First pick
Memorial Park
Park or garden
14 ha1.1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.1 km of path
8.4 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: JustSomePics · CC BY-SA 4.01.1%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Meaford · parks, protected land & trails
Step out of Meaford into Bayview Escarpment Provincial Park
For a swim, Sunnyside Beach is the nearest of 21 beaches within 5 km. Within 10 km are 70 protected areas. For walks, 4 named routes run within 2 km, such as the Bruce Trail - Sydenham section and Bruce Trail - Beaver Valley section.
Protected land
1.1%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
70
within 10 km, 22 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
57 km
Georgian Bay Islands National Park
Nearest provincial park
At the edge
Bayview Escarpment Provincial Park
Walking routes
4
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Beaches
21
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
What sets Meaford apart outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
A provincial park at the edgeBayview Escarpment Provincial Park reaches the townMany protected areas22 public areas within 10 kmBeaches21 beaches within 5 kmWalking routes4 named routes within 2 km
For someone who likes to get outside, Meaford’s draw is a provincial park at its edge, with the number of public protected areas close by close behind.
Against other towns
Meaford 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 km1.1%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town2.1%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 routes4Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches21Beaches mapped on OpenStreetMap within 5 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Meaford has the 13th least protected land nearby of 40 towns its size
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (12,384 to 12,924 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
Meaford1.1%
Towns its size2.2%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Meaford22
Towns its size4
Towns in Ontario4
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Meaford4
Towns its size0
Towns in Ontario1
Typical Canadian town0
Meaford beats most towns its size for public protected areas; only 1 of 39 does better. It trails them for protected land nearby, where 27 of 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | View Royal BC | 21% | 45% | 35 | 3 | 20 |
| 2 | Orleans Village - Chateauneuf ON | 14% | 0% | 35 | 0 | 1 |
| 3 | Westboro ON | 13% | 5.5% | 32 | 3 | 8 |
| 4 | Bridlewood AB | 7.7% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 5 | Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine QC | 7.3% | 6.1% | 46 | 0 | 94 |
| 6 | Saltspring Island BC | 6.7% | 17% | 109 | 3 | 44 |
| 7 | Rothesay NB | 5.5% | 0% | 9 | 1 | 37 |
| 8 | Prince Rupert BC | 5.5% | 0% | 5 | 0 | 2 |
| 9 | Saint-Hippolyte QC | 4.2% | 6.9% | 21 | 2 | 5 |
| 10 | Highland Creek ON | 3.5% | 0.6% | 14 | 0 | 5 |
| 11 | Chaparral AB | 3.2% | 9.8% | 1 | 0 | 13 |
| 12 | New Springbrook ON | 3.1% | 2.4% | 19 | 1 | 0 |
| 13 | Lakeview AB | 2.9% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 7 |
| 14 | Carignan QC | 2.7% | 2.1% | 35 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | Yonge-Eglinton ON | 2.6% | 0% | 14 | 2 | 1 |
| 16 | Grenet QC | 2.5% | 0% | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | Spring Valley ON | 2.4% | 8.4% | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | Regent Park ON | 2.3% | 0% | 10 | 8 | 40 |
| 19 | Bromont QC | 2.2% | 2% | 25 | 0 | 2 |
| 20 | Yonge-Bay Corridor ON | 2.2% | 0% | 11 | 9 | 38 |
| 21 | Erin ON | 2.1% | 0.2% | 48 | 6 | 1 |
| 22 | Kings County, Subdivision B NS | 1.7% | 5.9% | 19 | 2 | 9 |
| 23 | Bayview Woods-Steeles ON | 1.7% | 17% | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Forest Hill North ON | 1.5% | 0% | 14 | 2 | 1 |
| 25 | Brighton ON | 1.3% | 4.2% | 14 | 2 | 2 |
| 26 | Highland West ON | 1.3% | 0% | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Winchester ON | 1.2% | 0.6% | 28 | 0 | 1 |
| 28 | Meaford ON | 1.1% | 2.1% | 70 | 4 | 21 |
| 29 | Tyndall Park MB | 1.1% | 0% | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Wellesley ON | 1% | 0% | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| 31 | Windsor Park MB | 0.8% | 0.2% | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | Gander NL | 0.7% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| 33 | Amos QC | 0.5% | 0.2% | 8 | 0 | 1 |
| 34 | Lac Ste. Anne County AB | 0.5% | 0.4% | 33 | 0 | 2 |
| 35 | Alderwood ON | 0.3% | 0% | 5 | 1 | 12 |
| 36 | Varsity AB | 0.3% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| 37 | Rutherford AB | 0.3% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 38 | DT Hospital ON | 0.1% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| 39 | Downtown AB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 40 | Thompson MB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The map
The green map of Meaford
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
Walk in Meaford: 8 named parks and woods
Largest first: Memorial Park leads with 14 ha. Numbers match the map.
8 named parks and woods, 24 ha in all
Parks & gardens 24 ha
Most of it sits in Memorial Park and Garafraxa Park: 70% together.
David Johnston Park
Park or garden
2.1 ha0.5 km of path
7.0 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Garafraxa Park
Park or garden · 160 m outside town
2.6 ha0.1 km of path
21 km westfrom the centre
Bruce Trail
Directionsto a point inside
Beautiful Joe Park
Park or garden
1.9 ha0.3 km of path
6.1 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Owen Heights Park
Park or garden · 340 m outside town
0.7 ha
21 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Beautiful Joe's Leash-Free Dog Park
Park or garden
0.3 ha
7.7 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Source: 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
3 in 10 people in Meaford 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 (27%)Further (74%)
Meaford27%
Towns in Ontario90%
Typical Canadian town83%
For about 9,300 people, the nearest park is over 400 m away. For comparison, the typical Canadian town has 83%.
Protected areas
1.1% of the land around Meaford 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 Meaford2.1%
Within 10 km1.1%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public bodies own 22 of the 70; land trusts and private owners hold the others. Bayview Escarpment Provincial Park is the biggest, 612 ha. 23 more areas within 10 km are private land, held by landowners or conservation groups: counted here, not named.
Bayview Escarpment Provincial ParkProvincial park · 612 ha · reaches Meaford
TuersleyProtected area · 29 ha · reaches Meaford
RockspringsProtected area · 20 ha · reaches Meaford
BoydProtected area · 18 ha · reaches Meaford
WaisbergProtected area · 18 ha · reaches Meaford
Tulloch-SullivanProtected area · 14 ha · reaches Meaford
SullivanProtected area · 14 ha · reaches Meaford
Keeling, C.Protected area · 6.6 ha · reaches Meaford
StonehouseProtected area · 4.4 ha · reaches Meaford
Keeling, A.Protected area · 1.9 ha · reaches Meaford
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
57 km to Georgian Bay 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
Bayview Escarpment Provincial Park
At the edge6.1 km²since 1985
National park
Georgian Bay Islands National Park
57 km north-east14 km²since 1930
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
Meaford has 164 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
164 km
in and around the town (726.7 km²)
Woodland
23%
about 170.3 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
MeafordTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0.2
01.53 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
MeafordTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Woodland23%
0%50%100%
More of it is wooded than in 70% of Canadian towns. Paths are thinner on the ground than in 76% 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
Meaford has 4 named walking routes
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
RegionalLocalOther waymarked
Bruce Trail - Sydenham section166.6 km
Bruce Trail - Beaver Valley section117.6 km
Trout Hollow trail5.6 km
Bruce Trail - Sydenham section side trails5.4 km
Among local routes, the Bruce Trail - Sydenham section is longest at 166.6 km.
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 Meaford: May to August
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Wiarton (38 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) | 9.2 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.8 |
| High (°C) | -1 | -1 | 4 | 10 | 17 | 22 | 25 | 25 | 21 | 14 | 8 | 2 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 111 | 77 | 66 | 84 | 82 | 79 | 70 | 83 | 99 | 110 | 110 | 104 |
From -1 °C in January to 25 °C in July: that is the range of daytime highs. The wettest month, January, brings 111 mm, against 66 mm in March. The yearly snowfall is near 385 cm. The climate in Meaford →
Beaches
Meaford has 21 beaches close by
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Sunnyside Beachin town
DirectionsHarbourfront Beachmixed · 2.2 km from town
DirectionsBayshore Beach2.7 km from town
DirectionsPottawatomi Beachsand · 2.8 km from town
Directions17 more are mapped without a name. This page can’t show water quality: no open, Canada-wide record of beach testing exists. Check local advisories first.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
Viewpoints and waterfalls near Meaford: 1 and 3
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
1Viewpoints3Hills and peaks3Waterfalls12Nature reserves6Picnic sites15Playgrounds1Dog parks5Campsites2Slipways
15 playgrounds top the list.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 1
Elmer Hodgkinson Lookoutin town
DirectionsHills and peaks 3
Waterfalls 3
Keefer Fallsin town
DirectionsInglis Falls1.3 km from town
DirectionsWeaver Creek Falls1.4 km from town
DirectionsNature reserves 12
Ainslie Wood Conservation Areain town
DirectionsBayview Escarpment Provincial Nature Reservein town
DirectionsBeautiful Joe Conservation Areain town
DirectionsBognor Marsh Management Areain town
DirectionsChristie Beach Conservation Areain town
DirectionsTelfer Creek Nature Reservein town
DirectionsInglis Falls Conservation Area0.9 km from town
DirectionsBird Sanctuary1.2 km from town
DirectionsPlus 4 nature reserves without a name on the map.
Picnic sites 6
Plus 6 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 15
Comm-R-Ette Playground1.8 km from town
DirectionsPlus 14 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Beautiful Joe's Leash-Free Dog Parkin town
DirectionsCampsites 5
Roebuck Family Campgroundin town
DirectionsSunny Valley Park Campground1.0 km from town
DirectionsHarrision Park Family Campground1.2 km from town
DirectionsPlus 2 campsites without a name on the map.
Slipways 2
Plus 2 slipways without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Meaford
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page. Distances here run 20–27 km: that is how far the nearest places with figures are from Meaford.
ThornburyOwen SoundGeorgian BluffsChatsworthMeaford
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meaford | 1.1% | 70 | 4 | 21 |
| Thornbury 20 km | 2.2% | 63 | 5 | 8 |
| Owen Sound 21 km | 1.3% | 33 | 2 | 12 |
| Georgian Bluffs 27 km | 1.1% | 67 | 4 | 17 |
| Chatsworth 27 km | 0.6% | 45 | 1 | 1 |
Around Thornbury the protected share is at least double.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- 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. 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.
- Walking routes. Routes are what OpenStreetMap’s volunteers have mapped as named walking or hiking routes; many good trails aren’t mapped that way.
- Beaches. A beach counts when its centre point lies within 5 km of the town’s outline. Names come from the map.
Questions about the outdoors in Meaford
Is there a beach near Meaford?
Try Sunnyside Beach, in town, first of several.
What walking routes are near Meaford?
The Bruce Trail - Sydenham section, Bruce Trail - Beaver Valley section and Trout Hollow trail, among the routes mapped within 2 km.
How far is Meaford from a national park?
The nearest is Georgian Bay Islands National Park, 57 km away.
Is there protected land near Meaford?
Within 10 km, 1.1% of the land lies in protected areas.
What is the largest protected area near Meaford?
Bayview Escarpment Provincial Park, a provincial park of 612 ha.
What is the best season to get outdoors in Meaford?
May to August: long days, mild highs and little rain.
How far is the nearest provincial park from Meaford?
Bayview Escarpment Provincial Park begins at the town’s edge.
Sources
The sources behind Meaford’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.
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).