First pick
Washago Centennial Park
Park or garden
7.6 ha1.2 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.2 km of path
13 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: norgo · CC BY-SA 3.09.6%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Severn · parks, protected land & trails
A national park 6.5 km from Severn: Georgian Bay Islands National Park
A provincial park, Bass Lake Provincial Park, lies 0.6 km away. Within 10 km of the town, 9.6% of the land is protected, against 2.3% around a typical Canadian town. The 10 km around town hold 52 protected areas.
Protected land
9.6%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
52
within 10 km, 16 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
6.5 km
Georgian Bay Islands National Park
Nearest provincial park
0.6 km
Bass Lake Provincial Park
Walking routes
1
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Beaches
7
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
The outdoors in Severn, in short
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
A national park nearbyGeorgian Bay Islands National Park, 6.5 km awayProtected land all round9.6% of the land within 10 km, more than 85% of Canadian townsBeaches7 beaches within 5 km
Above all, Severn offers Georgian Bay Islands National Park within easy reach, with protected land around it close behind.
Against other towns
How Severn 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. No letter: the outdoors is described for Canadian towns, not graded.
Protected within 10 km9.6%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 areas16Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes1Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches7Beaches 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, Severn ranks 6th for protected land within 10 km
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (15,359 to 16,073 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
Severn9.6%
Towns its size1.9%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Severn16
Towns its size7
Towns in Ontario4
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Severn1
Towns its size0
Towns in Ontario1
Typical Canadian town0
Against towns its size, Severn does best for protected land nearby: 5 of the other 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Les Golfs QC | 17% | 18% | 40 | 4 | 13 |
| 2 | Mercier QC | 15% | 0% | 26 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Gaspé QC | 13% | 21% | 41 | 13 | 51 |
| 4 | Ledbury-Heron Gate-Ridgemont ON | 12% | 0% | 34 | 0 | 1 |
| 5 | Lavaltrie QC | 9.9% | 0.3% | 33 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Severn ON | 9.6% | 1.1% | 52 | 1 | 7 |
| 7 | Brookside - Briarbrook - Morgans Grant ON | 8.1% | 0% | 14 | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | Vieux-Longueuil QC | 6.4% | 0% | 24 | 0 | 5 |
| 9 | Lougheed BC | 5.6% | 0% | 53 | 2 | 49 |
| 10 | Vieux-Moulin QC | 4.7% | 0.1% | 20 | 0 | 6 |
| 11 | Jésuites QC | 4.6% | 0% | 17 | 1 | 6 |
| 12 | Parksville BC | 4.4% | 13% | 24 | 0 | 11 |
| 13 | Saint-Louis QC | 4.3% | 0% | 15 | 2 | 4 |
| 14 | Vallée-de-la-Lièvre QC | 4.3% | 16% | 39 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | Downtown ON | 3.6% | 2.8% | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| 16 | Lachute QC | 3.5% | 0.9% | 27 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | François-Perrault QC | 2.6% | 0% | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | Vanier ON | 2.6% | 0% | 22 | 1 | 0 |
| 19 | Trinity-Bellwoods ON | 2.1% | 0% | 11 | 7 | 24 |
| 20 | North Toronto ON | 1.9% | 0% | 12 | 2 | 1 |
| 21 | Little Portugal ON | 1.8% | 0% | 11 | 4 | 20 |
| 22 | Newtonbrook East ON | 1.8% | 0% | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | East Willowdale ON | 1.7% | 0% | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Parc-Jarry QC | 1.5% | 0% | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | Almonte ON | 1.4% | 0.7% | 26 | 0 | 8 |
| 26 | Comox BC | 1.4% | 2.6% | 45 | 0 | 2 |
| 27 | Lansing-Westgate ON | 1.3% | 0% | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Loretteville QC | 1.1% | 0% | 21 | 1 | 2 |
| 29 | Pembroke ON | 1% | 0% | 6 | 0 | 3 |
| 30 | Kenora ON | 1% | 0% | 6 | 2 | 7 |
| 31 | Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines QC | 0.7% | 0.1% | 7 | 0 | 1 |
| 32 | Dorchester ON | 0.6% | 1% | 17 | 2 | 2 |
| 33 | High River AB | 0.6% | 0% | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Corunna ON | 0.4% | 1% | 7 | 1 | 2 |
| 35 | Thorncliffe AB | 0.3% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 36 | Edenbridge-Humber Valley ON | 0.2% | 2.1% | 6 | 1 | 6 |
| 37 | South Windsor ON | 0.2% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 38 | Sheridan ON | 0.1% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 39 | East Riverside ON | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 40 | Edgemont AB | 0% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 2 |
The map
Severn on the map: green space, protected land and paths
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
6 named parks and woods to walk in near Severn
The biggest is Washago Centennial Park, 7.6 ha. Biggest first, numbered as on the map.
6 named parks and woods, 14 ha in all
Parks & gardens 14 ha
The bulk, 77%, is Washago Centennial Park and Clayt French Park.
Clayt French Park
Park or garden · 340 m outside town
3.1 ha1.2 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.2 km of path
6.9 km southfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Marchmont Community Park
Park or garden
1.4 ha0.1 km of path
6.6 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Dancy Drive Park
Park or garden · 260 m outside town
0.4 ha
5.7 km southfrom 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
A park is within a short walk for 1 in 10 in Severn
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 (5.1%)Further (95%)
Severn5.1%
Towns in Ontario90%
Typical Canadian town83%
The typical Canadian town does better, at 83%. About 14,900 residents live further than 400 m from one.
Protected areas
9.6% of the country within 10 km of Severn 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 Severn1.1%
Within 10 km9.6%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Of those 52, 16 are public and the remainder private. At 9,912 ha, Severn River Conservation Reserve is the largest. Another 28 are privately owned conservation land; they count in the figures but aren’t named, as private land isn’t a place to visit.
Severn River Conservation ReserveNature reserve · 9,912 ha · reaches Severn
Kahshe Lake Barrens Conservation ReserveNature reserve · 3,169 ha · reaches Severn
Bass Lake Provincial ParkProvincial park · 247 ha · 0.6 km from the edge of town
Morrison Lake Wetland Conservation ReserveNature reserve · 77 ha · 0.9 km from the edge of town
Waubaushene Beaches Provincial ParkProvincial park · 34 ha · 1.0 km from the edge of town
Muldrew Barrens Conservation ReserveNature reserve · 803 ha · 3.1 km from the edge of town
Gibson River Provincial ParkProvincial park · 333 ha · 3.8 km from the edge of town
Six Mile Lake Provincial ParkProvincial park · 212 ha · 4.3 km from the edge of town
Mara Provincial ParkProvincial park · 45 ha · 6.4 km from the edge of town
Georgian Bay Islands National ParkNational park · 1,400 ha · 6.5 km from the edge of town
2 more named areas within 10 km are in the 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
Big parks near Severn
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
Bass Lake Provincial Park
0.6 km south2.5 km²since 1957
Provincial park
Waubaushene Beaches Provincial Park
1.0 km north-west0.3 km²since 1969
Provincial park
Gibson River Provincial Park
3.8 km north-west3.3 km²since 1968
Provincial park
Six Mile Lake Provincial Park
4.3 km north-west2.1 km²since 1958
Provincial park
Mara Provincial Park
6.4 km south-east0.5 km²since 1970
National park
Georgian Bay Islands National Park
6.5 km north-west14 km²since 1930
Closer to home, Bass Lake Provincial Park is 0.6 km away. Within 10 km are 5 provincial parks.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
Paths to walk: 120 km in and around Severn
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
120 km
in and around the town (739 km²)
Woodland
61%
about 447.9 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
SevernTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0.2
01.53 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
SevernTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Woodland61%
0%50%100%
For path density, 79% of Canadian towns do better. More of it is wooded than in 88% 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
Severn 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.
Regional
Uhthoff Trail (hiking)30.1 km
Source: OpenStreetMap (route relations hiking, foot and walking), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Trans Canada Trail sections as OSM maps them.
When to get out
Get out in Severn in May to September
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Muskoka, 36 km away). Good months: long days, highs of 15–30 °C, light 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 | 8.8 |
| High (°C) | -4 | -3 | 2 | 9 | 17 | 22 | 25 | 24 | 20 | 13 | 6 | 0 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 92 | 56 | 72 | 79 | 93 | 86 | 100 | 82 | 102 | 111 | 103 | 87 |
Expect 111 mm in October, the wettest month, and 56 mm in February. July is the warmest month, with highs around 25 °C; January the coldest, at -4 °C. The climate in Severn →
Beaches
7 beaches within 5 km of Severn
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Bunny Beachsand · 0.8 km from town
DirectionsMoose Beachsand · 3.9 km from town
Directions2 are mapped as sand. The map adds 5 unnamed stretches of beach. For water quality, look to the local health unit: no open beach-testing data covers Canada.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
Near Severn: 3 viewpoints, 3 waterfalls
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
The map shows 26 playgrounds, ahead of the rest.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 3
Plus 3 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Waterfalls 3
Plus 3 waterfalls without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 5
Grant's Woodsin town
DirectionsMatchedash Bay Provincial Wilderness Areain town
DirectionsTrent Canalin town
DirectionsBass Lake Provincial Park1.1 km from town
DirectionsWaubashene Beaches Provincial Park1.4 km from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 5
Plus 5 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 26
Plus 26 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Washago Dog Parkin town
DirectionsCampsites 10
Geenva Park0.7 km from town
DirectionsBass Lake Campground1.4 km from town
DirectionsPlus 8 campsites without a name on the map.
Slipways 11
Plus 11 slipways without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Severn
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
OrilliaChippewas of Rama First NationOro-MedonteRamaraSevern
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severn | 9.6% | 52 | 1 | 7 |
| Orillia 7.1 km | 0.7% | 17 | 4 | 7 |
| Chippewas of Rama First Nation 8.7 km | 3.3% | 18 | 1 | 6 |
| Oro-Medonte 17 km | 0.6% | 32 | 4 | 18 |
| Ramara 18 km | 8.6% | 37 | 2 | 10 |
More routes are mapped around Orillia (4). No neighbouring place reaches twice Severn’s protected share.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- 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.
- Walking routes. The list is OpenStreetMap’s, so a missing trail may just be unmapped. The Trans Canada Trail appears where OSM maps it.
- Beaches. Beaches are OpenStreetMap’s, named or not; in the north many are unnamed shoreline imports.
- Private land. Areas held by land trusts or private owners stay unnamed here, though they count in the shares.
- National and provincial parks. A park at 0 km touches or overlaps the town’s outline; directions point from the town’s centre.
Questions about the outdoors in Severn
What is the nearest beach to Severn?
Bunny Beach, 0.8 km from town, is the nearest mapped beach.
What walking routes are near Severn?
The Uhthoff Trail (hiking), mapped within 2 km.
Is there a provincial park near Severn?
Bass Lake Provincial Park, 0.6 km away.
Are there protected areas near Severn?
Yes: 9.6% of the land within 10 km is protected.
Which is the biggest protected area near Severn?
Severn River Conservation Reserve, a nature reserve of 9,912 ha.
When is the best time for walking in Severn?
May to September, on the 1991–2020 normals and the daylight: long days, highs of 15 °C or more, light rain for the place.
Is Severn near a national park?
Georgian Bay Islands National Park, 6.5 km from the edge of town.
Sources
Sources for this page on Severn
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).