Photo: MikeStnly · CC BY-SA 4.0Protected land around Minden Hills beats 8 in 10 Canadian towns
OpenStreetMap shows 3 walking routes nearby, including the Ganaraska Trail and Queen Elizabeth Wildlands. Within 5 km are 2 beaches; Portage & Main is the nearest. A drive of 70 km reaches Georgian Bay Islands National Park, the nearest national park.
What Minden Hills has going for it outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
Minden Hills’ best card is protected land around it, with its choice of walking routes close behind.
Minden Hills 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.
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Among 40 towns its size, Minden Hills ranks 6th for protected land within 10 km
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (7,712 to 7,966 residents), by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected. Hover for each one’s figures; click for its page.
Minden Hills beats most towns its size for protected land nearby; 5 of 39 do better.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beacon Hill South - Cardinal Heights ON | 13% | 0% | 37 | 0 | 1 |
| 2 | Kenora, Unorganized ON | 12% | 12% | 98 | 5 | 38 |
| 3 | Baie-Saint-Paul QC | 11% | 0.1% | 18 | 11 | 8 |
| 4 | Dryden ON | 11% | 0.7% | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| 5 | Donnacona QC | 9.6% | 0.1% | 23 | 0 | 2 |
| 6 | Minden Hills ON | 8.1% | 5.9% | 7 | 3 | 2 |
| 7 | Cypress County AB | 7.9% | 5.9% | 46 | 1 | 3 |
| 8 | Mountview ON | 7% | 0% | 21 | 2 | 2 |
| 9 | La Broquerie MB | 6.6% | 5.1% | 73 | 0 | 3 |
| 10 | Coteau-du-Lac QC | 4.4% | 0.6% | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | Dufferin Hill ON | 4.4% | 1.6% | 29 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | La Perle AB | 4.4% | 0% | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | Bienville QC | 4.1% | 0% | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Lakeview SK | 2.8% | 0.1% | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 15 | Windsor Park AB | 2.8% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 5 |
| 16 | Whitewater Region ON | 2.5% | 1.3% | 44 | 0 | 12 |
| 17 | Woodbine-Lumsden ON | 2.5% | 5.1% | 13 | 1 | 18 |
| 18 | Electoral Area A, Nanaimo BC | 2.4% | 3.8% | 39 | 2 | 7 |
| 19 | Playter Estates-Danforth ON | 2.3% | 1.5% | 11 | 5 | 18 |
| 20 | Valley Ridge AB | 2% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 21 | Cornwall PE | 1.7% | 0% | 14 | 10 | 10 |
| 22 | Pulberry MB | 1.5% | 7.7% | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | Electoral Area B (Lazo North), Comox Valley BC | 1.3% | 3.1% | 64 | 0 | 3 |
| 24 | Central St. Boniface MB | 1.3% | 2.9% | 22 | 4 | 0 |
| 25 | Labrador City NL | 1.2% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 26 | North Stormont ON | 1.2% | 1.8% | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Silver Heights MB | 1.2% | 0.3% | 17 | 1 | 37 |
| 28 | Ambleside AB | 1% | 0% | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| 29 | Newell County AB | 0.9% | 1% | 11 | 0 | 14 |
| 30 | Cardinal ON | 0.8% | 0.9% | 13 | 1 | 1 |
| 31 | Augusta ON | 0.8% | 0% | 11 | 1 | 1 |
| 32 | Chatsworth ON | 0.6% | 0.7% | 45 | 1 | 1 |
| 33 | Killarney/Glengarry AB | 0.6% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Bayham ON | 0.5% | 0.6% | 9 | 0 | 3 |
| 35 | Callingwood South AB | 0.4% | 0% | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 36 | Lambton Baby Point ON | 0.3% | 7.1% | 6 | 3 | 13 |
| 37 | River East MB | 0.2% | 5.2% | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | Queen Mary Park AB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 39 | Acton Vale QC | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| 40 | Harvest Hills AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Minden Hills on the map: green space, protected land and paths
Green space, woods, protected areas and footpaths in and around the town; tap a number for its park or wood.
5 named parks and woods to walk in near Minden Hills
Shuyler Island is the largest, at 27 ha; the rest follow by size, numbered as on the map.
The bulk, 81%, is Shuyler Island and South Morris Island.
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.
Most of Minden Hills is more than a short walk from 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.
That leaves about 7,800 people more than a short walk away. The usual figure for a Canadian town is 83%, above this.
7 protected areas around Minden Hills
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Governments hold 5 of the 7, and private owners the rest. The largest named one is Queen Elizabeth II Wildlands Provincial Park, at 33,505 ha. 2 more areas within 10 km are private land, held by landowners or conservation groups: counted here, not named.
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.
Georgian Bay Islands National Park, 70 km off
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.
Queen Elizabeth II Wildlands Provincial Park
Bigwind Lake Provincial Park
Georgian Bay Islands National Park
2 provincial parks lie within 10 km.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Minden Hills and its edge hold 117 km of footpath
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 · km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
It has fewer paths per km² than 85% of Canadian towns. It is more wooded than 97% 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.
3 walking routes near Minden Hills
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
For a longer outing, the Ganaraska Trail runs 243.6 km.
Source: OpenStreetMap (route relations hiking, foot and walking), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Trans Canada Trail sections as OSM maps them.
Minden Hills is best on foot in May to September
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Haliburton, 17 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) | 9.1 | 10.3 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.6 | 15.3 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.8 |
| High (°C) | -4 | -2 | 3 | 10 | 19 | 23 | 25 | 24 | 20 | 13 | 5 | -1 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 98 | 71 | 76 | 87 | 92 | 98 | 91 | 94 | 99 | 102 | 103 | 95 |
Expect around 278 cm of snow over a winter. Rain and snow peak in November (103 mm) and ease in February (71 mm). July is the warmest month, with highs around 25 °C; January the coldest, at -4 °C. The climate in Minden Hills →
2 beaches within 5 km of Minden Hills
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Water quality isn’t shown: there’s no open national record of beach tests. Local health authorities post advisories.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Viewpoints and waterfalls near Minden Hills: 6 and 4
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
94 campsites top the list.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 6
Plus 4 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Waterfalls 4
Plus 2 waterfalls without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 1
Picnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 5
Plus 5 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 94
Plus 86 campsites without a name on the map.
Slipways 11
Plus 8 slipways without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next to Minden Hills
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page. Minden Hills has few close neighbours with figures, so the list reaches 18–49 km out.
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minden Hills | 8.1% | 7 | 3 | 2 |
| Algonquin Highlands 18 km | 18% | 8 | 0 | 10 |
| Haliburton Village 23 km | 4.1% | 6 | 0 | 9 |
| Highlands East 35 km | 5.2% | 4 | 1 | 7 |
| Trent Lakes 43 km | 14% | 18 | 1 | 5 |
| Lake of Bays 49 km | 4.8% | 12 | 1 | 6 |
For protected land, Algonquin Highlands has twice as much or more.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Private land. Land owned by individuals, companies or conservation groups counts toward the figures but is never named: a person’s land isn’t a place to visit.
- Beaches. A beach counts when its centre point lies within 5 km of the town’s outline. Names come from the map.
- Protected land. The 10 km band starts at the town’s outline, not its centre, so a large municipality reaches further than a small town.
- National and provincial parks. The nearest national park and the nearest provincial park are always shown when they are within 100 km.
- 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 Minden Hills
What walking routes are near Minden Hills?
OpenStreetMap maps the Ganaraska Trail, Queen Elizabeth Wildlands and Victoria Rail Trail - hiking close by, with others.
Where can you swim near Minden Hills?
The nearest is Portage & Main, in town.
Is there a provincial park near Minden Hills?
Queen Elizabeth II Wildlands Provincial Park begins at the town’s edge.
How much land around Minden Hills is protected?
Within 10 km, 8.1% of the land lies in protected areas.
How far is Minden Hills from a national park?
The nearest is Georgian Bay Islands National Park, 70 km away.
When is the best time for walking in Minden Hills?
May to September: long days, mild highs and little rain.
What is the biggest park or reserve near Minden Hills?
It is Queen Elizabeth II Wildlands Provincial Park, a provincial park covering 33,505 ha.
Sources for this page on Minden Hills
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).