First pick
Canatara Park
Park or garden
84 ha7.8 km of path
1 h 45 minto walk all 7.8 km of path
3.5 km westfrom the centre
Lake ChipicanLake Chipican Drive
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: P199 · CC BY-SA 3.00.2%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Sarnia · parks, protected land & trails
Little of the land around Sarnia is protected: 0.2% within 10 km
Count 4 protected areas within 10 km of town. The Wawanosh Wetlands Conservation Area is the one mapped walking route close by. Swimmers have 2 beaches within 5 km, Canatara Beach the nearest.
Protected land
0.2%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
4
within 10 km, 0 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest provincial park
36 km
Pinery Provincial Park
Walking routes
1
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Beaches
2
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Against other towns
How Sarnia compares with 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 km0.2%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town0.3%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas0Areas 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, Sarnia is 4th from the bottom for protected land
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (60,874 to 106,752 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
Sarnia0.2%
Towns its size3.3%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Sarnia0
Towns its size10
Towns in Ontario4
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Sarnia1
Towns its size1
Towns in Ontario1
Typical Canadian town0
Against towns its size, Sarnia is weakest for public protected areas: 33 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 | North Vancouver BC | 15% | 22% | 18 | 11 | 169 |
| 4 | Port Coquitlam BC | 15% | 5.6% | 125 | 3 | 30 |
| 5 | Saint John NB | 14% | 11% | 63 | 3 | 97 |
| 6 | Chilliwack BC | 11% | 7.7% | 36 | 4 | 26 |
| 7 | Repentigny QC | 8.3% | 1.6% | 41 | 0 | 2 |
| 8 | Cape Breton NS | 8.2% | 8.6% | 176 | 1 | 74 |
| 9 | New Westminster BC | 8% | 0% | 83 | 4 | 9 |
| 10 | Victoria BC | 8% | 0.9% | 20 | 4 | 34 |
| 11 | Fleetwood BC | 7.8% | 7.9% | 162 | 10 | 0 |
| 12 | Lindsay ON | 7.6% | 9.2% | 60 | 5 | 9 |
| 13 | North Vancouver BC | 7.5% | 0% | 13 | 4 | 66 |
| 14 | North Bay ON | 7.4% | 5.6% | 4 | 4 | 13 |
| 15 | Mirabel QC | 5.9% | 0.3% | 76 | 1 | 2 |
| 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 | St. Albert AB | 3.4% | 2.1% | 7 | 7 | 1 |
| 21 | Welland ON | 3.2% | 0% | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | Granby QC | 2.5% | 3.6% | 18 | 0 | 6 |
| 23 | Simcoe ON | 2.3% | 4.7% | 102 | 5 | 36 |
| 24 | Moncton NB | 2.2% | 1.7% | 17 | 0 | 2 |
| 25 | Aurora ON | 2.2% | 0.6% | 42 | 1 | 0 |
| 26 | Georgetown ON | 1.8% | 3.5% | 38 | 6 | 2 |
| 27 | Grande Prairie AB | 1.7% | 0% | 6 | 1 | 6 |
| 28 | Sault Ste. Marie ON | 1.6% | 7.5% | 10 | 0 | 3 |
| 29 | Newmarket ON | 1.3% | 1.8% | 27 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Belleville ON | 1.2% | 1.8% | 18 | 1 | 0 |
| 31 | Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu QC | 1.1% | 1.2% | 18 | 1 | 3 |
| 32 | Blainville QC | 1.1% | 0% | 27 | 2 | 0 |
| 33 | Saint-Jérôme QC | 1% | 0.1% | 16 | 0 | 3 |
| 34 | Saint-Hyacinthe QC | 0.7% | 0% | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | Peterborough ON | 0.6% | 0% | 6 | 1 | 2 |
| 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 | Medicine Hat AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 40 | Airdrie AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The map
The green map of Sarnia
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
30 named parks and woods to walk in near Sarnia
Largest first: Canatara Park leads with 84 ha. Numbers match the map.
30 named parks and woods, 300 ha in all
Parks & gardens 296 haWoods 3.9 ha
The bulk, 41%, is Canatara Park and Blackwell Trails Park.
Blackwell Trails Park
Park or garden
40 ha5.6 km of path
1 h 15 minto walk all 5.6 km of path
2.2 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Germain Park
Park or garden
28 ha2.1 km of path
30 minto walk all 2.1 km of path
2.3 km south-westfrom the centre
Midtown Trail
Directionsto a point inside
Centennial Park
Park or garden
16 ha2.9 km of path
40 minto walk all 2.9 km of path
3.6 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Waterfront Park
Park or garden
17 ha0.9 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.9 km of path
4.7 km westfrom the centre
Waterfront Trail
Directionsto a point inside
Clearwater Community Centre Park
Park or garden
14 ha1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1 km of path
2.1 km southfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Sherwood Park
Park or garden
7.3 ha2.6 km of path
35 minto walk all 2.6 km of path
2.9 km southfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
All 30 named parks and green spaces
Canatara ParkPark or garden · 84 ha · 7.8 km of path
DirectionsBlackwell Trails ParkPark or garden · 40 ha · 5.6 km of path
DirectionsGermain ParkPark or garden · 28 ha · 2.1 km of path
DirectionsCentennial ParkPark or garden · 16 ha · 2.9 km of path
DirectionsWaterfront ParkPark or garden · 17 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsMike Weir ParkPark or garden · 17 ha
DirectionsClearwater Community Centre ParkPark or garden · 14 ha · 1 km of path
DirectionsSherwood ParkPark or garden · 7.3 ha · 2.6 km of path
DirectionsTwin Lakes ParkPark or garden · 9.4 ha
DirectionsSarnia HarbourPark or garden · 5.1 ha · 1.1 km of path
DirectionsTecumseh ParkPark or garden · 5.6 ha · 0.8 km of path
DirectionsCamp SaredacaPark or garden · 6.6 ha
DirectionsRainbow ParkPark or garden · 3.5 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsBlackwell Dog ParkPark or garden · 3.5 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsWiltshire ParkPark or garden · 3.4 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsNorm Perry Memorial ParkPark or garden · 3.8 ha
DirectionsCathcart ParkPark or garden · 3.5 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsDow Employee Memorial ForestWood or forest · 3.9 ha · 1.2 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsCoronation ParkPark or garden · 3.4 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsBaxter ParkPark or garden · 3.5 ha
DirectionsNorm Perry ParkPark or garden · 3.5 ha
DirectionsBayshore ParkPark or garden · 2.5 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsLansdowne ParkPark or garden · 3.1 ha
DirectionsErrol Russell ParkPark or garden · 2.8 ha
DirectionsSeaway Centre ParkPark or garden · 1.5 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsBrentwood ParkPark or garden · 1.9 ha
DirectionsAfton ParkPark or garden · 1.9 ha
DirectionsAmerindians Sculpture ParkPark or garden · 0.8 ha · 0.4 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsHollands ParkPark or garden · 1.6 ha
DirectionsVeteran's ParkPark or garden · 0.6 ha · 0.5 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
A park is within a short walk for 7 in 10 in Sarnia
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%)
Sarnia72%
Towns in Ontario90%
Typical Canadian town83%
Most towns do better: the typical Canadian town is at 83%. That leaves about 23,000 people more than a short walk away.
Protected areas
Sarnia has 4 protected areas within 10 km
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Sarnia0.3%
Within 10 km0.2%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
They belong to private owners or land trusts, so the page leaves their names out.
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
Pinery Provincial Park is 36 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
Pinery Provincial Park
36 km north-east25 km²since 1957
There is no national park within 100 km; for big parks, Sarnia has its province’s.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
Sarnia has 109 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
109 km
in and around the town (250.6 km²)
Woodland
10%
about 25.6 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
SarniaTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0.4
01.53 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
SarniaTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Woodland10%
0%50%100%
More of it is wooded than in 53% of Canadian towns. It has fewer paths per km² than 68% 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
1 walking route near Sarnia
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
Local
Wawanosh Wetlands Conservation Area7.9 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 Sarnia: May and July to September
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Sarnia (4.4 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 | 10.9 | 9.7 | 9.0 |
| High (°C) | -1 | 0 | 5 | 12 | 19 | 24 | 27 | 26 | 22 | 15 | 8 | 2 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 57 | 48 | 57 | 79 | 85 | 93 | 80 | 71 | 84 | 78 | 80 | 60 |
In July the typical high is 27 °C; in January, -1 °C. February is the driest month at 48 mm; June the wettest at 93 mm. A typical year sees 112 cm of snow. The climate in Sarnia →
Beaches
For a swim near Sarnia: Canatara Beach, 0.1 km off
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Canatara Beachsand · 0.1 km from town
DirectionsAnother beach has no name on the map. 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
Near Sarnia: one viewpoint on the map
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
The map shows 22 playgrounds, ahead of the rest.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 1
Plus 1 viewpoint without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 3
Perch Creek Habitat Management Areain town
DirectionsWawanosh Wetlands Conservation Areain town
DirectionsDow Wetlands Nature Reserve0.2 km from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 22
Canatara playgroundsin town
DirectionsWaterfront Park Playground0.1 km from town
DirectionsElks Park0.4 km from town
DirectionsHuron Park play equipment0.7 km from town
DirectionsPlus 18 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
Plus 1 campsite 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.
Next door
Next to Sarnia
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page. Sarnia has few close neighbours with figures, so the list reaches 4–22 km out.
Point EdwardPlympton-WyomingCorunnaPetroliaEnniskillenSarnia
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sarnia | 0.2% | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| Point Edward 3.6 km | 0.1% | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Plympton-Wyoming 20 km | 0.2% | 5 | 0 | 2 |
| Corunna 20 km | 0.4% | 7 | 1 | 2 |
| Petrolia 21 km | 0.3% | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Enniskillen 22 km | 0.2% | 5 | 0 | 0 |
For protected land, no neighbour of Sarnia doubles its share.
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. 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. Areas held by land trusts or private owners stay unnamed here, though they count in the shares.
- Beaches. The count includes unnamed stretches mapped as beach, which can make a lakeside town’s figure large.
- 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.
Questions about the outdoors in Sarnia
What is the best season to get outdoors in Sarnia?
May and July to September, on the 1991–2020 normals and the daylight: long days, highs of 15 °C or more, light rain for the place.
How far is the nearest provincial park from Sarnia?
Pinery Provincial Park, 36 km away.
Are there protected areas near Sarnia?
Protected areas cover 0.2% of the land within 10 km.
How far is Sarnia from a national park?
No national park lies within 100 km of Sarnia.
Are there hiking trails near Sarnia?
OpenStreetMap maps the Wawanosh Wetlands Conservation Area close by.
Is there a beach near Sarnia?
Try Canatara Beach, 0.1 km from town, first of several.
Sources
Where Sarnia’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).