West Rouge ON | 3.4% | 2.2% | 14 | 0 | 10 |
| 20 | Black Creek ON | 2.7% | 1% | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | Thorncliffe Park ON | 2.5% | 16% | 12 | 3 | 2 |
| 22 | Gabriel-Sagard QC | 2% | 0% | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | Chameran/Montpellier QC | 1.9% | 0% | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Thornlea ON | 1.9% | 0% | 29 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | Fenside-Parkwoods ON | 1.9% | 5.5% | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | Yonge-Doris ON | 1.8% | 0% | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Huron Heights ON | 1.6% | 1.8% | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| 28 | Englemount-Lawrence ON | 1.4% | 0% | 13 | 2 | 0 |
| 29 | White Oaks ON | 1.4% | 0.1% | 14 | 1 | 0 |
| 30 | Salmon Arm BC | 1.3% | 0.1% | 8 | 0 | 2 |
| 31 | Oakwood Village ON | 1.3% | 0% | 12 | 2 | 3 |
| 32 | Centre (Montréal-Nord) QC | 1% | 0% | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | Camrose AB | 0.9% | 0% | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Oakdale-Beverley Heights ON | 0.9% | 0% | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| 35 | Sturgeon County AB | 0.8% | 0.7% | 25 | 8 | 1 |
| 36 | Lloydminster (Part) AB | 0.5% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 37 | Tillsonburg ON | 0.2% | 0% | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 38 | East Windsor ON | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 39 | Forest Glade ON | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 40 | Roseland ON | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
The map
Thornlea on the map: green space, protected land and paths
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
Walk in Thornlea: 30 named parks and woods
The biggest is Valley View Park, 39 ha. Biggest first, numbered as on the map.
30 named parks and woods, 144 ha in all
Parks & gardens 139 haWoods 5.5 ha
Even the biggest has just 27% of the total.
Huntington Park
Park or garden
10 ha1.5 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.5 km of path
0.8 km northfrom the centre
Huntington Trail
Directionsto a point inside
Bayview Reservoir Park
Park or garden
12 ha
1.1 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Royal Orchard Park
Park or garden · 220 m outside town
9.2 ha1.4 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.4 km of path
1.8 km westfrom the centre
The Samuel Francis Path
Directionsto a point inside
Bishops Cross Park
Park or garden
7.3 ha0.5 km of path
2.1 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Saddle Creek Park
Park or garden
4.4 ha1.7 km of path
25 minto walk all 1.7 km of path
1.4 km northfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Grandview Park
Park or garden · 210 m outside town
5.6 ha1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1 km of path
2.8 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Woodland Park
Park or garden · 90 m outside town
6.8 ha0.2 km of path
2.4 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
All 30 named parks and green spaces
Valley View ParkPark or garden · 39 ha · 3.6 km of path
DirectionsHuntington ParkPark or garden · 10 ha · 1.5 km of path
DirectionsBayview Reservoir ParkPark or garden · 12 ha
DirectionsRoyal Orchard ParkPark or garden · 9.2 ha · 1.4 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsBishops Cross ParkPark or garden · 7.3 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsSaddle Creek ParkPark or garden · 4.4 ha · 1.7 km of path
DirectionsGrandview ParkPark or garden · 5.6 ha · 1 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsWoodland ParkPark or garden · 6.8 ha · 0.2 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsGarnier ParkPark or garden · 6.3 ha
DirectionsJohnsview ParkPark or garden · 3.8 ha · 1.1 km of path
DirectionsBestview ParkPark or garden · 3.8 ha · 0.7 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsBayview Lane ParkPark or garden · 3.6 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsThornlea East ParkPark or garden · 3.3 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsLundy ParkPark or garden · 2.8 ha · 0.2 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsWindy Hill ParkPark or garden · 2.2 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsDuncan ParkPark or garden · 2.7 ha · just outside town
DirectionsGlencrest ParkPark or garden · 1.9 ha · 0.4 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsBayview Glen ParkPark or garden · 1.7 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsCake Bread ParkPark or garden · 1.9 ha
DirectionsJohn Honsberger Field ParkPark or garden · 1.9 ha · just outside town
DirectionsSummerdale WoodsWood or forest · 5.5 ha · 0.1 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsGreen Lane ParkPark or garden · 1.7 ha
DirectionsLotus Flower ParkPark or garden · 0.6 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsLeitchcroft ParkPark or garden · 1.1 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsSummerdale ParkPark or garden · 1.1 ha · just outside town
DirectionsCottonwood ParkPark or garden · 1.0 ha · 0.1 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsHuntington Park Off-Leash Dog ParkPark or garden · 0.8 ha
DirectionsSprucewood ParkPark or garden · 0.7 ha
DirectionsRomfield ParkPark or garden · 0.7 ha · just outside town
DirectionsPrivate Thomas Millar Armstrong ParkPark or garden · 0.4 ha · 0.1 km of path · 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
7 in 10 people in Thornlea 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%)
Thornlea71%
Towns in Ontario90%
Typical Canadian town83%
For about 6,000 people, the nearest park is over 400 m away. That is below the typical Canadian town (83%).
Protected areas
Within 10 km of Thornlea, 1.9% 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 Thornlea0%
Within 10 km1.9%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public bodies own 22 of the 29; land trusts and private owners hold the others. Elgin West Channel Lands leads for size with 89 ha. 7 more areas are private land or have no recorded public owner: counted, not named.
Doncrest ValleyNature reserve · 5.4 ha · reaches Thornlea
Beaver WoodlandNature reserve · 18 ha · reaches Thornlea
Beaver GreenwayNature reserve · 29 ha · 0.8 km from the edge of town
David Dunlap Observatory ParkNature reserve · 45 ha · 2.3 km from the edge of town
Webster ParkNature reserve · 18 ha · 3.1 km from the edge of town
Headford ValleylandsNature reserve · 12 ha · 3.1 km from the edge of town
Wood's ParkNature reserve · 2.7 ha · 3.5 km from the edge of town
Richvale GreenwayNature reserve · 14 ha · 3.7 km from the edge of town
North Richvale GreenwayNature reserve · 6.8 ha · 4.2 km from the edge of town
Little Don ParkNature reserve · 3.4 ha · 4.6 km from the edge of town
12 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
Big parks near Thornlea
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
National urban park
Rouge National Urban Park
12 km north-east46 km²since 2015
Provincial park
Uxbridge Urban Provincial Park
30 km north-east5.3 km²since 2024
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
65 km of paths in and around Thornlea
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
65 km
in and around the town (36.1 km²)
Woodland
4.9%
about 1.8 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
ThornleaTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Footpaths1.8
01.53 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
ThornleaTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Woodland4.9%
0%50%100%
For woods, 61% of Canadian towns have more. Few places match it for paths: more than 53% 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
No named walking route passes Thornlea on the map
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 walking or hiking route is mapped near the neighbourhood; local paths may simply not be on OpenStreetMap as routes.
Source: OpenStreetMap (route relations hiking, foot and walking), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Trans Canada Trail sections as OSM maps them.
When to get out
Thornlea is best on foot in May and July to September
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Toronto Buttonville (Airport), 4.2 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 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 8.9 |
| High (°C) | -2 | -1 | 5 | 12 | 19 | 25 | 27 | 26 | 22 | 14 | 7 | 2 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 64 | 51 | 52 | 79 | 80 | 87 | 85 | 72 | 83 | 71 | 77 | 63 |
About 146 cm of snow falls in a year. Precipitation runs from 51 mm in February to 87 mm in June. January brings highs of -2 °C, July highs of 27 °C. The climate in Thornlea →
Things to do
149 things to do outdoors near Thornlea
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
Playgrounds lead the count with 146.
Every named place, with directions
Playgrounds 146
Summerdale Playground0.3 km from town
DirectionsOneida Playground1.5 km from town
DirectionsSplash Pad1.6 km from town
DirectionsPlus 143 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 3
Huntington Park Off-Leash Dog Parkin town
DirectionsDog Off Leash Area0.8 km from town
DirectionsPlus 1 dog park without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Thornlea
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
German MillsLangstaffSteeles CornersBayview Woods-SteelesHillcrest VillageNewtonbrook EastThornlea
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thornlea | 1.9% | 29 | 0 | 0 |
| German Mills 2.0 km | 1.6% | 28 | 0 | 0 |
| Langstaff 2.3 km | 2.3% | 27 | 0 | 0 |
| Steeles Corners 2.8 km | 1.8% | 26 | 0 | 0 |
| Bayview Woods-Steeles 3.6 km | 1.7% | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| Hillcrest Village 3.9 km | 1.6% | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| Newtonbrook East 4.0 km | 1.8% | 22 | 0 | 0 |
Thornlea 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
- National and provincial parks. The nearest national park and the nearest provincial park are always shown when they are within 100 km.
- 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.
- Walking routes. The list is OpenStreetMap’s, so a missing trail may just be unmapped. The Trans Canada Trail appears where OSM maps it.
Questions about the outdoors in Thornlea
Is there a provincial park near Thornlea?
The closest is Uxbridge Urban Provincial Park, at 30 km.
Which is the biggest protected area near Thornlea?
It is Elgin West Channel Lands, a nature reserve covering 89 ha.
When is the best time for walking in Thornlea?
May and July to September, on the 1991–2020 normals and the daylight: long days, highs of 15 °C or more, light rain for the place.
Are there protected areas near Thornlea?
Within 10 km, 1.9% of the land lies in protected areas.
What is the nearest national park to Thornlea?
The nearest is Rouge National Urban Park, 12 km away.
Sources
Sources for this page on Thornlea
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.
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).