First pick
Lakefront West Park
Park or garden
60 ha5 km of path
1 h 5 minto walk all 5 km of path
6.9 km southfrom the centre
Waterfront Trail
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Joe Mabel (on Flickr as Joe Mabel from Seattle, US) · CC BY-SA 3.02.4%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Oshawa · parks, protected land & trails
Rouge National Urban Park lies 17 km beyond Oshawa’s edge
Within 10 km are 30 protected areas. Within 5 km are 4 beaches; Lakeview Park Beach is the nearest. One mapped walking route passes within 2 km: the Oak Ridges Trail.
Protected land
2.4%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
30
within 10 km, 13 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
17 km
Rouge National Urban Park
Nearest provincial park
At the edge
Darlington Provincial Park
Walking routes
1
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Beaches
4
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
What sets Oshawa apart outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
A national park nearbyRouge National Urban Park, 17 km awayA provincial park at the edgeDarlington Provincial Park reaches the town
Oshawa’s best card is Rouge National Urban Park within easy reach, with a provincial park at its edge close behind.
Against other towns
How Oshawa compares with 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 km2.4%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town0.3%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas13Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes1Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches4Beaches 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, Oshawa is 17th from the bottom for protected land
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (105,925 to 243,107 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
Oshawa2.4%
Towns its size3.7%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Oshawa13
Towns its size15
Towns in Ontario4
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Oshawa1
Towns its size2
Towns in Ontario1
Typical Canadian town0
Against towns its size, Oshawa is weakest for protected land nearby: 23 of 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maple Ridge BC | 26% | 21% | 101 | 1 | 41 |
| 2 | Coquitlam BC | 25% | 28% | 130 | 5 | 69 |
| 3 | Delta BC | 24% | 17% | 181 | 9 | 19 |
| 4 | Richmond BC | 21% | 3.2% | 73 | 2 | 31 |
| 5 | Kamloops BC | 14% | 13% | 16 | 0 | 11 |
| 6 | Kelowna BC | 13% | 3.8% | 36 | 0 | 42 |
| 7 | Saanich BC | 11% | 9.4% | 43 | 7 | 56 |
| 8 | Strathcona County AB | 9.4% | 1.4% | 38 | 7 | 6 |
| 9 | Trois-Rivières QC | 8.4% | 1.2% | 44 | 1 | 10 |
| 10 | Cape Breton NS | 8.2% | 8.6% | 176 | 1 | 74 |
| 11 | Pickering ON | 7.6% | 11% | 46 | 1 | 11 |
| 12 | Greater Sudbury / Grand Sudbury ON | 6.7% | 3.5% | 43 | 5 | 18 |
| 13 | Saguenay QC | 6% | 6.1% | 29 | 0 | 11 |
| 14 | Kingston ON | 5% | 6.2% | 54 | 2 | 5 |
| 15 | Ajax ON | 4.9% | 5.8% | 31 | 1 | 8 |
| 16 | Lévis QC | 4.1% | 0.6% | 62 | 1 | 8 |
| 17 | Sherbrooke QC | 4.1% | 0.8% | 23 | 2 | 3 |
| 18 | Whitby ON | 3.9% | 4.7% | 37 | 1 | 3 |
| 19 | Abbotsford BC | 3.9% | 0.5% | 37 | 2 | 10 |
| 20 | Terrebonne QC | 3.8% | 3.6% | 60 | 0 | 3 |
| 21 | Langley BC | 3.5% | 2.9% | 144 | 8 | 10 |
| 22 | Barrie ON | 2.6% | 0% | 9 | 0 | 8 |
| 23 | Burlington ON | 2.5% | 1.6% | 27 | 2 | 17 |
| 24 | Oshawa ON | 2.4% | 0.3% | 30 | 1 | 4 |
| 25 | St. John's NL | 2.2% | 1.2% | 6 | 1 | 41 |
| 26 | Richmond Hill ON | 1.9% | 8.4% | 51 | 1 | 0 |
| 27 | Nanaimo BC | 1.9% | 6.7% | 42 | 2 | 33 |
| 28 | Cambridge ON | 1.7% | 0.4% | 33 | 10 | 2 |
| 29 | Bowmanville ON | 1.6% | 3% | 25 | 2 | 9 |
| 30 | Milton ON | 1.3% | 0% | 38 | 15 | 3 |
| 31 | St. Catharines ON | 1.2% | 1.7% | 15 | 4 | 7 |
| 32 | Niagara Falls ON | 1.1% | 1.7% | 15 | 3 | 4 |
| 33 | Chatham ON | 1% | 1% | 21 | 0 | 8 |
| 34 | Guelph ON | 0.9% | 3.1% | 15 | 10 | 5 |
| 35 | Oakville ON | 0.9% | 4.1% | 8 | 1 | 9 |
| 36 | Red Deer AB | 0.7% | 1.2% | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| 37 | Waterloo ON | 0.6% | 0% | 17 | 12 | 1 |
| 38 | Lethbridge AB | 0.4% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Brantford ON | 0.3% | 0% | 15 | 3 | 0 |
| 40 | Thunder Bay ON | 0.1% | 0.4% | 3 | 0 | 4 |
The map
Oshawa on the map: green space, protected land and paths
The town’s parks, woods, protected land and paths, with its named places numbered.
Green: OpenStreetMap parks, gardens, playing fields and woods. Hatched: CPCAD protected areas.© OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL); CPCAD (OGL-Canada)
Places to walk
30 named parks and woods to walk in near Oshawa
Lakefront West Park is the largest, at 60 ha; the rest follow by size, numbered as on the map.
30 named parks and woods, 418 ha in all
Parks & gardens 397 haWoods 21 ha
Even the biggest has just 14% of the total.
Cedar Valley Park
Park or garden
52 ha4 km of path
55 minto walk all 4 km of path
3.4 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Harmony Valley Park
Park or garden
37 ha5.8 km of path
1 h 15 minto walk all 5.8 km of path
2.6 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Lakeview Park
Park or garden
33 ha3.7 km of path
50 minto walk all 3.7 km of path
6.2 km southfrom the centre
Waterfront TrailLakeview Park Pedestrian PathJoseph Kolodzie Oshawa Creek Bike Path
Directionsto a point inside
The Nathan and Marvin Goldman Woodlot
Park or garden
31 ha1.9 km of path
25 minto walk all 1.9 km of path
2.9 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Ed Broadbent Waterfront Park
Park or garden
24 ha2.2 km of path
30 minto walk all 2.2 km of path
5.5 km south-eastfrom the centre
Larry Ladd Harbour Trail
Directionsto a point inside
Cordova Valley Park
Park or garden
17 ha1.2 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.2 km of path
4.4 km southfrom the centre
Joseph Kolodzie Oshawa Creek Bike Path
Directionsto a point inside
Ritson Fields
Park or garden
13 ha1.2 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.2 km of path
3.0 km northfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
All 30 named parks and green spaces
Lakefront West ParkPark or garden · 60 ha · 5 km of path
DirectionsCedar Valley ParkPark or garden · 52 ha · 4 km of path
DirectionsHarmony Valley ParkPark or garden · 37 ha · 5.8 km of path
DirectionsLakeview ParkPark or garden · 33 ha · 3.7 km of path
DirectionsThe Nathan and Marvin Goldman WoodlotPark or garden · 31 ha · 1.9 km of path
DirectionsEd Broadbent Waterfront ParkPark or garden · 24 ha · 2.2 km of path
DirectionsCordova Valley ParkPark or garden · 17 ha · 1.2 km of path
DirectionsRitson FieldsPark or garden · 13 ha · 1.2 km of path
DirectionsOshawa Civic Recreation ComplexPark or garden · 10 ha · 1 km of path
DirectionsAlexandra ParkPark or garden · 9.0 ha · 1.3 km of path
DirectionsOshawa Valley Botanical GardensPark or garden · 5.7 ha · 2.2 km of path
DirectionsRose Valley ParkPark or garden · 6.1 ha · 1.6 km of path
DirectionsKnights of Columbus ParkPark or garden · 9.1 ha
DirectionsNorth Oshawa ParkPark or garden · 6.5 ha · 1.3 km of path
DirectionsNorthway Court ParkPark or garden · 7.5 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsGreenhill ParkPark or garden · 6.8 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsPurple WoodsWood or forest · 21 ha · 1.2 km of path
DirectionsCentennial ParkPark or garden · 6.7 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsWarne ParkPark or garden · 6.4 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsEastbourne ParkPark or garden · 6.4 ha · 0.8 km of path
DirectionsBrick by Brick ParkPark or garden · 5.7 ha · 1 km of path
DirectionsSouthmead ParkPark or garden · 5.6 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsErie ParkPark or garden · 5.1 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsParkwood EstatePark or garden · 4.4 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsWoodview ParkPark or garden · 5.6 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsCentral Valley ParkPark or garden · 5.1 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsStorie ParkPark or garden · 5.0 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsStone Street ParkPark or garden · 5.2 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsAttersley ParkPark or garden · 5.3 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsRotary ParkPark or garden · 4.1 ha · 0.7 km of path
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
About 9 in 10 of Oshawa’s residents are 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.
Within 400 m (88%)Further (12%)
Oshawa88%
Towns in Ontario90%
Typical Canadian town83%
For about 26,000 people, the nearest park is over 400 m away. The usual figure for a Canadian town is 83%, lower than here.
Protected areas
2.4% of the land around Oshawa 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 Oshawa0.3%
Within 10 km2.4%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public bodies own 13 of the 30; land trusts and private owners hold the others. Biggest of the named areas: Darlington Provincial Park, 209 ha. Another 17 are privately owned conservation land; they count in the figures but aren’t named, as private land isn’t a place to visit.
Darlington Provincial ParkProvincial park · 209 ha · reaches Oshawa
Longwood Open SpaceNature reserve · 11 ha · 1.5 km from the edge of town
Corbett Creek Open SpaceNature reserve · 3.9 ha · 1.5 km from the edge of town
Wynfield Open SpaceNature reserve · 6.1 ha · 2.5 km from the edge of town
Pringle Creek Open SpaceNature reserve · 17 ha · 2.6 km from the edge of town
Garden Street Open SpaceNature reserve · 8.1 ha · 2.8 km from the edge of town
Burns Street Open SpaceNature reserve · 6.3 ha · 2.8 km from the edge of town
Consumers ParkNature reserve · 2.1 ha · 3.0 km from the edge of town
Windsor Bay Open SpaceNature reserve · 4.1 ha · 3.4 km from the edge of town
Iroquois Beach ParkNature reserve · 15 ha · 4.2 km from the edge of town
3 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
Parks around Oshawa
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
Darlington Provincial Park
At the edge2.1 km²since 1959
National urban park
Rouge National Urban Park
17 km west46 km²since 2015
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
Oshawa has 243 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
243 km
in and around the town (214.6 km²)
Woodland
12%
about 25.1 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
OshawaTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Footpaths1.1
01.53 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
OshawaTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Woodland12%
0%50%100%
Paths are thinner on the ground than in 56% of Canadian towns. Woods cover more of it than in 55% 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
1 walking route near Oshawa
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
Regional
Oak Ridges Trail272.4 km
Source: OpenStreetMap (route relations hiking, foot and walking), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Trans Canada Trail sections as OSM maps them.
When to get out
Oshawa is best on foot in May and August
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Oshawa, 1.9 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) | 9.2 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.7 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 8.9 |
| High (°C) | -1 | 0 | 5 | 11 | 18 | 23 | 26 | 25 | 21 | 14 | 8 | 2 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 75 | 54 | 54 | 87 | 85 | 94 | 86 | 74 | 86 | 72 | 73 | 68 |
Snowfall averages 102 cm a year. Rain and snow peak in June (94 mm) and ease in February (54 mm). Daytime highs run from -1 °C in January up to 26 °C in July. The climate in Oshawa →
Beaches
Beaches near Oshawa: 4 within 5 km
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Lakeview Park Beachsand · in town
Directions3 further beaches go unnamed. Canada publishes no open register of beach water tests; the local public health unit posts swimming advisories.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
Near Oshawa: 7 viewpoints on the map
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
There are 314 playgrounds, more than of anything else.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 7
Plus 7 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 5
Gold Point Wildlife Reservein town
DirectionsHarmony Valley Conservation Areain town
DirectionsPumphouse Marsh Wildlife Reservein town
DirectionsIntrepid Park0.1 km from town
DirectionsDarlington Provincial Park0.8 km from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 7
LCBO Employee Patio0.1 km from town
DirectionsPlus 6 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 314
Bloor Park Village Playgroundin town
DirectionsSummerglen Parkin town
DirectionsDeverell Park1.6 km from town
DirectionsJack Wilson Park2.0 km from town
DirectionsPlus 310 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 4
Camp Samacin town
DirectionsDarlington Park - Lakeside Campground1.6 km from town
DirectionsDarlington Park - Hilltop Campground1.6 km from town
DirectionsDarlington Park - Cliffside Campground1.8 km from town
DirectionsSource: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Gardens to visit
A historic garden or park in Oshawa
Gardens and arboretums within 15 km of the town’s edge, and the historic gardens, parks and estates in the town itself, nearest first.
ParkwoodNational Historic Site · from 1915 · In Oshawa
Its pageParkwood goes back furthest, to 1915. Parks Canada lists one as a National Historic Site.
Sources: 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 Oshawa
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
WhitbyBowmanvilleAjaxOshawa
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oshawa | 2.4% | 30 | 1 | 4 |
| Whitby 7.1 km | 3.9% | 37 | 1 | 3 |
| Bowmanville 13 km | 1.6% | 25 | 2 | 9 |
| Ajax 15 km | 4.9% | 31 | 1 | 8 |
Ajax has at least twice the protected share around it.
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.
- Beaches. The count includes unnamed stretches mapped as beach, which can make a lakeside town’s figure large.
- Walking routes. Only named route relations count; a park’s own path network may not show unless it is mapped as a route.
- 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.
Questions about the outdoors in Oshawa
When is the best time for walking in Oshawa?
May and August: long days, mild highs and little rain.
Which is the biggest protected area near Oshawa?
Darlington Provincial Park: 209 ha, a provincial park.
What is the nearest provincial park to Oshawa?
Darlington Provincial Park, which reaches the edge of town.
Are there protected areas near Oshawa?
Protected areas cover 2.4% of the land within 10 km.
Is Oshawa near a national park?
Rouge National Urban Park, 17 km from the edge of town.
What walking routes are near Oshawa?
The Oak Ridges Trail, mapped within 2 km.
Is there a beach near Oshawa?
The nearest is Lakeview Park Beach, in town.
Sources
The sources behind Oshawa’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).