First pick
Sr. Joseph Township Centennial Grounds
Park or garden
9.7 ha
2.6 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: P199 · CC BY-SA 3.00.3%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in St. Joseph · parks, protected land & trails
Protected land is scarce around St. Joseph: 0.3% within 10 km
The nearest provincial park, North Channel Islands - la Cloche Provincial Park Addition, is 13 km away. OpenStreetMap shows 7 unnamed beaches within 5 km. 8 protected areas lie within 10 km.
Protected land
0.3%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
8
within 10 km, 0 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest provincial park
13 km
North Channel Islands - la Cloche Provincial Park Addition
Beaches
7
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
What St. Joseph has going for it outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
St. Joseph is strongest on its beaches. It has less to offer in protected land nearby.
Against other towns
St. Joseph 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 km0.3%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town0%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 routes0Named 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, St. Joseph is 13th from the bottom for protected land
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (1,560 to 2,587 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
St. Joseph0.3%
Towns its size1.4%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
St. Joseph0
Towns its size3
Towns in Ontario4
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
St. Joseph0
Towns its size0
Towns in Ontario1
Typical Canadian town0
For public protected areas, St. Joseph lags towns its size: 33 of 39 are ahead.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anmore BC | 22% | 47% | 16 | 5 | 98 |
| 2 | Saint-Alexandre-de-Kamouraska QC | 19% | 0% | 28 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Gracefield QC | 19% | 19% | 34 | 0 | 6 |
| 4 | East Preston NS | 16% | 6.3% | 20 | 1 | 5 |
| 5 | Clearwater BC | 7.7% | 4.1% | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| 6 | Roberval QC | 6.1% | 1.2% | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague QC | 5.8% | 0% | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | North Frontenac ON | 5.7% | 5.2% | 13 | 6 | 4 |
| 9 | Cap-Chat QC | 5.3% | 0.4% | 13 | 0 | 10 |
| 10 | Killaloe, Hagarty and Richards ON | 4.4% | 1.5% | 9 | 0 | 4 |
| 11 | Saint-Polycarpe QC | 4.2% | 0% | 11 | 0 | 2 |
| 12 | Macassa ON | 4.1% | 0% | 18 | 1 | 0 |
| 13 | Saint-Damien QC | 4% | 3.2% | 22 | 1 | 9 |
| 14 | Unity SK | 3.4% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | Sherwood ON | 3.4% | 0% | 19 | 2 | 0 |
| 16 | McNab SK | 2.6% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 17 | Mandeville QC | 2.5% | 1.8% | 19 | 4 | 7 |
| 18 | Esterhazy SK | 1.8% | 0% | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | City Commercial Core ON | 1.8% | 0% | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Caswell Hill SK | 1.4% | 0% | 16 | 0 | 3 |
| 21 | Fossambault-sur-le-Lac QC | 1.3% | 7.8% | 15 | 0 | 14 |
| 22 | Pembina MB | 1.1% | 1.8% | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | Burrows-Keewatin MB | 1% | 0% | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Elmwood AB | 0.8% | 0% | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 25 | Hatley QC | 0.7% | 0% | 9 | 0 | 5 |
| 26 | Munroe West MB | 0.4% | 0% | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Brooke-Alvinston ON | 0.3% | 0.2% | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | St. Joseph ON | 0.3% | 0% | 8 | 0 | 7 |
| 29 | Rosedale AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 30 | Minchau AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 31 | Lunenburg NS | 0.1% | 0% | 19 | 0 | 5 |
| 32 | Salisbury NB | 0.1% | 2.1% | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | Dufferin MB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Ekota AB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 35 | Satoo AB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 36 | Saint-Éphrem-de-Beauce QC | 0% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 37 | Magrath AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | Nanton AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Rimbey AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Sexsmith AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The map
St. Joseph on the map: green space, protected land and paths
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
4 named parks and woods to walk in near St. Joseph
Sr. Joseph Township Centennial Grounds is the largest, at 9.7 ha; the rest follow by size, numbered as on the map.
4 named parks and woods, 29 ha in all
Parks & gardens 9.7 haWoods 19 ha
Copper Island plus Sr. Joseph Township Centennial Grounds account for 77% of the green.
Devils Island
Wood or forest · 140 m outside town
2.5 ha
8.8 km north-eastfrom 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
Few people in St. Joseph 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 (0%)Further (100%)
St. Joseph0%
Towns in Ontario90%
Typical Canadian town83%
The typical Canadian town reaches 83%. That leaves about 1,600 people more than a short walk away.
Protected areas
8 protected areas lie within 10 km of St. Joseph
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside St. Joseph0%
Within 10 km0.3%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
No public land among them: all are private conservation land, counted but unnamed.
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
North Channel Islands - la Cloche Provincial Park Addition is 13 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
North Channel Islands - la Cloche Provincial Park Addition
13 km east821 km²
There is no national park within 100 km; for big parks, St. Joseph 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
St. Joseph and its edge hold 0 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
0.1 km
in and around the town (– km²)
Woodland
51%
of the town and 1 km around it
Footpaths · km per km²
St. JosephTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0
01.53 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
St. JosephTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Woodland51%
0%50%100%
Woods cover more of it than in 84% of Canadian towns. It has fewer paths per km² than 100% 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 St. Joseph 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 St. Joseph: May to August
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Sault Ste Marie, 43 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) | 9.0 | 10.3 | 11.8 | 13.5 | 15.0 | 15.8 | 15.4 | 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 |
Winter brings about 325 cm of snow. The warmest days come in July (24 °C highs), the coldest in January (-5 °C). October is the wettest month (111 mm) and February the driest (46 mm). The climate in St. Joseph →
Beaches
7 beaches within 5 km of St. Joseph, none named
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Water quality isn’t shown: there’s no open national record of beach tests. Local health authorities post advisories.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
7 things to do outdoors near St. Joseph
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
Slipways lead the count with 4.
Every named place, with directions
Picnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Campsites 2
Hilton Beach Tourist Park1.0 km from town
DirectionsPlus 1 campsite without a name on the map.
Slipways 4
Plus 4 slipways without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to St. Joseph
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page. No closer places have figures: these lie 14–39 km from St. Joseph.
LairdMacdonald, Meredith and Aberdeen AdditionalGarden River 14Sault Ste. MarieThessalonSt. Joseph
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Joseph | 0.3% | 8 | 0 | 7 |
| Laird 14 km | 0% | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Macdonald, Meredith and Aberdeen Additional 23 km | 1.5% | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Garden River 14 32 km | 5.4% | 7 | 0 | 5 |
| Sault Ste. Marie 35 km | 1.6% | 10 | 0 | 3 |
| Thessalon 39 km | 13% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
For protected land, Macdonald, Meredith and Aberdeen Additional, Garden River 14 and Sault Ste. Marie have twice as much or more.
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.
- 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.
- Beaches. The count includes unnamed stretches mapped as beach, which can make a lakeside town’s figure large.
- Private land. Private conservation land is in the totals, not the lists. Many such areas are easements on working farms or woodlots.
- Walking routes. Routes are what OpenStreetMap’s volunteers have mapped as named walking or hiking routes; many good trails aren’t mapped that way.
Questions about the outdoors in St. Joseph
When should you visit St. Joseph 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 nearest national park to St. Joseph?
The nearest national park is more than 100 km from St. Joseph.
How much land around St. Joseph is protected?
Within 10 km, 0.3% of the land lies in protected areas.
Is there a beach near St. Joseph?
There are beaches within 5 km, none of them named.
Is there a provincial park near St. Joseph?
The closest is North Channel Islands - la Cloche Provincial Park Addition, at 13 km.
Sources
Sources for this page on St. Joseph
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).