First pick
Humberstone Marsh
Wood or forest
548 ha
7.1 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: WB Robinson Photographer · CC BY-SA 4.02%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Port Colborne · parks, protected land & trails
Port Colborne has 8 beaches within 5 km
The nearest provincial park, Short Hills Provincial Park, is 14 km away. Within 10 km are 10 protected areas. Rouge National Urban Park is the closest national park, 95 km from town.
Protected land
2%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
10
within 10 km, 1 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
95 km
Rouge National Urban Park
Nearest provincial park
14 km
Short Hills Provincial Park
Beaches
8
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Against other towns
Port Colborne beside other Canadian towns, figure by figure
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. Canada’s grades don’t include the outdoors, so this page compares the figures rather than grading them.
Protected within 10 km2%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town2.1%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 routes0Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches8Beaches mapped on OpenStreetMap within 5 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Port Colborne has the 18th least protected land nearby of 40 towns its size
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (21,450 to 22,376 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
Port Colborne2%
Towns its size2.2%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Port Colborne1
Towns its size7
Towns in Ontario4
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Port Colborne0
Towns its size1
Towns in Ontario1
Typical Canadian town0
Against towns its size, Port Colborne is weakest for walking routes: 25 of 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electoral Area A, Metro Vancouver BC | 26% | 34% | 203 | 11 | 269 |
| 2 | Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac QC | 19% | 0.1% | 28 | 0 | 7 |
| 3 | Mont-Bleu QC | 17% | 12% | 33 | 2 | 3 |
| 4 | Cornell ON | 12% | 16% | 9 | 2 | 1 |
| 5 | South End NS | 11% | 4.5% | 19 | 6 | 22 |
| 6 | South Frontenac ON | 9.4% | 13% | 89 | 18 | 5 |
| 7 | Varennes QC | 9.3% | 6.2% | 56 | 0 | 2 |
| 8 | Berczy Village ON | 9.3% | 0% | 17 | 1 | 1 |
| 9 | Colchester County, Subdivision B NS | 9% | 4.9% | 84 | 10 | 5 |
| 10 | Rivière-des-Prairies QC | 8.8% | 8.6% | 41 | 0 | 1 |
| 11 | Petite-Bourgogne QC | 8.4% | 0% | 24 | 1 | 5 |
| 12 | Ile-des-Soeurs QC | 7.8% | 8% | 24 | 0 | 7 |
| 13 | Parcours-du-Cerf - Du Tremblay QC | 6.9% | 0% | 32 | 0 | 1 |
| 14 | Heights BC | 6.7% | 0% | 11 | 3 | 52 |
| 15 | Du College/Hodge QC | 6% | 0% | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | Old Barrhaven West ON | 6% | 0% | 18 | 2 | 0 |
| 17 | Cole Harbour NS | 4.4% | 6.9% | 22 | 2 | 17 |
| 18 | Sandalwood East (mountainash) ON | 4.3% | 11% | 12 | 0 | 1 |
| 19 | Brentwood BC | 4% | 0% | 12 | 2 | 29 |
| 20 | East End-Danforth ON | 2.2% | 0% | 13 | 3 | 24 |
| 21 | East L'Amoreaux ON | 2.2% | 0% | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | L'Amoreaux West ON | 2.2% | 0% | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | Port Colborne ON | 2% | 2.1% | 10 | 0 | 8 |
| 24 | The Beaches ON | 1.9% | 0% | 11 | 3 | 44 |
| 25 | Carling ON | 1.7% | 3.5% | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| 26 | Bedford Park-Nortown ON | 1.4% | 0% | 14 | 2 | 0 |
| 27 | Englemount-Lawrence ON | 1.4% | 0% | 13 | 2 | 0 |
| 28 | Sunningdale ON | 1.4% | 1.6% | 18 | 2 | 0 |
| 29 | South Parkdale ON | 1.3% | 0% | 10 | 4 | 22 |
| 30 | Red Deer County AB | 1.1% | 1.1% | 76 | 1 | 60 |
| 31 | Kingsview Village-The Westway ON | 0.9% | 0% | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | High Park North ON | 0.6% | 0% | 10 | 4 | 15 |
| 33 | Middlesex Centre ON | 0.5% | 0.5% | 22 | 5 | 0 |
| 34 | Rockcliffe-Smythe ON | 0.3% | 0% | 9 | 1 | 8 |
| 35 | Tillsonburg ON | 0.2% | 0% | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 36 | Lakeview ON | 0.2% | 0.8% | 5 | 1 | 7 |
| 37 | Steinbach MB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 38 | Riverside ON | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 39 | Evanston AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Saddle Ridge AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The map
Where the green is in Port Colborne
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
16 parks and woods to walk in, in or near Port Colborne
Humberstone Marsh is the largest, at 548 ha; the rest follow by size, numbered as on the map.
16 named parks and woods, 736 ha in all
Parks & gardens 36 haWoods 700 ha
Most of it sits in Humberstone Marsh and Wyldewood: 95% together.
Humberstone Centennial Park
Park or garden
6.6 ha
5.1 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Lock 8 Gateway Park
Park or garden
3.7 ha1.1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.1 km of path
1.2 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
HH Knoll Lakeview Park
Park or garden
5.1 ha0.2 km of path
1.9 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Port Colborne Minor Baseball Rotary Complex
Park or garden
4.5 ha
2.2 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Glenwood Park
Park or garden · 290 m outside town
2.9 ha0.2 km of path
5.9 km northfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
All 16 named parks and green spaces
Humberstone MarshWood or forest · 548 ha
DirectionsWyldewoodWood or forest · 152 ha
DirectionsHumberstone Centennial ParkPark or garden · 6.6 ha
DirectionsLock 8 Gateway ParkPark or garden · 3.7 ha · 1.1 km of path
DirectionsHH Knoll Lakeview ParkPark or garden · 5.1 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsPort Colborne Minor Baseball Rotary ComplexPark or garden · 4.5 ha
DirectionsReservoir ParkPark or garden · 3.3 ha
DirectionsGlenwood ParkPark or garden · 2.9 ha · 0.2 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsSunset ParkPark or garden · 1.6 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsRose Shymansky Memorial ParkPark or garden · 1.7 ha
DirectionsVimy ParkPark or garden · 1.3 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsElm Street Leash-Free Dog ParkPark or garden · 1.5 ha
DirectionsMaple ParkPark or garden · 0.9 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsJacob E. Barrick ParkPark or garden · 1.4 ha
DirectionsBalls ParkPark or garden · 1.3 ha
DirectionsJohn Deere ParkPark or garden · 0.4 ha · 0.1 km of path · just outside town
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
A park is within a short walk for 6 in 10 in Port Colborne
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 (63%)Further (37%)
Port Colborne63%
Towns in Ontario90%
Typical Canadian town83%
For comparison, the typical Canadian town has 83%. For about 8,000 people, the nearest park is over 400 m away.
Protected areas
2% of the country within 10 km of Port Colborne 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 Port Colborne2.1%
Within 10 km2%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public ownership covers 1 of the 10. The figures include 9 private conservation areas, left unnamed.
Wainfleet Bog Conservation ReserveNature reserve · 322 ha · reaches Port Colborne
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
95 km to Rouge National Urban Park
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
14 km north7.2 km²since 1985
National urban park
Rouge National Urban Park
95 km north46 km²since 2015
Nearer still is Short Hills Provincial Park, a provincial park 14 km away.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
Port Colborne and its edge hold 58 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
58 km
in and around the town (189.7 km²)
Woodland
19%
about 36.7 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
Port ColborneTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0.3
01.53 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
Port ColborneTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Woodland19%
0%50%100%
For woods, it beats 66% of Canadian towns. Paths are thinner on the ground than in 72% 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 Port Colborne
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
There is no mapped walking route within 2 km of the town; a local trail club’s maps may show more.
Source: OpenStreetMap (route relations hiking, foot and walking), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Trans Canada Trail sections as OSM maps them.
When to get out
Walking season in Port Colborne: May to August
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Welland-Pelham (11 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 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 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 |
The wettest month, September, brings 96 mm, against 53 mm in February. Summer highs reach 27 °C in July; in January they stay near 0 °C. Some 141 cm of snow falls each winter. The climate in Port Colborne →
Beaches
The shore near Port Colborne
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Nickel Beachin town
DirectionsSherkston Beaches0.1 km from town
DirectionsReebs Baysand · 2.2 km from town
DirectionsBay Beachsand · 3.2 km from town
DirectionsThere are also 4 beaches without a name. Sandy ones: 2. 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
28 things to do outdoors near Port Colborne
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
Most numerous: playgrounds (20).
Every named place, with directions
Nature reserves 5
Mud Lake Conservation Areain town
DirectionsMarcy's Woods0.7 km from town
DirectionsWaintfleet Wetlands Conservation Area1.4 km from town
DirectionsPoint Abino Woods1.7 km from town
DirectionsPlus 1 nature reserve without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 20
Plus 20 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Elm Street Leash-Free Dog Parkin town
DirectionsSlipways 2
Plus 2 slipways without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Port Colborne
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
WellandWainfleetPelhamPort Colborne
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
No place nearby has double Port Colborne’s share of protected land. Pelham has the most mapped walking routes nearby: 7.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Walking routes. A route counts when 300 m or more of it lies within 2 km of the town. Coverage of trails on OpenStreetMap varies by region.
- Private land. Land owned by individuals, companies or conservation groups counts toward the figures but is never named: a person’s land isn’t a place to visit.
- 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. National parks are Parks Canada’s; provincial parks are the province’s or territory’s, Québec’s parcs nationaux among them.
- Beaches. A beach counts when its centre point lies within 5 km of the town’s outline. Names come from the map.
Questions about the outdoors in Port Colborne
What is the nearest provincial park to Port Colborne?
It is Short Hills Provincial Park, 14 km away.
When should you visit Port Colborne for the outdoors?
On the normals, May to August: that is when days are long, highs reach 15 °C and rain is light.
What is the largest protected area near Port Colborne?
Wainfleet Bog Conservation Reserve: 322 ha, a nature reserve.
Where can you swim near Port Colborne?
Nickel Beach, in town, is the nearest mapped beach.
How much land around Port Colborne is protected?
Protected areas cover 2% of the land within 10 km.
Is Port Colborne near a national park?
It is Rouge National Urban Park, 95 km off.
Sources
The sources behind Port Colborne’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.
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).