First pick
Centennial Park
Park or garden
21 ha1.4 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.4 km of path
1.0 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Gogerr · CC BY-SA 4.00.2%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in St. Marys · parks, protected land & trails
Walk from St. Marys: 4 mapped routes
2 areas within 10 km are protected for nature. Of the country within 10 km, 0.2% lies in protected areas; the median Canadian town has 2.3%. There is no national park within 100 km of the town.
Protected land
0.2%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
2
within 10 km, 0 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest provincial park
35 km
Trillium Woods Provincial Park
Walking routes
4
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
The outdoors in St. Marys, in short
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
Walking routes4 named routes within 2 kmLittle protected land0.2% within 10 km; the typical Canadian town: 2.3%
For someone who likes to get outside, St. Marys’ draw is its choice of walking routes. Less going for it: protected land nearby.
Against other towns
How St. Marys 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. There is no Outdoors grade for Canadian towns; the figures stand beside the country’s towns of 2,500+ without a letter.
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%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 routes4Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
St. Marys sits 5th from last of 40 towns its size for protected land around it
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (8,084 to 8,318 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. Marys0.2%
Towns its size1.6%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
St. Marys0
Towns its size4
Towns in Ontario4
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
St. Marys4
Towns its size0
Towns in Ontario1
Typical Canadian town0
For public protected areas, St. Marys lags towns its size: 37 of 39 are ahead.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | La Malbaie QC | 27% | 0.5% | 28 | 3 | 2 |
| 2 | Beaubassin East / Beaubassin-est NB | 27% | 2% | 29 | 0 | 11 |
| 3 | Argyle NS | 21% | 22% | 136 | 0 | 22 |
| 4 | Morgan Creek BC | 17% | 1% | 157 | 4 | 1 |
| 5 | Elmvale - Canterbury ON | 14% | 0% | 35 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Old Ottawa East ON | 13% | 4.2% | 39 | 4 | 3 |
| 7 | Upper Cornell ON | 12% | 49% | 9 | 2 | 1 |
| 8 | Crestview-Tanglewood ON | 12% | 0% | 28 | 0 | 5 |
| 9 | Rigaud QC | 7.1% | 1.5% | 44 | 2 | 2 |
| 10 | Lincoln NB | 6.8% | 3.8% | 26 | 0 | 4 |
| 11 | Secord AB | 6.4% | 0% | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | Kirkland Lake ON | 5% | 9.5% | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| 13 | G-Section (bramalea) ON | 5% | 0% | 6 | 0 | 1 |
| 14 | Al Ritchie SK | 4.4% | 39% | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| 15 | Haliburton Village ON | 4.1% | 2.6% | 6 | 0 | 9 |
| 16 | Walden AB | 3.2% | 0.1% | 1 | 0 | 12 |
| 17 | Rocky Mountain House AB | 2.9% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | Langstaff ON | 2.3% | 0% | 27 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | Torbay NL | 1.9% | 0% | 3 | 1 | 20 |
| 20 | Jackson ON | 1.6% | 3.2% | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | Talbot ON | 1.6% | 4.3% | 15 | 2 | 0 |
| 22 | South Pointe MB | 1.6% | 0% | 18 | 0 | 1 |
| 23 | Wolseley MB | 1.5% | 0% | 27 | 4 | 0 |
| 24 | Alnwick/Haldimand ON | 1.1% | 2.9% | 26 | 1 | 1 |
| 25 | South Terwillegar AB | 0.8% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | Otonabee-South Monaghan ON | 0.7% | 0.7% | 14 | 0 | 2 |
| 27 | Lawson Heights SK | 0.7% | 8.1% | 12 | 0 | 3 |
| 28 | St. Norbert MB | 0.6% | 1.6% | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | Silverwood Heights SK | 0.6% | 1.6% | 9 | 1 | 2 |
| 30 | Vermilion River County AB | 0.5% | 0.3% | 24 | 0 | 6 |
| 31 | Southdale MB | 0.5% | 0% | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | Plattsville ON | 0.4% | 0.1% | 19 | 2 | 2 |
| 33 | Clinton ON | 0.4% | 0.3% | 11 | 13 | 6 |
| 34 | Allard AB | 0.4% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 35 | Kildare-Redonda MB | 0.3% | 0% | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 36 | St. Marys ON | 0.2% | 0% | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| 37 | Charlesworth AB | 0.1% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| 38 | Strathcona AB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 39 | Happy Valley-Goose Bay NL | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| 40 | Ponoka AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The map
Where the green is in St. Marys
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
11 named parks and woods to walk in near St. Marys
Centennial Park is the largest, at 21 ha; the rest follow by size, numbered as on the map.
11 named parks and woods, 49 ha in all
Parks & gardens 46 haWoods 2.6 ha
Between them, Centennial Park and Riverview Walkway cover 56%.
Riverview Walkway
Park or garden
6.5 ha0.3 km of path
0.9 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Sparling Bush
Wood or forest
2.6 ha0.5 km of path
5 minto walk all 0.5 km of path
1.1 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
All 11 named parks and green spaces
Centennial ParkPark or garden · 21 ha · 1.4 km of path
DirectionsRiverview WalkwayPark or garden · 6.5 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsRotary ParkPark or garden · 5.7 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsThe FlatsPark or garden · 4.7 ha
DirectionsSolis FieldsPark or garden · 3.5 ha
DirectionsEast Ward ParkPark or garden · 1.8 ha
DirectionsSparling BushWood or forest · 2.6 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsCadzow ParkPark or garden · 1.3 ha
DirectionsSouthvale ParkPark or garden · 0.9 ha
DirectionsWest Ward (Watt) ParkPark or garden · 0.5 ha
DirectionsLind ParkPark or garden · 0.2 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
8 in 10 people in St. Marys 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 (79%)Further (21%)
St. Marys79%
Towns in Ontario90%
Typical Canadian town83%
The typical Canadian town does better, at 83%. About 1,700 residents live further than 400 m from one.
Protected areas
St. Marys has 2 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 St. Marys0%
Within 10 km0.2%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Every one is privately held, and none is named: private land isn’t a place to visit.
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
The nearest big park: Trillium Woods Provincial Park, 35 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
Trillium Woods Provincial Park
35 km south-east0.1 km²since 1969
For a national park, people in St. Marys travel more than 100 km.
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: 15 km in and around St. Marys
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
15 km
in and around the town (32.8 km²)
Woodland
8.5%
about 2.8 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
St. MarysTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0.5
01.53 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
St. MarysTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Woodland8.5%
0%50%100%
For path density, 67% of Canadian towns do better. Woods cover less of it than in 51% 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 St. Marys
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
RegionalLocal
Avon Trail168.9 km
Thames Valley Trail141.3 km
St. Marys Loop14.0 km
Riverview Walkway2.4 km
The longest of the rest is the Avon Trail, 168.9 km.
Source: OpenStreetMap (route relations hiking, foot and walking), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Trans Canada Trail sections as OSM maps them.
When to get out
Get out in St. Marys in May to September
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from London (25 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 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 9.0 |
| High (°C) | -2 | -1 | 5 | 12 | 19 | 24 | 27 | 26 | 22 | 15 | 8 | 1 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 79 | 63 | 67 | 89 | 89 | 86 | 81 | 67 | 93 | 83 | 88 | 79 |
July is the warmest month, with highs around 27 °C; January the coldest, at -2 °C. Expect 93 mm in September, the wettest month, and 63 mm in February. The climate in St. Marys →
Things to do
6 things to do outdoors near St. Marys
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
There are 6 playgrounds, more than of anything else.
Every named place, with directions
Playgrounds 6
Plus 6 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to St. Marys
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
Perth SouthStratfordSt. Marys
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Marys | 0.2% | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| Perth South 4.7 km | 0.3% | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| Stratford 18 km | 1.5% | 5 | 1 | 0 |
Stratford has at least twice the protected share around it.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- National and provincial parks. A park at 0 km touches or overlaps the town’s outline; directions point from the town’s centre.
- Protected land. Measured on CPCAD’s outlines: the part of a 10 km band around the town that lies in a protected or conserved area, water included.
- Private land. Areas held by land trusts or private owners stay unnamed here, though they count in the shares.
- Walking routes. The list is OpenStreetMap’s, so a missing trail may just be unmapped. The Trans Canada Trail appears where OSM maps it.
Questions about the outdoors in St. Marys
Where can you walk near St. Marys?
Try the St. Marys Loop, Avon Trail and Thames Valley Trail; more are on the map.
How far is St. Marys from a national park?
No national park lies within 100 km of St. Marys.
How much land around St. Marys is protected?
Protected areas cover 0.2% of the land within 10 km.
What is the nearest provincial park to St. Marys?
Trillium Woods Provincial Park, 35 km away.
What is the best season to get outdoors in St. Marys?
On the normals, May to September: that is when days are long, highs reach 15 °C and rain is light.
Sources
Where St. Marys’ 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).