First pick
Pinecrest Recreation Complex and Park
Park or garden
13 ha0.4 km of path
Centralin the middle of Iris
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Mike Kalasnik from Charlotte, USA · CC BY-SA 2.012%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Iris · parks, protected land & trails
Iris has more protected land around it than nearly 9 in 10 Canadian towns
Walkers have 4 mapped routes close by, starting with the Rideau Trail - Ottawa Section and RT Bells Corners Blue Loop. The largest is Rideau Canal National Historic Site: 19,972 ha, 4.8 km from the edge of town. Within 5 km are 6 beaches; Britannia Beach is the nearest.
Protected land
12%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
26
within 10 km, 12 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
87 km
Thousand Islands National Park
Nearest provincial park
29 km
Burnt Lands Provincial Park
Walking routes
4
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Beaches
6
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
What Iris has going for it outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
Protected land all round12% of the land within 10 km, more than 89% of Canadian townsWalking routes4 named routes within 2 kmBeaches6 beaches within 5 km
Above all, Iris offers protected land around it, with its choice of walking routes close behind.
Against other towns
How Iris 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 km12%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 areas12Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes4Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches6Beaches 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, Iris ranks 7th for protected land within 10 km
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (5,642 to 5,829 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
Iris12%
Towns its size4.3%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Iris12
Towns its size6
Towns in Ontario4
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Iris4
Towns its size0
Towns in Ontario1
Typical Canadian town0
Against towns its size, Iris does best for protected land nearby: 6 of the other 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electoral Area B, Peace River BC | 18% | 17% | 71 | 0 | 655 |
| 2 | Electoral Area A, Bulkley-Nechako BC | 15% | 14% | 9 | 0 | 17 |
| 3 | Shediac NB | 14% | 0.9% | 20 | 0 | 6 |
| 4 | Dunrobin ON | 14% | 0.1% | 50 | 1 | 15 |
| 5 | Osoyoos BC | 14% | 0.8% | 22 | 0 | 9 |
| 6 | Saint Marys NB | 13% | 15% | 44 | 1 | 5 |
| 7 | Iris ON | 12% | 0% | 26 | 4 | 6 |
| 8 | New Edinburgh ON | 11% | 0.1% | 37 | 4 | 3 |
| 9 | Seguin ON | 10% | 1.2% | 20 | 0 | 10 |
| 10 | Orford QC | 9.3% | 39% | 44 | 4 | 15 |
| 11 | Lanoraie QC | 9% | 7.8% | 35 | 0 | 1 |
| 12 | Verchères QC | 8.9% | 1.7% | 44 | 0 | 1 |
| 13 | Armstrong BC | 8% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Emerald Woods - Sawmill Creek ON | 6.9% | 21% | 16 | 0 | 1 |
| 15 | Lampman ON | 6.9% | 13% | 17 | 1 | 0 |
| 16 | Chertsey QC | 6.5% | 7.2% | 16 | 0 | 7 |
| 17 | Annapolis County, Subdivision C NS | 6.3% | 0.1% | 11 | 0 | 1 |
| 18 | Havelock ON | 5.7% | 0% | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | Vieux-Québec—Cap-Blanc—Colline parlementaire QC | 5% | 0% | 18 | 1 | 5 |
| 20 | Rosedale Village ON | 4.5% | 0% | 7 | 1 | 1 |
| 21 | Braeside AB | 4% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 5 |
| 22 | Waterloo QC | 3.4% | 0% | 23 | 0 | 2 |
| 23 | Sherwood/McCarthy SK | 2.7% | 0% | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | County Court ON | 2% | 0% | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| 25 | Duncan BC | 1.9% | 0% | 31 | 2 | 1 |
| 26 | Montcalm MB | 1.8% | 0% | 19 | 0 | 1 |
| 27 | Forest Hill ON | 1.7% | 0% | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Buena Vista SK | 1.7% | 1.6% | 17 | 0 | 2 |
| 29 | St. Matthews MB | 1.6% | 0% | 22 | 4 | 0 |
| 30 | Confederation Park SK | 1.2% | 0% | 14 | 0 | 1 |
| 31 | Parkview AB | 1.2% | 0% | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 32 | Heritage Park MB | 1% | 0% | 9 | 1 | 37 |
| 33 | Westwood MB | 1% | 0% | 10 | 1 | 37 |
| 34 | Meadow Lake SK | 0.7% | 0.7% | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | Saint-Roch-de-l'Achigan QC | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 36 | Charleswood AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 37 | Elsinore AB | 0.2% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | Remington Park ON | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 39 | Casselman AB | 0.1% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Sandstone Valley AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The map
Parks, woods and paths around Iris
The neighbourhood’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
11 parks and woods to walk in, in or near Iris
Largest first: Pinecrest Recreation Complex and Park leads with 13 ha. Numbers match the map.
11 named parks and woods, 34 ha in all
Parks & gardens 34 ha
Most of it sits in Pinecrest Recreation Complex and Park and Whitehaven / George C. Brown Park: 61% together.
Whitehaven / George C. Brown Park
Park or garden
7.6 ha1.1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.1 km of path
1.4 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Ruth Wildgen Park
Park or garden · 380 m outside town
2.1 ha0.7 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.7 km of path
1.1 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Kilreen Park
Park or garden
2.3 ha0.5 km of path
5 minto walk all 0.5 km of path
Centralin the middle of Iris
Directionsto a point inside
Morrison Park
Park or garden · 370 m outside town
2.3 ha0.3 km of path
1.1 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Dumaurier Park
Park or garden · 170 m outside town
2.5 ha
0.9 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Parkway Park
Park or garden
1.1 ha0.1 km of path
0.9 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Ridgeview Park
Park or garden
0.6 ha0.3 km of path
Centralin the middle of Iris
Directionsto a point inside
All 11 named parks and green spaces
Pinecrest Recreation Complex and ParkPark or garden · 13 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsWhitehaven / George C. Brown ParkPark or garden · 7.6 ha · 1.1 km of path
DirectionsRuth Wildgen ParkPark or garden · 2.1 ha · 0.7 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsKilreen ParkPark or garden · 2.3 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsMorrison ParkPark or garden · 2.3 ha · 0.3 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsDumaurier ParkPark or garden · 2.5 ha · just outside town
DirectionsParkway ParkPark or garden · 1.1 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsRidgeview ParkPark or garden · 0.6 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsConnaught ParkPark or garden · 1.1 ha · just outside town
DirectionsKenson ParkPark or garden · 0.7 ha · just outside town
DirectionsLisa ParkPark or garden · 0.6 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
Every resident of Iris lives 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 (100%)Further (0%)
Iris100%
Towns in Ontario90%
Typical Canadian town83%
The typical Canadian town manages 83%, so this is better.
Protected areas
The 26 protected areas near Iris
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Iris0%
Within 10 km12%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Governments hold 12 of the 26, and private owners the rest. Rideau Canal National Historic Site leads for size with 19,972 ha. The count includes 14 areas that are private or not recorded as public; they aren’t named.
Aylmer (Rapides Deschênes) Water Fowl Gathering AreaWildlife area · 307 ha · 2.8 km from the edge of town
Aylmer (Lac Deschênes) Water Fowl Gathering AreaWildlife area · 588 ha · 3.2 km from the edge of town
Voyageurs CorridorProtected area · 16 ha · 3.3 km from the edge of town
Voyageurs CorridorWildlife area · 75 ha · 3.4 km from the edge of town
Aylmer Muskrat HabitatWildlife area · 9.1 ha · 4.5 km from the edge of town
Hull, Aylmer, Pont Champlain Rapides Chaud Water Fowl Gathering AreaWildlife area · 148 ha · 4.6 km from the edge of town
Rideau Canal National Historic SiteProtected area · 19,972 ha · 4.8 km from the edge of town
Champlain Bridge and Lemieux IslandsWildlife area · 10 ha · 5.3 km from the edge of town
Champlain CorridorProtected area · 20 ha · 6.3 km from the edge of town
Moore FarmProtected area · 15 ha · 7.0 km from the edge of town
2 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
Thousand Islands National Park, 87 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.
National parkProvincial park
Provincial park
Burnt Lands Provincial Park
29 km west5.2 km²since 2003
National park
Thousand Islands National Park
87 km south24 km²since 1904
Burnt Lands Provincial Park, a provincial park, is nearer at 29 km.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
Iris and its edge hold 67 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
67 km
in and around the town (11.4 km²)
Woodland
5.1%
about 0.6 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
IrisTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Footpaths5.9
03.57 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
IrisTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Woodland5.1%
0%50%100%
Paths are denser here than in 95% of Canadian towns. 61% of Canadian towns are more wooded.
Source: OpenStreetMap, © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Mapping varies by place: a dense figure can mean keen local mappers as much as many paths.
Walking routes
4 mapped routes to walk from Iris
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
RegionalLocal
Rideau Trail - Ottawa Section110.1 km
RT Bells Corners Blue Loop8.2 km
Mud Lake Trail2.4 km
RT Mud Lake Blue Loop1.5 km
At 110.1 km, the Rideau Trail - Ottawa Section is the longest local route. 2 of them are under 3 km, good for a short outing.
Source: OpenStreetMap (route relations hiking, foot and walking), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Trans Canada Trail sections as OSM maps them.
When to get out
Iris is best on foot in May and July to September
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Ottawa (City), 5.9 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) | 9.1 | 10.3 | 11.8 | 13.5 | 14.9 | 15.6 | 15.3 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.4 | 8.7 |
| High (°C) | -5 | -3 | 3 | 11 | 19 | 24 | 27 | 26 | 21 | 13 | 6 | -2 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 65 | 52 | 62 | 81 | 80 | 95 | 92 | 87 | 87 | 90 | 72 | 74 |
January brings highs of -5 °C, July highs of 27 °C. Precipitation runs from 52 mm in February to 95 mm in June. About 185 cm of snow falls in a year. The climate in Iris →
Beaches
Iris has 6 beaches close by
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Britannia Beachsand · 2.0 km from town
DirectionsBritannia Watersport Beachsand · 2.1 km from town
DirectionsWestboro Beachsand · 4.1 km from town
DirectionsSandy ones: 3. 3 more are mapped without a name. Whether the water is fit for a swim isn’t in any open national dataset; public health posts the local advisories.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
A viewpoint near Iris
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
The map shows 171 playgrounds, ahead of the rest.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 1
Plus 1 viewpoint without a name on the map.
Picnic sites 4
Trolley Station1.8 km from town
DirectionsPlus 3 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 171
Splash Pad - Kilreen Parkin town
DirectionsSplash Pad - Whitehaven / George C. Brown Park0.4 km from town
DirectionsSplash Pad - Morrison Park0.5 km from town
DirectionsSplash Pad - Leslie Park0.6 km from town
DirectionsSplash Pad - Centrepointe Park0.7 km from town
DirectionsSplash Pad - Banner Park1.0 km from town
DirectionsSplash Pad - Lincoln Heights Park1.7 km from town
DirectionsSplash Pad - Charing Park1.7 km from town
DirectionsPlus 163 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Plus 1 dog park without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Iris
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
Queensway Terrace NorthCentrepointe - BriargreenQualicum - RedwoodBayshoreBritanniaLeslie Park - Bruce FarmIris
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iris | 12% | 26 | 4 | 6 |
| Queensway Terrace North 1.1 km | 12% | 26 | 4 | 6 |
| Centrepointe - Briargreen 1.3 km | 11% | 26 | 1 | 5 |
| Qualicum - Redwood 1.4 km | 11% | 25 | 2 | 5 |
| Bayshore 1.9 km | 11% | 23 | 4 | 6 |
| Britannia 1.9 km | 13% | 31 | 4 | 9 |
| Leslie Park - Bruce Farm 2.0 km | 11% | 24 | 2 | 5 |
Around Iris, nobody nearby has double its protected land.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Beaches. Beaches are OpenStreetMap’s, named or not; in the north many are unnamed shoreline imports.
- Protected land. Protected here means in CPCAD, Canada’s official list: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and other conserved land, measured within 10 km of the town’s edge.
- Private land. CPCAD includes conservation land held privately; the page counts it and leaves the names out.
- Walking routes. The list is OpenStreetMap’s, so a missing trail may just be unmapped. The Trans Canada Trail appears where OSM maps it.
- National and provincial parks. The nearest national park and the nearest provincial park are always shown when they are within 100 km.
Questions about the outdoors in Iris
Are there protected areas near Iris?
Protected areas cover 12% of the land within 10 km.
Where can you walk near Iris?
The Rideau Trail - Ottawa Section, RT Bells Corners Blue Loop and RT Mud Lake Blue Loop, among the routes mapped within 2 km.
What is the nearest beach to Iris?
The nearest is Britannia Beach, 2.0 km from town.
How far is the nearest provincial park from Iris?
Burnt Lands Provincial Park, 29 km away.
What is the nearest national park to Iris?
Thousand Islands National Park, 87 km from the edge of town.
When is the best time for walking in Iris?
May and July to September: long days, mild highs and little rain.
Which is the biggest protected area near Iris?
It is Rideau Canal National Historic Site, a protected area covering 19,972 ha.
Sources
Where Iris’ 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).