First pick
Gilles Grove
Wood or forest
26 ha2.8 km of path
35 minto walk all 2.8 km of path
8.2 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: P199 · CC BY-SA 4.02.7%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in McNab/Braeside · parks, protected land & trails
Step out of McNab/Braeside into Alexander Stewart Provincial Park
For a swim, Braeside Beach is the nearest of 14 beaches within 5 km. 35 protected areas lie within 10 km. The largest named area nearby is Île Kennedy Water Fowl Gathering Area, 443 ha, 0.1 km away.
Protected land
2.7%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
35
within 10 km, 17 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
86 km
Thousand Islands National Park
Nearest provincial park
At the edge
Alexander Stewart Provincial Park
Beaches
14
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
Where McNab/Braeside stands out outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
A provincial park at the edgeAlexander Stewart Provincial Park reaches the townBeaches14 beaches within 5 km
Out of doors, McNab/Braeside leads with a provincial park at its edge, with its beaches close behind.
Against other towns
McNab/Braeside 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 one of Canada’s graded subjects, so there’s no letter here: each figure is set against other Canadian towns instead.
Protected within 10 km2.7%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town0.1%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas17Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes0Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches14Beaches 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, McNab/Braeside ranks 18th for protected land within 10 km
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (8,216 to 8,463 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
McNab/Braeside2.7%
Towns its size2.1%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
McNab/Braeside17
Towns its size5
Towns in Ontario4
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
McNab/Braeside0
Towns its size0
Towns in Ontario1
Typical Canadian town0
McNab/Braeside beats most towns its size for public protected areas; 7 of 39 do better.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | La Malbaie QC | 27% | 0.5% | 28 | 3 | 2 |
| 2 | Argyle NS | 21% | 22% | 136 | 0 | 22 |
| 3 | Alta Vista ON | 13% | 0.7% | 38 | 0 | 1 |
| 4 | Old Ottawa East ON | 13% | 4.2% | 39 | 4 | 3 |
| 5 | Britannia ON | 13% | 12% | 31 | 4 | 9 |
| 6 | Upper Cornell ON | 12% | 49% | 9 | 2 | 1 |
| 7 | Crestview-Tanglewood ON | 12% | 0% | 28 | 0 | 5 |
| 8 | Mount Joy ON | 10% | 0% | 8 | 1 | 1 |
| 9 | Muskoka Lakes ON | 6.3% | 11% | 26 | 1 | 12 |
| 10 | Saint-Vincent-de-Paul QC | 5.6% | 0% | 19 | 0 | 3 |
| 11 | Norton Park ON | 5.5% | 0% | 7 | 0 | 1 |
| 12 | Saint-Roch QC | 5.1% | 0% | 17 | 1 | 3 |
| 13 | G-Section (bramalea) ON | 5% | 0% | 6 | 0 | 1 |
| 14 | Somerset AB | 4.6% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 8 |
| 15 | Electoral Area A, Comox Valley BC | 4% | 4.1% | 97 | 2 | 19 |
| 16 | Electoral Area G, Nanaimo BC | 3.2% | 7.5% | 32 | 0 | 13 |
| 17 | Deer Lake BC | 2.9% | 0% | 22 | 4 | 25 |
| 18 | McNab/Braeside ON | 2.7% | 0.1% | 35 | 0 | 14 |
| 19 | Rocky Ridge AB | 2.5% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 20 | Douro-Dummer ON | 2.3% | 1.4% | 17 | 2 | 3 |
| 21 | Torbay NL | 1.9% | 0% | 3 | 1 | 20 |
| 22 | Goderich ON | 1.5% | 0% | 10 | 4 | 2 |
| 23 | Drumheller AB | 1% | 4.9% | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Rosewood SK | 0.9% | 0% | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | St. Norbert MB | 0.6% | 1.6% | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | Hillhurst AB | 0.6% | 0% | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 27 | South-West Oxford ON | 0.5% | 0.3% | 10 | 6 | 3 |
| 28 | Bayfield ON | 0.5% | 0.1% | 6 | 2 | 11 |
| 29 | Vermilion River County AB | 0.5% | 0.3% | 24 | 0 | 6 |
| 30 | Springfield North MB | 0.5% | 0% | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | Plattsville ON | 0.4% | 0.1% | 19 | 2 | 2 |
| 32 | Clinton ON | 0.4% | 0.3% | 11 | 13 | 6 |
| 33 | Valley Gardens MB | 0.4% | 0% | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Kildare-Redonda MB | 0.3% | 0% | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | Marlborough Park AB | 0.3% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 36 | Albert Park/Radisson Heights AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 37 | King Edward Park AB | 0.2% | 0% | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 38 | Strathcona AB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 39 | Aylmer ON | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Huron-Kinloss ON | 0% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 8 |
The map
The green map of McNab/Braeside
Green space, woods, protected areas and footpaths in and around the town; 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 McNab/Braeside
Largest first: Gilles Grove leads with 26 ha. Numbers match the map.
12 named parks and woods, 51 ha in all
Parks & gardens 25 haWoods 26 ha
Gilles Grove plus McNab Centre Park account for 64% of the green.
Robert Simpson Park
Park or garden
3.6 ha0.2 km of path
8.8 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Waba Cottage Museum & Gardens
Park or garden
3.0 ha0.3 km of path
6.4 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Burnstown Beach
Park or garden
2.5 ha0.2 km of path
9.5 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Bell Park
Park or garden
2.0 ha0.3 km of path
9.1 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
All 12 named parks and green spaces
Gilles GroveWood or forest · 26 ha · 2.8 km of path
DirectionsMcNab Centre ParkPark or garden · 6.4 ha
DirectionsRobert Simpson ParkPark or garden · 3.6 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsWaba Cottage Museum & GardensPark or garden · 3.0 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsBurnstown BeachPark or garden · 2.5 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsBell ParkPark or garden · 2.0 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsBraeside RA CenterPark or garden · 2.0 ha
DirectionsWhite Lake ParkPark or garden · 1.9 ha
DirectionsRed Pine Bay ParkPark or garden · 1.2 ha
DirectionsMcLean ParkPark or garden · 1.1 ha
DirectionsWellington ParkPark or garden · 0.7 ha
DirectionsWhite Lake BeachPark or garden · 0.4 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
1 in 10 people in McNab/Braeside 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 (6.6%)Further (93%)
McNab/Braeside6.6%
Towns in Ontario90%
Typical Canadian town83%
That leaves about 7,800 people more than a short walk away. For comparison, the typical Canadian town has 83%.
Protected areas
2.7% of the land around McNab/Braeside 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 McNab/Braeside0.1%
Within 10 km2.7%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
17 of the 35 belong to a government or an Indigenous nation. Île Kennedy Water Fowl Gathering Area covers 443 ha, the most of any named area. 18 more areas within 10 km are private land, held by landowners or conservation groups: counted here, not named.
Alexander Stewart Provincial ParkProvincial park · 30 ha · reaches McNab/Braeside
Île Kennedy Water Fowl Gathering AreaWildlife area · 443 ha · 0.1 km from the edge of town
Grand Marais de Bristol Water Fowl Gathering AreaWildlife area · 360 ha · 0.2 km from the edge of town
White Lake Conservation ReserveNature reserve · 241 ha · 0.3 km from the edge of town
Baie Cowley Muskrat HabitatWildlife area · 25 ha · 1.2 km from the edge of town
Grand Marais Sud Muskrat HabitatWildlife area · 16 ha · 1.3 km from the edge of town
Sand Bay (est) Water Fowl Gathering AreaWildlife area · 402 ha · 1.8 km from the edge of town
Knox-Landing Nord Muskrat HabitatWildlife area · 14 ha · 1.9 km from the edge of town
Baie Dirty Cut Muskrat HabitatWildlife area · 12 ha · 2.4 km from the edge of town
Baie Armstrong Muskrat HabitatWildlife area · 12 ha · 2.7 km from the edge of town
7 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
86 km to Thousand Islands National Park
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
Alexander Stewart Provincial Park
At the edge0.3 km²since 2003
Provincial park
Fitzroy Provincial Park
5.5 km north-east2.0 km²since 1963
National park
Thousand Islands National Park
86 km south24 km²since 1904
Within 10 km are 2 provincial parks.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
55 km of paths in and around McNab/Braeside
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
55 km
in and around the town (381.2 km²)
Woodland
38%
about 144.2 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
McNab/BraesideTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0.1
01.53 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
McNab/BraesideTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Woodland38%
0%50%100%
It has fewer paths per km² than 82% of Canadian towns. More of it is wooded than in 78% 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
OpenStreetMap shows no walking route near McNab/Braeside
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 town; 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
Walking season in McNab/Braeside: May and September
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Luskville (34 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) | 9.1 | 10.3 | 11.8 | 13.5 | 14.9 | 15.6 | 15.3 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.4 | 8.7 |
| High (°C) | -6 | -4 | 2 | 11 | 19 | 24 | 26 | 25 | 20 | 12 | 5 | -3 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 77 | 63 | 63 | 74 | 79 | 99 | 97 | 96 | 87 | 84 | 74 | 76 |
Summer highs reach 26 °C in July; in January they stay near -6 °C. The wettest month, June, brings 99 mm, against 63 mm in February. Some 193 cm of snow falls each winter. The climate in McNab/Braeside →
Beaches
McNab/Braeside has 14 beaches close by
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Braeside Beachsand · in town
DirectionsNorway Bay Beachsand · 2.8 km from town
DirectionsPlage Pontiac4.3 km from town
Directions2 are mapped as sand. Unnamed on the map: 11 more. No national or provincial register of beach water quality is published as open data, so check the local health unit before swimming.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
Outdoors around McNab/Braeside: 35 places to go
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 23.
Every named place, with directions
Nature reserves 1
Alexander Stewart Provincial Parkin town
DirectionsPicnic sites 1
Robert Simpson Park0.1 km from town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 23
Nick Smith Center Playground & Skate Park1.7 km from town
DirectionsPlus 22 playgrounds 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.
Next door
Next to McNab/Braeside
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
ArnpriorBristolHortonMcNab/Braeside
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
Bristol has at least twice the protected share around it.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Beaches. A beach counts when its centre point lies within 5 km of the town’s outline. Names come from the map.
- Protected land. CPCAD maps each protected area; the page counts how much of the 10 km around the town they cover, lakes and sea included.
- Walking routes. A route counts when 300 m or more of it lies within 2 km of the town. Coverage of trails on OpenStreetMap varies by region.
- National and provincial parks. National parks are Parks Canada’s; provincial parks are the province’s or territory’s, Québec’s parcs nationaux among them.
- Private land. CPCAD includes conservation land held privately; the page counts it and leaves the names out.
Questions about the outdoors in McNab/Braeside
What is the nearest national park to McNab/Braeside?
The nearest is Thousand Islands National Park, 86 km away.
Is there protected land near McNab/Braeside?
Protected areas cover 2.7% of the land within 10 km.
Is there a beach near McNab/Braeside?
Braeside Beach, in town, is the nearest mapped beach.
What is the biggest park or reserve near McNab/Braeside?
Île Kennedy Water Fowl Gathering Area, a wildlife area of 443 ha.
When should you visit McNab/Braeside for the outdoors?
May and September, on the 1991–2020 normals and the daylight: long days, highs of 15 °C or more, light rain for the place.
What is the nearest provincial park to McNab/Braeside?
Alexander Stewart Provincial Park touches the town.
Sources
Where McNab/Braeside’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.
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).