First pick
Starkey Hill Conservation Area
Park or garden
107 ha4.1 km of path
55 minto walk all 4.1 km of path
7.8 km northfrom the centre
Starkey Hill Trail
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Laslovarga · CC BY-SA 4.02.2%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Puslinch · parks, protected land & trails
18 mapped walking routes pass Puslinch
Swimmers have 5 beaches within 5 km, Hemlock Cresent Beach the nearest. The nearest provincial park, Bronte Creek Provincial Park, is 20 km away. Count 29 protected areas within 10 km of town.
Protected land
2.2%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
29
within 10 km, 11 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
80 km
Rouge National Urban Park
Nearest provincial park
20 km
Bronte Creek Provincial Park
Walking routes
18
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Beaches
5
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
Where Puslinch stands out outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
For someone who likes to get outside, Puslinch’s draw is its choice of walking routes, with its beaches close behind.
Against other towns
Puslinch 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. Outdoors isn’t graded in Canada. The page compares each figure with other towns and leaves it there.
Protected within 10 km2.2%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town1.1%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas11Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes18Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches5Beaches mapped on OpenStreetMap within 5 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Puslinch sits 20th from last of 40 towns its size for protected land around it
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (8,419 to 8,737 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
Puslinch2.2%
Towns its size2.3%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Puslinch11
Towns its size3
Towns in Ontario4
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Puslinch18
Towns its size0
Towns in Ontario1
Typical Canadian town0
Puslinch beats most towns its size for public protected areas; 9 of 39 do better.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hunt Club Park ON | 13% | 0% | 30 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Britannia ON | 13% | 12% | 31 | 4 | 9 |
| 3 | West Centretown ON | 11% | 0% | 36 | 5 | 5 |
| 4 | Nicolet QC | 11% | 8.5% | 19 | 0 | 1 |
| 5 | Stone Mills ON | 10% | 11% | 58 | 1 | 0 |
| 6 | Carleton Heights-Courtland Park ON | 10% | 8.3% | 37 | 1 | 4 |
| 7 | Wildfield ON | 9.1% | 14% | 23 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | Muskoka Lakes ON | 6.3% | 11% | 26 | 1 | 12 |
| 9 | Iqaluit NU | 6.1% | 11% | 2 | 0 | 12 |
| 10 | Lac la Biche County AB | 5.8% | 5.7% | 16 | 0 | 4 |
| 11 | Trinity Commons ON | 5.3% | 0% | 7 | 1 | 1 |
| 12 | Vaughan Metropolitan Centre ON | 4.7% | 0% | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | Saint-Philippe QC | 4.2% | 0% | 17 | 0 | 1 |
| 14 | Heart Lake North ON | 3.9% | 43% | 8 | 1 | 1 |
| 15 | Trail BC | 3.5% | 0% | 6 | 0 | 2 |
| 16 | Brownsburg-Chatham QC | 3.1% | 2% | 35 | 0 | 3 |
| 17 | Ogden AB | 2.9% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| 18 | Stanley Park ON | 2.5% | 5.9% | 22 | 1 | 0 |
| 19 | Rocky Ridge AB | 2.5% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 20 | Prairie View SK | 2.3% | 0% | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | Puslinch ON | 2.2% | 1.1% | 29 | 18 | 5 |
| 22 | Renfrew ON | 1.9% | 0% | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | Drumheller AB | 1% | 4.9% | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Crestview MB | 1% | 0% | 9 | 1 | 37 |
| 25 | St. John's MB | 0.9% | 0% | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | Rosewood SK | 0.9% | 0% | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Hillhurst AB | 0.6% | 0% | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 28 | Lac-Beauport QC | 0.4% | 0.1% | 10 | 4 | 2 |
| 29 | Edson AB | 0.3% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Strathcona Park AB | 0.3% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 31 | Albert Park/Radisson Heights AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 32 | Tavistock ON | 0.2% | 0% | 9 | 3 | 2 |
| 33 | Wild Rose AB | 0.2% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 34 | Hanover ON | 0.1% | 1.1% | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | Innisfail AB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 10 |
| 36 | Nolan Hill AB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 37 | Garneau AB | 0.1% | 0% | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 38 | Huron-Kinloss ON | 0% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 8 |
| 39 | Dauphin MB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Dalhousie AB | 0% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 2 |
The map
The green map of Puslinch
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
7 parks and woods to walk in, in or near Puslinch
The biggest is Starkey Hill Conservation Area, 107 ha. Biggest first, numbered as on the map.
7 named parks and woods, 124 ha in all
Parks & gardens 124 ha
Two places, Starkey Hill Conservation Area and Puslinch Community Park, make up 92% of the total.
Mollison Park
Park or garden · 300 m outside town
5.0 ha0.7 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.7 km of path
7.4 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Colonial Drive Park
Park or garden · 320 m outside town
2.3 ha0.5 km of path
5.6 km northfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Witmer Park
Park or garden · 280 m outside town
2.3 ha0.4 km of path
12 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Kortright Hills Park
Park or garden · 360 m outside town
0.4 ha0.1 km of path
6.5 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Red Wildfong Park
Park or garden · 320 m outside town
0.2 ha
11 km westfrom the centre
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
1 in 10 people in Puslinch 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 (7.7%)Further (92%)
Puslinch7.7%
Towns in Ontario90%
Typical Canadian town83%
For about 7,900 people, the nearest park is over 400 m away. Most towns do better: the typical Canadian town is at 83%.
Protected areas
Protected areas cover 2.2% of the land near Puslinch
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Puslinch1.1%
Within 10 km2.2%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public bodies own 11 of the 29; land trusts and private owners hold the others. The largest named one is Torrance Creek Complex, at 77 ha. 18 more areas within 10 km are private land, held by landowners or conservation groups: counted here, not named.
Hanlon Creek Tributary LandsNature reserve · 74 ha · reaches Puslinch
Torrance Creek ComplexNature reserve · 77 ha · reaches Puslinch
Clythe and Watson Creeks ComplexNature reserve · 23 ha · 2.0 km from the edge of town
Watson-Hadati Headwater LandsNature reserve · 49 ha · 3.4 km from the edge of town
Ellis Creek PSW ComplexNature reserve · 41 ha · 4.4 km from the edge of town
Industrial Park WetlandNature reserve · 11 ha · 6.4 km from the edge of town
Springmount Park - Idlewood CreekNature reserve · 27 ha · 8.7 km from the edge of town
Grand River Natural Area - Sims EstateNature reserve · 12 ha · 8.7 km from the edge of town
Lackner WoodsNature reserve · 31 ha · 9.0 km from the edge of town
Natchez WoodsNature reserve · 23 ha · 9.6 km from the edge of town
1 more named area within 10 km is in the comparison 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
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
Bronte Creek Provincial Park
20 km east6.8 km²since 1975
National urban park
Rouge National Urban Park
80 km north-east46 km²since 2015
Bronte Creek Provincial Park, a provincial park, is nearer at 20 km.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
232 km of paths in and around Puslinch
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
232 km
in and around the town (311.6 km²)
Woodland
32%
about 99.6 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
PuslinchTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0.7
01.53 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
PuslinchTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Woodland32%
0%50%100%
Paths are thinner on the ground than in 62% of Canadian towns. For woods, it beats 75% 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 Puslinch
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
RegionalLocal
Guelph Radial Line Trail38.1 km
Speed River Trail13.3 km
Little Tract5.8 km
Toyota Way Trail3.3 km
Arkell Springs Loop Trail2.7 km
Crawford Tract2.7 km
Witmer Trail2.6 km
Deer Run Trail2.5 km
Vance Tract2.4 km
Burns Conservation Area2.2 km
Blackbridge1.8 km
Woodlands Trail1.7 km
Plus 6 more waymarked walks on the map.
The longest of the rest is the Guelph Radial Line Trail, 38.1 km. For a short stroll, 14 are under 3 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 Puslinch: May, June, August and September
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Kitchener/Waterloo (18 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 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.7 | 15.4 | 15.1 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 9.0 |
| High (°C) | -2 | -1 | 4 | 12 | 19 | 24 | 27 | 26 | 22 | 14 | 7 | 1 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 66 | 46 | 57 | 81 | 80 | 81 | 96 | 67 | 75 | 71 | 75 | 55 |
Summer brings the most rain: 96 mm in July; February gets 46 mm. Summer highs reach 27 °C in July; in January they stay near -2 °C. Some 115 cm of snow falls each winter. The climate in Puslinch →
Beaches
Puslinch has 5 beaches close by
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Hemlock Cresent Beachin town
DirectionsTrillium Beachin town
DirectionsValens Beach2.7 km from town
DirectionsAdd 2 unnamed beaches to the count. No national or provincial register of beach water quality is published as open data, so check the local health unit before swimming.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
4 viewpoints near Puslinch
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
Starkey Hill tops the hills nearby, 380 m. Playgrounds lead the count with 77.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 4
Plus 4 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 1
Starkey Hill380 m · in town
DirectionsNature reserves 6
Puslinch Lake Irish Creek Research Areain town
DirectionsArboretum Nature Reserve0.5 km from town
DirectionsPhelan Conservation Area0.6 km from town
DirectionsShade’s Mills Conservation Area1.4 km from town
DirectionsRobert Edmondson Conservation Area1.7 km from town
DirectionsValens Lake Conservation Area1.9 km from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 5
Plus 5 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 77
Pinch Park0.3 km from town
DirectionsHolland Crescent Playground1.0 km from town
DirectionsSouth End Community Spray Park1.2 km from town
DirectionsPlus 74 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Plus 1 dog park without a name on the map.
Slipways 2
Plus 2 slipways without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Gardens to visit
University of Guelph Arboretum, 1.1 km from Puslinch, is the garden to visit
Gardens and arboretums within 15 km of the town’s edge, and the historic gardens, parks and estates in the town itself, nearest first.
University of Guelph ArboretumGarden or park · 1.1 km from town
DirectionsSources: OpenStreetMap (leisure=garden), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL, and Wikidata (CC0), as gathered in TownRatings’ Canadian attractions set; historic places from Parks Canada’s Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, the Canadian Register of Historic Places and Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel.
Next door
Next to Puslinch
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
GuelphRockwoodFreeltonCambridgeCarlislePuslinch
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
Around Freelton the protected share is at least double.
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. The count includes unnamed stretches mapped as beach, which can make a lakeside town’s figure large.
- 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.
- Protected land. CPCAD maps each protected area; the page counts how much of the 10 km around the town they cover, lakes and sea included.
- National and provincial parks. Distances run from the town’s edge to the park’s, so 0 km means they touch.
Questions about the outdoors in Puslinch
How much land around Puslinch is protected?
Protected areas cover 2.2% of the land within 10 km.
What is the nearest beach to Puslinch?
The nearest is Hemlock Cresent Beach, in town.
Are there hiking trails near Puslinch?
Try the Speed River Trail, Guelph Radial Line Trail and Little Tract; more are on the map.
How far is the nearest provincial park from Puslinch?
The closest is Bronte Creek Provincial Park, at 20 km.
When should you visit Puslinch for the outdoors?
On the normals, May, June, August and September: that is when days are long, highs reach 15 °C and rain is light.
How far is Puslinch from a national park?
The nearest is Rouge National Urban Park, 80 km away.
Which is the biggest protected area near Puslinch?
Torrance Creek Complex: 77 ha, a nature reserve.
Sources
Where Puslinch’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.
Gardens: OpenStreetMap (leisure=garden) and Wikidata gardens within 15 km, as gathered in TownRatings’ Canadian attractions set; historic gardens and parks from Canada’s heritage registers (Parks Canada DFHD, the Canadian Register of Historic Places, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel).
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).