First pick
Centennial Park
Park or garden
12 ha0.2 km of path
4.8 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Michael Pardo from Niagara, Canada · CC02.7%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Pelham · parks, protected land & trails
Pelham has 7 walking routes on the map
There is a beach within 5 km, unnamed on the map. 80 km separate the town from Rouge National Urban Park, its nearest national park. Of the country within 10 km, 2.7% lies in protected areas; the median Canadian town has 2.3%.
Protected land
2.7%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
18
within 10 km, 5 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
80 km
Rouge National Urban Park
Nearest provincial park
At the edge
Short Hills Provincial Park
Walking routes
7
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Beaches
1
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
Where Pelham stands out outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
Walking routes7 named routes within 2 kmA provincial park at the edgeShort Hills Provincial Park reaches the town
Out of doors, Pelham leads with its choice of walking routes, with a provincial park at its edge close behind.
Against other towns
Each figure for Pelham, set against 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 km2.7%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town2.5%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas5Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes7Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches1Beaches 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, Pelham is 17th from the bottom for protected land
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (19,541 to 20,415 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
Pelham2.7%
Towns its size4.1%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Pelham5
Towns its size6
Towns in Ontario4
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Pelham7
Towns its size0
Towns in Ontario1
Typical Canadian town0
For protected land nearby, Pelham lags towns its size: 23 of 39 are ahead.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kirkland QC | 41% | 0.2% | 50 | 0 | 6 |
| 2 | Overbrook ON | 14% | 1.1% | 43 | 2 | 2 |
| 3 | Côte-Saint-Antoine QC | 11% | 0% | 24 | 0 | 1 |
| 4 | Vinegar Hill ON | 8.7% | 0% | 14 | 1 | 1 |
| 5 | Westmount QC | 8.5% | 0.3% | 23 | 1 | 4 |
| 6 | Lower Sackville NS | 8.5% | 14% | 25 | 1 | 3 |
| 7 | Laflèche QC | 7.4% | 0% | 20 | 0 | 5 |
| 8 | North End NS | 7% | 0% | 14 | 5 | 18 |
| 9 | Sacré-Coeur QC | 6.3% | 0% | 22 | 0 | 3 |
| 10 | Longue-Pointe QC | 6.3% | 0% | 28 | 0 | 1 |
| 11 | Purpleville ON | 6.2% | 13% | 65 | 1 | 0 |
| 12 | Louis-Riel QC | 6.1% | 0% | 24 | 0 | 1 |
| 13 | Kanata Lakes ON | 6% | 0% | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Evergreen AB | 5.9% | 1.5% | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| 15 | Windsor NS | 5.7% | 2.2% | 153 | 1 | 14 |
| 16 | Quispamsis NB | 5% | 0% | 14 | 3 | 14 |
| 17 | Riverside South - Leitrim ON | 4.3% | 3.2% | 18 | 0 | 1 |
| 18 | Maple ON | 4.3% | 1.2% | 35 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | Heart Lake South ON | 4.3% | 4.2% | 9 | 1 | 1 |
| 20 | Stittsville ON | 4.2% | 0% | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | Lorimier QC | 4% | 0% | 17 | 0 | 3 |
| 22 | Cranston AB | 2.9% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 14 |
| 23 | Tuscany AB | 2.8% | 1.2% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 24 | Pelham ON | 2.7% | 2.5% | 18 | 7 | 1 |
| 25 | Mount Pleasant Village ON | 2.6% | 0% | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | Westmount ON | 2.5% | 0% | 17 | 1 | 0 |
| 27 | Père-Marquette QC | 2.4% | 0% | 18 | 0 | 1 |
| 28 | Mitchell MB | 2.3% | 0% | 65 | 0 | 3 |
| 29 | Rosedale-Moore Park ON | 2.3% | 0% | 13 | 8 | 14 |
| 30 | Highland ON | 2.2% | 0% | 16 | 2 | 0 |
| 31 | Kemptville ON | 2.1% | 1.7% | 30 | 5 | 3 |
| 32 | Petawawa ON | 1.9% | 1.2% | 9 | 0 | 15 |
| 33 | Henry Farm ON | 1.9% | 3.8% | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Port Alberni BC | 1.8% | 2.8% | 11 | 31 | 4 |
| 35 | Yonge-Doris ON | 1.8% | 0% | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| 36 | Fort York-Liberty Village ON | 1.7% | 0% | 11 | 6 | 34 |
| 37 | Loyalist ON | 1.2% | 2.2% | 24 | 0 | 2 |
| 38 | Stony Plain AB | 0.7% | 0% | 6 | 0 | 2 |
| 39 | Niagara-on-the-Lake ON | 0.6% | 0.4% | 8 | 3 | 4 |
| 40 | Walkerville ON | 0.2% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 1 |
The map
The green map of Pelham
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
9 named parks and woods to walk in near Pelham
Largest first: Centennial Park leads with 12 ha. Numbers match the map.
9 named parks and woods, 27 ha in all
Parks & gardens 27 ha
Centennial Park and Harold Black Park together hold 65% of it.
Harold Black Park
Park or garden
5.2 ha0.4 km of path
2.2 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Ricelawn Park
Park or garden · 380 m outside town
2.8 ha0.5 km of path
5 minto walk all 0.5 km of path
3.6 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Sparrow Meadows Park
Park or garden
1.4 ha0.7 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.7 km of path
6.0 km southfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
River Estates Park
Park or garden
1.7 ha0.3 km of path
2.7 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Cherry Ridge Park
Park or garden
1.1 ha0.2 km of path
4.4 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Winfield Park
Park or garden · 140 m outside town
0.8 ha0.1 km of path
3.0 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
All 9 named parks and green spaces
Centennial ParkPark or garden · 12 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsHarold Black ParkPark or garden · 5.2 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsRicelawn ParkPark or garden · 2.8 ha · 0.5 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsSparrow Meadows ParkPark or garden · 1.4 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsRiver Estates ParkPark or garden · 1.7 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsCherry Ridge ParkPark or garden · 1.1 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsSummerlea ParkPark or garden · 1.1 ha
DirectionsWinfield ParkPark or garden · 0.8 ha · 0.1 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsPeace ParkPark or garden · 0.6 ha · 0.2 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
3 in 10 people in Pelham 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 (73%)
Pelham27%
Towns in Ontario90%
Typical Canadian town83%
Most towns do better: the typical Canadian town is at 83%. For about 14,600 people, the nearest park is over 400 m away.
Protected areas
2.7% of the land around Pelham 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 Pelham2.5%
Within 10 km2.7%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public ownership covers 5 of the 18. Biggest of the named areas: Short Hills Provincial Park, 720 ha. 13 areas belong to private owners or land trusts and aren’t named here.
Short Hills Provincial ParkProvincial park · 720 ha · reaches Pelham
SigfridProtected area · 2.1 ha · reaches Pelham
Wainfleet Bog Conservation ReserveNature reserve · 322 ha · 3.8 km from the edge of town
PennachettiProtected area · 2.5 ha · 5.0 km from the edge of town
TaylorProtected area · 4.9 ha · 9.4 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
Rouge National Urban Park is 80 km away
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
Short Hills Provincial Park
At the edge7.2 km²since 1985
National urban park
Rouge National Urban Park
80 km north46 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
79 km of paths in and around Pelham
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
79 km
in and around the town (188.7 km²)
Woodland
20%
about 38.2 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
PelhamTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0.4
01.53 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
PelhamTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Woodland20%
0%50%100%
Paths are thinner on the ground than in 69% of Canadian towns. Woods cover more of it than in 67% 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
Walks near Pelham
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
RegionalLocal
Bruce Trail - Niagara section81.8 km
Laura Secord Legacy Trail33.1 km
St. John's Ridge Trail0.9 km
Sassafras Stroll Trail0.7 km
Louth Side Trail0.6 km
Tulip Tree Trail0.6 km
Pond Trail0.5 km
Among local routes, the Bruce Trail - Niagara section is longest at 81.8 km. 5 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
The best months for walking in Pelham: May to August
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Welland-Pelham (6.5 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) | 9.3 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.3 | 15.1 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 9.0 |
| High (°C) | 0 | 1 | 5 | 13 | 20 | 25 | 27 | 26 | 22 | 15 | 9 | 3 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 82 | 53 | 70 | 83 | 81 | 86 | 84 | 79 | 96 | 89 | 84 | 82 |
February is the driest month at 53 mm; September the wettest at 96 mm. Daytime highs run from 0 °C in January up to 27 °C in July. Snowfall averages 141 cm a year. The climate in Pelham →
Beaches
A beach within 5 km of Pelham
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Beach water tests aren’t published as open data across Canada, so swimming advisories come from the local health unit.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
Near Pelham: 10 waterfalls on the map
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
Count 32 playgrounds, the biggest group.
Every named place, with directions
Waterfalls 10
Effingham Fallsin town
DirectionsSwayze Fallsin town
DirectionsNorth Eller Falls0.4 km from town
DirectionsRockway Falls0.4 km from town
DirectionsTerrace Falls0.5 km from town
DirectionsLower Scout Falls0.9 km from town
DirectionsScout Falls1.0 km from town
DirectionsLower Rockway Falls1.2 km from town
DirectionsPlus 2 waterfalls more.
Nature reserves 3
St. John's Conservation Area0.1 km from town
DirectionsGainsborough Conservation Area0.6 km from town
DirectionsRockway Conservation Area1.8 km from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 3
Plus 3 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 32
Plus 32 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 2
Plus 2 campsites without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Pelham
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
WellandThoroldWainfleetSt. CatharinesBeamsvilleNiagara FallsPelham
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pelham | 2.7% | 18 | 7 | 1 |
| Welland 6.6 km | 3.2% | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| Thorold 10 km | 1.6% | 16 | 7 | 1 |
| Wainfleet 15 km | 1.4% | 16 | 0 | 8 |
| St. Catharines 16 km | 1.2% | 15 | 4 | 7 |
| Beamsville 17 km | 1.2% | 26 | 5 | 9 |
| Niagara Falls 17 km | 1.1% | 15 | 3 | 4 |
Around Pelham, nobody nearby has double its protected land.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- National and provincial parks. Distances run from the town’s edge to the park’s, so 0 km means they touch.
- Walking routes. Only named route relations count; a park’s own path network may not show unless it is mapped as a route.
- Private land. CPCAD includes conservation land held privately; the page counts it and leaves the names out.
- 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.
Questions about the outdoors in Pelham
How far is the nearest provincial park from Pelham?
Short Hills Provincial Park, which reaches the edge of town.
What is the best season to get outdoors in Pelham?
May to August, on the 1991–2020 normals and the daylight: long days, highs of 15 °C or more, light rain for the place.
What is the nearest national park to Pelham?
Rouge National Urban Park is closest, at 80 km.
Are there hiking trails near Pelham?
The Bruce Trail - Niagara section, Laura Secord Legacy Trail and St. John's Ridge Trail, among the routes mapped within 2 km.
What is the nearest beach to Pelham?
There is an unnamed beach within 5 km.
What is the largest protected area near Pelham?
Short Hills Provincial Park, a provincial park of 720 ha.
How much land around Pelham is protected?
Within 10 km, 2.7% of the land lies in protected areas.
Sources
Where Pelham’s 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).