First pick
Tower Hill Lookout & Heritage Garden
Park or garden
5.4 ha0.3 km of path
1.0 km southfrom the centre
Tower Trail
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Andre Carrotflower · CC BY-SA 4.07.1%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Parry Sound · parks, protected land & trails
Georgian Bay Islands National Park is 25 km from Parry Sound
A provincial park, Oastler Lake Provincial Park, lies 4.2 km away. The protected share within 10 km is 7.1%, where a typical Canadian town has 2.3%. Within 5 km are 2 beaches; Waubuno Beach is the nearest.
Protected land
7.1%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
7
within 10 km, 6 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
25 km
Georgian Bay Islands National Park
Nearest provincial park
4.2 km
Oastler Lake Provincial Park
Beaches
2
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
What sets Parry Sound apart outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
A national park nearbyGeorgian Bay Islands National Park, 25 km awayProtected land all round7.1% of the land within 10 km, more than 79% of Canadian towns
Parry Sound’s best card is Georgian Bay Islands National Park within easy reach, with protected land around it close behind.
Against other towns
Parry Sound 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. This page carries no grade, because Canada’s grading doesn’t cover the outdoors; the comparisons are the point.
Protected within 10 km7.1%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 areas6Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes0Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches2Beaches 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, Parry Sound ranks 7th for protected land within 10 km
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (7,437 to 7,760 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
Parry Sound7.1%
Towns its size2.3%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Parry Sound6
Towns its size4
Towns in Ontario4
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Parry Sound0
Towns its size0
Towns in Ontario1
Typical Canadian town0
Parry Sound beats most towns its size for protected land nearby; 6 of 39 do better.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Digby NS | 27% | 33% | 43 | 3 | 15 |
| 2 | Blackburn Hamlet ON | 15% | 0% | 32 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Beacon Hill South - Cardinal Heights ON | 13% | 0% | 37 | 0 | 1 |
| 4 | Hampstead QC | 12% | 0% | 24 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Baie-Saint-Paul QC | 11% | 0.1% | 18 | 11 | 8 |
| 6 | Lochdale BC | 7.2% | 0% | 15 | 2 | 71 |
| 7 | Parry Sound ON | 7.1% | 0% | 7 | 0 | 2 |
| 8 | Mountview ON | 7% | 0% | 21 | 2 | 2 |
| 9 | Louiseville QC | 6.9% | 0.9% | 26 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | Colborne ON | 6.1% | 5.7% | 31 | 3 | 2 |
| 11 | N-Section (bramalea) ON | 5.5% | 0% | 7 | 0 | 1 |
| 12 | Teston ON | 5.1% | 0% | 35 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | Landsdale ON | 4.7% | 0% | 23 | 1 | 3 |
| 14 | Gibson ON | 4.6% | 0% | 24 | 1 | 3 |
| 15 | Saint-Calixte QC | 3.6% | 0.4% | 11 | 0 | 5 |
| 16 | Campbellton NB | 3.5% | 0% | 10 | 1 | 2 |
| 17 | Shefford QC | 3.1% | 1.6% | 34 | 0 | 7 |
| 18 | Westlock County AB | 2.6% | 3.4% | 35 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | Blake-Jones ON | 2.3% | 0% | 12 | 4 | 32 |
| 20 | Playter Estates-Danforth ON | 2.3% | 1.5% | 11 | 5 | 18 |
| 21 | University ON | 2.2% | 0% | 12 | 9 | 20 |
| 22 | Altadore AB | 2% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 23 | Stoneybrook ON | 1.8% | 21% | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| 24 | Eastview SK | 1.7% | 0% | 17 | 0 | 1 |
| 25 | Pulberry MB | 1.5% | 7.7% | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | Bostwick ON | 1.3% | 0.1% | 23 | 1 | 0 |
| 27 | Kentville NS | 1.1% | 17% | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Brazeau County AB | 1% | 1.2% | 29 | 0 | 1 |
| 29 | Ambleside AB | 1% | 0% | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| 30 | Fruitland ON | 0.9% | 4.9% | 25 | 5 | 9 |
| 31 | Betsworth MB | 0.8% | 1.5% | 12 | 1 | 37 |
| 32 | Chesley ON | 0.3% | 0.2% | 19 | 0 | 5 |
| 33 | Fort Frances ON | 0.3% | 0.3% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Forest Lawn AB | 0.3% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 35 | Ermineskin AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 36 | Fairview ON | 0.1% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 37 | Port Credit ON | 0.1% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| 38 | Clarenville NL | 0% | 0% | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 39 | Saint-Lambert-de-Lauzon QC | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Saint-Félix-de-Valois QC | 0% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
The map
Parks, woods and paths around Parry Sound
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 Parry Sound: 7 named parks and woods
Tower Hill Lookout & Heritage Garden is the largest, at 5.4 ha; the rest follow by size, numbered as on the map.
7 named parks and woods, 11 ha in all
Parks & gardens 11 ha
67% of the area is in just two places: Tower Hill Lookout & Heritage Garden and Waubuno Park.
Waubuno Park
Park or garden
2.0 ha0.9 km of path
15 minto walk all 0.9 km of path
1.1 km westfrom the centre
Rotary Algonquin Regiment Fitness Trail
Directionsto a point inside
Yvonne Williams Park
Park or garden
1.3 ha0.5 km of path
5 minto walk all 0.5 km of path
1.7 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Market Square Park
Park or garden
0.3 ha0.2 km of path
Centralin the middle of Parry Sound
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
About 7 in 10 of Parry Sound’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 (72%)Further (28%)
Parry Sound72%
Towns in Ontario90%
Typical Canadian town83%
Around 2,100 residents are further than 400 m from a park. That is below the typical Canadian town (83%).
Protected areas
7.1% of the country within 10 km of Parry Sound 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 Parry Sound0%
Within 10 km7.1%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
6 of the 7 are on public land. The largest named one is The Massasauga Provincial Park, at 13,264 ha. One more area within 10 km is private land, held by a landowner or a conservation group: counted here, not named.
Seguin River Conservation ReserveNature reserve · 275 ha · 3.7 km from the edge of town
Oastler Lake Provincial ParkProvincial park · 32 ha · 4.2 km from the edge of town
The Massasauga Provincial ParkProvincial park · 13,264 ha · 4.4 km from the edge of town
The Massasauga Provincial Park AdditionProvincial park · 289 ha · 5.8 km from the edge of town
Killbear Provincial ParkProvincial park · 1,882 ha · 7.9 km from the edge of town
Crane Lake Forest Conservation ReserveNature reserve · 387 ha · 9.8 km from the edge of town
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
Big parks near Parry Sound
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
Oastler Lake Provincial Park
4.2 km south-east0.3 km²since 1967
Provincial park
The Massasauga Provincial Park
4.4 km south133 km²since 1989
Provincial park
The Massasauga Provincial Park Addition
5.8 km south-west2.9 km²
Provincial park
Killbear Provincial Park
7.9 km west19 km²since 1971
National park
Georgian Bay Islands National Park
25 km south14 km²since 1930
Oastler Lake Provincial Park, a provincial park, is nearer at 4.2 km. 4 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.
Footpaths and woods
Parry Sound has 17 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
17 km
in and around the town (37.1 km²)
Woodland
43%
about 15.9 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
Parry SoundTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0.5
01.53 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
Parry SoundTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Woodland43%
0%50%100%
68% of Canadian towns have more footpath per km². Woods cover more of it than in 81% 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 Parry Sound
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
Parry Sound is best on foot in May to September
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Muskoka, 71 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 | 14.9 | 15.6 | 15.3 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.4 | 8.7 |
| High (°C) | -5 | -3 | 3 | 10 | 18 | 23 | 25 | 24 | 20 | 13 | 5 | -1 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 92 | 56 | 72 | 79 | 93 | 86 | 100 | 82 | 102 | 111 | 103 | 87 |
Precipitation runs from 56 mm in February to 111 mm in October. January brings highs of -5 °C, July highs of 25 °C. The climate in Parry Sound →
Beaches
Beaches near Parry Sound: 2 within 5 km
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Waubuno Beachsand · in town
DirectionsOpenStreetMap shows one more, nameless. 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
A viewpoint near Parry Sound
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 8.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 1
Scenic Lookout Towerin town
DirectionsPicnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 8
Plus 8 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Yvonne Williams Off-Leash Areain town
DirectionsSlipways 5
Plus 5 slipways without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Parry Sound
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
The ArchipelagoMcDougallMcKellarCarlingSeguinParry Sound
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parry Sound | 7.1% | 7 | 0 | 2 |
| The Archipelago 5.8 km | 14% | 67 | 0 | 8 |
| McDougall 12 km | 10% | 16 | 0 | 9 |
| McKellar 16 km | 13% | 8 | 0 | 3 |
| Carling 17 km | 11% | 23 | 0 | 20 |
| Seguin 18 km | 10% | 20 | 0 | 10 |
For protected land, no neighbour of Parry Sound doubles its share.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Private land. CPCAD includes conservation land held privately; the page counts it and leaves the names out.
- Beaches. Beaches are OpenStreetMap’s, named or not; in the north many are unnamed shoreline imports.
- Walking routes. The list is OpenStreetMap’s, so a missing trail may just be unmapped. The Trans Canada Trail appears where OSM maps it.
- 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.
- 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 Parry Sound
Is there a beach near Parry Sound?
Try Waubuno Beach, in town, first of several.
Is there protected land near Parry Sound?
Within 10 km, 7.1% of the land lies in protected areas.
How far is the nearest provincial park from Parry Sound?
The closest is Oastler Lake Provincial Park, at 4.2 km.
When is the best time for walking in Parry Sound?
May to September: long days, mild highs and little rain.
How far is Parry Sound from a national park?
The nearest is Georgian Bay Islands National Park, 25 km away.
Which is the biggest protected area near Parry Sound?
It is The Massasauga Provincial Park, a provincial park covering 13,264 ha.
Sources
Sources for this page on Parry Sound
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).