First pick
Strathclair Park
Park or garden
38 ha2.7 km of path
35 minto walk all 2.7 km of path
3.0 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: WabbitWanderer from London, Canada · CC BY-SA 2.01.6%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Sault Ste. Marie · parks, protected land & trails
Sault Ste. Marie touches Sault Ste. Marie Water Lot
Biggest among them: Goulais River Beach Ridges Conservation Reserve, 929 ha, 9.2 km off. 3 beaches are mapped within 5 km, none with a name. For a provincial park, Sandy Islands Provincial Park lies 24 km off.
Protected land
1.6%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
10
within 10 km, 2 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest provincial park
24 km
Sandy Islands Provincial Park
Beaches
3
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Against other towns
Sault Ste. Marie 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 one of Canada’s graded subjects, so there’s no letter here: each figure is set against other Canadian towns instead.
Protected within 10 km1.6%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town7.5%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas2Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes0Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches3Beaches mapped on OpenStreetMap within 5 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Sault Ste. Marie sits 12th from last of 40 towns its size for protected land around it
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (61,739 to 107,345 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
Sault Ste. Marie1.6%
Towns its size3.7%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Sault Ste. Marie2
Towns its size10
Towns in Ontario4
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Sault Ste. Marie0
Towns its size1
Towns in Ontario1
Typical Canadian town0
Where Sault Ste. Marie trails its peers is walking routes; 29 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 | Strathcona County AB | 9.4% | 1.4% | 38 | 7 | 6 |
| 8 | Repentigny QC | 8.3% | 1.6% | 41 | 0 | 2 |
| 9 | Cape Breton NS | 8.2% | 8.6% | 176 | 1 | 74 |
| 10 | New Westminster BC | 8% | 0% | 83 | 4 | 9 |
| 11 | Victoria BC | 8% | 0.9% | 20 | 4 | 34 |
| 12 | Fleetwood BC | 7.8% | 7.9% | 162 | 10 | 0 |
| 13 | Lindsay ON | 7.6% | 9.2% | 60 | 5 | 9 |
| 14 | North Vancouver BC | 7.5% | 0% | 13 | 4 | 66 |
| 15 | North Bay ON | 7.4% | 5.6% | 4 | 4 | 13 |
| 16 | Mirabel QC | 5.9% | 0.3% | 76 | 1 | 2 |
| 17 | Brossard QC | 5.6% | 9.1% | 31 | 0 | 6 |
| 18 | Bolton ON | 4.8% | 5.9% | 113 | 11 | 3 |
| 19 | Fredericton NB | 4.3% | 0% | 26 | 2 | 16 |
| 20 | Chomedey QC | 3.9% | 0.1% | 43 | 0 | 2 |
| 21 | St. Albert AB | 3.4% | 2.1% | 7 | 7 | 1 |
| 22 | Welland ON | 3.2% | 0% | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | Granby QC | 2.5% | 3.6% | 18 | 0 | 6 |
| 24 | Simcoe ON | 2.3% | 4.7% | 102 | 5 | 36 |
| 25 | Moncton NB | 2.2% | 1.7% | 17 | 0 | 2 |
| 26 | Aurora ON | 2.2% | 0.6% | 42 | 1 | 0 |
| 27 | Georgetown ON | 1.8% | 3.5% | 38 | 6 | 2 |
| 28 | Grande Prairie AB | 1.7% | 0% | 6 | 1 | 6 |
| 29 | Sault Ste. Marie ON | 1.6% | 7.5% | 10 | 0 | 3 |
| 30 | Newmarket ON | 1.3% | 1.8% | 27 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | Belleville ON | 1.2% | 1.8% | 18 | 1 | 0 |
| 32 | Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu QC | 1.1% | 1.2% | 18 | 1 | 3 |
| 33 | Blainville QC | 1.1% | 0% | 27 | 2 | 0 |
| 34 | Saint-Jérôme QC | 1% | 0.1% | 16 | 0 | 3 |
| 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 Sault Ste. Marie
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 parks and woods to walk in, in or near Sault Ste. Marie
Strathclair Park is the largest, at 38 ha; the rest follow by size, numbered as on the map.
30 named parks and woods, 121 ha in all
Parks & gardens 121 ha
Strathclair Park and Bellevue Park together hold 53% of it.
Bellevue Park
Park or garden
27 ha4.3 km of path
55 minto walk all 4.3 km of path
3.6 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Queen Elizabeth Field
Park or garden
16 ha0.2 km of path
2.7 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Birchwood Park
Park or garden
4.3 ha0.2 km of path
5.2 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Boston Park
Park or garden
4.2 ha0.2 km of path
2.3 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
John Rowswell Park
Park or garden
2.5 ha0.8 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.8 km of path
2.2 km southfrom the centre
John Rowswell Hub Trail
Directionsto a point inside
All 30 named parks and green spaces
Strathclair ParkPark or garden · 38 ha · 2.7 km of path
DirectionsBellevue ParkPark or garden · 27 ha · 4.3 km of path
DirectionsQueen Elizabeth FieldPark or garden · 16 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsBirchwood ParkPark or garden · 4.3 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsBoston ParkPark or garden · 4.2 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsRosedale ParkPark or garden · 4.2 ha
DirectionsJohn Rowswell ParkPark or garden · 2.5 ha · 0.8 km of path
DirectionsPenhorwood ParkPark or garden · 3.7 ha
DirectionsRoberta Bondar ParkPark or garden · 2.1 ha
DirectionsNorth Street ParkPark or garden · 1.8 ha
DirectionsSnowdon ParkPark or garden · 1.6 ha
DirectionsGreat Lakes Forestry Centre ArboretumPark or garden · 1.2 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsArizona ParkPark or garden · 1.3 ha
DirectionsVictoria ParkPark or garden · 1.3 ha
DirectionsClergue ParkPark or garden · 0.9 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsWilcox ParkPark or garden · 1.3 ha
DirectionsLittner ParkPark or garden · 1.0 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsEric Nystedt ParkPark or garden · 1.0 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsStrathclair Dog ParkPark or garden · 1.2 ha
DirectionsMacdonald ParkPark or garden · 0.7 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsElsie Savoie Sculpture ParkPark or garden · 0.7 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsHighland ParkPark or garden · 1.0 ha
DirectionsSutton ParkPark or garden · 0.6 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsDrake ParkPark or garden · 0.9 ha
DirectionsPhil Esposito ParkPark or garden · 0.8 ha
DirectionsMeadow ParkPark or garden · 0.5 ha
DirectionsBruce Street ParkPark or garden · 0.5 ha
DirectionsMoffley ParkPark or garden · 0.4 ha
DirectionsManitou ParkPark or garden · 0.3 ha
DirectionsIndiana ParkPark or garden · 0.4 ha
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 Sault Ste. Marie
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 (59%)Further (41%)
Sault Ste. Marie59%
Towns in Ontario90%
Typical Canadian town83%
That leaves about 33,000 people more than a short walk away. Most towns do better: the typical Canadian town is at 83%.
Protected areas
Around Sault Ste. Marie, protected areas make up 1.6%
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Sault Ste. Marie7.5%
Within 10 km1.6%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
2 of the 10 belong to a government or an Indigenous nation. Biggest of the named areas: Goulais River Beach Ridges Conservation Reserve, 929 ha. 8 more areas within 10 km are private land, held by landowners or conservation groups: counted here, not named.
Sault Ste. Marie Water LotNature reserve · 86 ha · reaches Sault Ste. Marie
Goulais River Beach Ridges Conservation ReserveNature reserve · 929 ha · 9.2 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
Sandy Islands Provincial Park is 24 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
Sandy Islands Provincial Park
24 km north-west26 km²since 2001
There is no national park within 100 km; for big parks, Sault Ste. Marie 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
221 km of paths in and around Sault Ste. Marie
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
221 km
in and around the town (334.2 km²)
Woodland
55%
about 182.7 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
Sault Ste. MarieTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0.7
01.53 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
Sault Ste. MarieTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Woodland55%
0%50%100%
For woods, it beats 85% of Canadian towns. It has fewer paths per km² than 63% 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
No named walking route passes Sault Ste. Marie on the map
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
No named walking or hiking route is mapped near the town; local paths may simply not be on OpenStreetMap as routes.
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 Sault Ste. Marie: May to August
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Sault Ste Marie (15 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) | 9.0 | 10.2 | 11.8 | 13.5 | 15.0 | 15.8 | 15.5 | 14.2 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.3 | 8.6 |
| High (°C) | -5 | -4 | 1 | 9 | 16 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 19 | 12 | 5 | -1 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 65 | 46 | 52 | 71 | 69 | 79 | 77 | 78 | 109 | 111 | 89 | 70 |
July is the warmest month, with highs around 24 °C; January the coldest, at -5 °C. February is the driest month at 46 mm; October the wettest at 111 mm. Expect around 325 cm of snow over a winter. The climate in Sault Ste. Marie →
Beaches
3 beaches within 5 km of Sault Ste. Marie, none named
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
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
Viewpoints and waterfalls near Sault Ste. Marie: 6 and 2
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 44.
Every named place, with directions
Waterfalls 2
Crystal Fallsin town
DirectionsMinnehaha Fallsin town
DirectionsNature reserves 3
Cook Island Nature Preserve0.5 km from town
DirectionsSteers Island1.6 km from town
DirectionsPlus 1 nature reserve without a name on the map.
Picnic sites 4
Plus 4 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 44
Plus 44 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Strathclair Dog Parkin town
DirectionsCampsites 6
Glenview Cottages and campgroundin town
DirectionsMark's Bay Cottages & Campgroundin town
DirectionsPointe Des Chenes Campgroundin town
DirectionsSt. Kateri Outdoor Learning Centerin town
DirectionsPlus 2 campsites without a name on the map.
Slipways 7
William Gregory Boat Launch1.0 km from town
DirectionsMission Street Boat Launch1.1 km from town
DirectionsPlus 5 slipways without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Sault Ste. Marie
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
Garden River 14PrinceSault Ste. Marie
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sault Ste. Marie | 1.6% | 10 | 0 | 3 |
| Garden River 14 14 km | 5.4% | 7 | 0 | 5 |
| Prince 14 km | 1.5% | 8 | 0 | 0 |
Around Garden River 14 the protected share is at least double.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Walking routes. The list is OpenStreetMap’s, so a missing trail may just be unmapped. The Trans Canada Trail appears where OSM maps it.
- National and provincial parks. Distances run from the town’s edge to the park’s, so 0 km means they touch.
- Protected land. The share is of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s outline, from CPCAD’s mapped areas; marine areas count, so a coastal town can score high on water.
- Private land. CPCAD includes conservation land held privately; the page counts it and leaves the names out.
- Beaches. Beaches are OpenStreetMap’s, named or not; in the north many are unnamed shoreline imports.
Questions about the outdoors in Sault Ste. Marie
How far is the nearest provincial park from Sault Ste. Marie?
The closest is Sandy Islands Provincial Park, at 24 km.
When should you visit Sault Ste. Marie for the outdoors?
May to August, on the 1991–2020 normals and the daylight: long days, highs of 15 °C or more, light rain for the place.
Which is the biggest protected area near Sault Ste. Marie?
Goulais River Beach Ridges Conservation Reserve, a nature reserve of 929 ha.
Is there protected land near Sault Ste. Marie?
Within 10 km, 1.6% of the land lies in protected areas.
How far is Sault Ste. Marie from a national park?
None within 100 km of Sault Ste. Marie.
What is the nearest beach to Sault Ste. Marie?
There are beaches within 5 km, none of them named.
Sources
Where Sault Ste. Marie’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).