First pick
Riverview Park & Zoo
Park or garden
21 ha2.9 km of path
40 minto walk all 2.9 km of path
5.0 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: GTD Aquitaine · Public domain0.6%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Peterborough · parks, protected land & trails
A provincial park at Peterborough’s edge: Mark S. Burnham Provincial Park
For walks, the First Nations Trail(Samuel de Champlain Peterborough to Bridgenorth Portage) runs within 2 km. 6 areas within 10 km are protected for nature. OpenStreetMap shows 2 unnamed beaches within 5 km.
Protected land
0.6%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
6
within 10 km, 1 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
71 km
Rouge National Urban Park
Nearest provincial park
At the edge
Mark S. Burnham Provincial Park
Walking routes
1
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Beaches
2
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
What Peterborough has going for it outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
A provincial park at the edgeMark S. Burnham Provincial Park reaches the townLittle protected land0.6% within 10 km; the typical Canadian town: 2.3%
What Peterborough has most to offer outdoors is a provincial park at its edge. It has less to offer in protected land nearby.
Against other towns
Peterborough 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 km0.6%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 areas1Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes1Named 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, Peterborough is 8th from the bottom for protected land
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (74,621 to 126,872 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
Peterborough0.6%
Towns its size3.6%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Peterborough1
Towns its size12
Towns in Ontario4
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Peterborough1
Towns its size1
Towns in Ontario1
Typical Canadian town0
Where Peterborough trails its peers is public protected areas; 31 of 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fort McMurray AB | 34% | 35% | 21 | 1 | 289 |
| 2 | Maple Ridge BC | 26% | 21% | 101 | 1 | 41 |
| 3 | Delta BC | 24% | 17% | 181 | 9 | 19 |
| 4 | North Vancouver BC | 15% | 22% | 18 | 11 | 169 |
| 5 | Kamloops BC | 14% | 13% | 16 | 0 | 11 |
| 6 | Saint John NB | 14% | 11% | 63 | 3 | 97 |
| 7 | Chilliwack BC | 11% | 7.7% | 36 | 4 | 26 |
| 8 | Saanich BC | 11% | 9.4% | 43 | 7 | 56 |
| 9 | Strathcona County AB | 9.4% | 1.4% | 38 | 7 | 6 |
| 10 | Repentigny QC | 8.3% | 1.6% | 41 | 0 | 2 |
| 11 | Cape Breton NS | 8.2% | 8.6% | 176 | 1 | 74 |
| 12 | New Westminster BC | 8% | 0% | 83 | 4 | 9 |
| 13 | Victoria BC | 8% | 0.9% | 20 | 4 | 34 |
| 14 | Lindsay ON | 7.6% | 9.2% | 60 | 5 | 9 |
| 15 | Pickering ON | 7.6% | 11% | 46 | 1 | 11 |
| 16 | Brossard QC | 5.6% | 9.1% | 31 | 0 | 6 |
| 17 | Bolton ON | 4.8% | 5.9% | 113 | 11 | 3 |
| 18 | Fredericton NB | 4.3% | 0% | 26 | 2 | 16 |
| 19 | Chomedey QC | 3.9% | 0.1% | 43 | 0 | 2 |
| 20 | Terrebonne QC | 3.8% | 3.6% | 60 | 0 | 3 |
| 21 | St. Albert AB | 3.4% | 2.1% | 7 | 7 | 1 |
| 22 | Simcoe ON | 2.3% | 4.7% | 102 | 5 | 36 |
| 23 | Moncton NB | 2.2% | 1.7% | 17 | 0 | 2 |
| 24 | Nanaimo BC | 1.9% | 6.7% | 42 | 2 | 33 |
| 25 | Bowmanville ON | 1.6% | 3% | 25 | 2 | 9 |
| 26 | Sault Ste. Marie ON | 1.6% | 7.5% | 10 | 0 | 3 |
| 27 | Newmarket ON | 1.3% | 1.8% | 27 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu QC | 1.1% | 1.2% | 18 | 1 | 3 |
| 29 | Niagara Falls ON | 1.1% | 1.7% | 15 | 3 | 4 |
| 30 | Saint-Jérôme QC | 1% | 0.1% | 16 | 0 | 3 |
| 31 | Chatham ON | 1% | 1% | 21 | 0 | 8 |
| 32 | Red Deer AB | 0.7% | 1.2% | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| 33 | Peterborough ON | 0.6% | 0% | 6 | 1 | 2 |
| 34 | Lethbridge AB | 0.4% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | Brantford ON | 0.3% | 0% | 15 | 3 | 0 |
| 36 | Prince George BC | 0.3% | 0.5% | 5 | 1 | 51 |
| 37 | Sarnia ON | 0.2% | 0.3% | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| 38 | Drummondville QC | 0.1% | 0.2% | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 39 | Thunder Bay ON | 0.1% | 0.4% | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| 40 | Airdrie AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The map
Where the green is in Peterborough
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
30 named parks and woods to walk in near Peterborough
Riverview Park & Zoo is the largest, at 21 ha; the rest follow by size, numbered as on the map.
30 named parks and woods, 203 ha in all
Parks & gardens 198 haWoods 4.9 ha
Spread across many places, the largest holding 11%.
Ashburnham Memorial Park
Park or garden
22 ha1.4 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.4 km of path
2.7 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Jackson Park
Park or garden
16 ha3.1 km of path
40 minto walk all 3.1 km of path
1.4 km northfrom the centre
Jackson Creek Kiwanis Trail
Directionsto a point inside
Bowers Park
Park or garden
17 ha1.5 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.5 km of path
4.6 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Beavermead Park
Park or garden
18 ha1.1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.1 km of path
2.7 km eastfrom the centre
Peterborough Trans Canada Trail
Directionsto a point inside
Farmcrest Park
Park or garden
16 ha0.9 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.9 km of path
3.4 km eastfrom the centre
Willowcreek Trail
Directionsto a point inside
Nichols Oval
Park or garden
11 ha0.3 km of path
2.3 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Morrow Park
Park or garden
8.4 ha0.7 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.7 km of path
2.0 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
All 30 named parks and green spaces
Riverview Park & ZooPark or garden · 21 ha · 2.9 km of path
DirectionsAshburnham Memorial ParkPark or garden · 22 ha · 1.4 km of path
DirectionsJackson ParkPark or garden · 16 ha · 3.1 km of path
DirectionsBowers ParkPark or garden · 17 ha · 1.5 km of path
DirectionsBeavermead ParkPark or garden · 18 ha · 1.1 km of path
DirectionsFarmcrest ParkPark or garden · 16 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsNichols OvalPark or garden · 11 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsMorrow ParkPark or garden · 8.4 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsKinsmen ParkPark or garden · 7.1 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsWestclox ParkPark or garden · 5.9 ha · 1 km of path
DirectionsJames Stevenson ParkPark or garden · 5.7 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsTrent-Severn Waterway, Lock 20Park or garden · 4.9 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsDel Crary ParkPark or garden · 3.9 ha · 1 km of path
DirectionsRogers CovePark or garden · 3.7 ha · 0.8 km of path
DirectionsEastgate Memorial ParkPark or garden · 4.2 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsMillennium ParkPark or garden · 2.6 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsRoper ParkPark or garden · 3.2 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsKiwanis ParkPark or garden · 3.3 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsGreenUP Ecology ParkPark or garden · 2.5 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsInverlea ParkPark or garden · 3.1 ha
DirectionsKawartha Heights ParkPark or garden · 2.4 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsKing Edward ParkPark or garden · 2.5 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsSherbrooke Woods ParkWood or forest · 4.9 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsBurnham Point ParkPark or garden · 1.8 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsCedargrove ParkPark or garden · 1.9 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsStenson ParkPark or garden · 2.1 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsVictoria ParkPark or garden · 1.7 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsWalker ParkPark or garden · 2.4 ha
DirectionsScotts Mills Lock 19Park or garden · 1.7 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsChelsea GardensPark or garden · 1.8 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
9 in 10 people in Peterborough 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 (85%)Further (15%)
Peterborough85%
Towns in Ontario90%
Typical Canadian town83%
Against the typical Canadian town’s 83%, that is high. Around 14,000 residents are further than 400 m from a park.
Protected areas
Protected land at the edge of Peterborough: Mark S. Burnham Provincial Park
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Peterborough0%
Within 10 km0.6%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
1 of the 6 are on public land. 5 more areas within 10 km are private land, held by landowners or conservation groups: counted here, not named.
Mark S. Burnham Provincial ParkProvincial park · 39 ha · reaches Peterborough
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 71 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
Mark S. Burnham Provincial Park
At the edge0.4 km²since 1955
National urban park
Rouge National Urban Park
71 km south-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
Peterborough and its edge hold 214 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
214 km
in and around the town (119.3 km²)
Woodland
17%
about 19.9 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
PeterboroughTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Footpaths1.8
01.53 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
PeterboroughTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Woodland17%
0%50%100%
Woods cover more of it than in 63% of Canadian towns. Few places match it for paths: more than 53% of Canadian towns have fewer.
Source: OpenStreetMap, © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Mapping varies by place: a dense figure can mean keen local mappers as much as many paths.
Walking routes
Peterborough has 1 named walking route
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
Local
First Nations Trail(Samuel de Champlain Peterborough to Bridgenorth Portage)2.0 km
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 Peterborough: May and July to September
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Peterborough (8.3 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) | 9.2 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.9 |
| High (°C) | -3 | -2 | 4 | 12 | 19 | 24 | 27 | 26 | 21 | 14 | 7 | 0 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 67 | 42 | 54 | 73 | 79 | 88 | 69 | 78 | 76 | 75 | 76 | 64 |
June is the wettest month (88 mm) and February the driest (42 mm). January brings highs of -3 °C, July highs of 27 °C. About 158 cm of snow falls in a year. The climate in Peterborough →
Beaches
2 beaches within 5 km of Peterborough, none named
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.
Things to do
Peterborough has 3 viewpoints within 2 km
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 175.
Every named place, with directions
Nature reserves 3
Trent University Wildlife Sanctuaryin town
DirectionsMark S. Burnham Provincial Park0.4 km from town
DirectionsHarold Town Conservation Area1.8 km from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 3
Plus 3 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Rotary Dog Parkin town
DirectionsCampsites 1
Beavermead Park Campsitein town
DirectionsSlipways 6
Plus 6 slipways without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Peterborough
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
Otonabee-South MonaghanBridgenorthMillbrookDouro-DummerPeterborough
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peterborough | 0.6% | 6 | 1 | 2 |
| Otonabee-South Monaghan 11 km | 0.7% | 14 | 0 | 2 |
| Bridgenorth 12 km | 4.7% | 21 | 0 | 6 |
| Millbrook 16 km | 0.6% | 9 | 3 | 3 |
| Douro-Dummer 18 km | 2.3% | 17 | 2 | 3 |
For protected land, Bridgenorth and Douro-Dummer have twice as much or more. Millbrook has the most mapped walking routes nearby: 3.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- 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. Areas held by land trusts or private owners stay unnamed here, though they count in the shares.
- National and provincial parks. Distances run from the town’s edge to the park’s, so 0 km means they touch.
- Beaches. A beach counts when its centre point lies within 5 km of the town’s outline. Names come from the map.
- 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 Peterborough
What is the largest protected area near Peterborough?
Mark S. Burnham Provincial Park, a provincial park of 39 ha.
Are there hiking trails near Peterborough?
Try the First Nations Trail(Samuel de Champlain Peterborough to Bridgenorth Portage).
What is the nearest beach to Peterborough?
The beaches mapped within 5 km have no names on the map.
Is there protected land near Peterborough?
Within 10 km, 0.6% of the land lies in protected areas.
Is Peterborough near a national park?
The nearest is Rouge National Urban Park, 71 km away.
How far is the nearest provincial park from Peterborough?
Burnham Provincial Park begins at the town’s edge.
What is the best season to get outdoors in Peterborough?
May and July to September: long days, mild highs and little rain.
Sources
Where Peterborough’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).