First pick
Lake Gibson Recreation Area
Park or garden
18 ha1.6 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.6 km of path
Centralin the middle of Thorold
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Gogerr · CC BY-SA 4.01.6%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Thorold · parks, protected land & trails
7 mapped walking routes pass Thorold
OpenStreetMap shows one beach within 5 km, without a name. The nearest national park is Rouge National Urban Park, 75 km away. Out to 10 km from the town’s edge, 1.6% of the land is protected; 2.3% is typical for a Canadian town.
Protected land
1.6%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
16
within 10 km, 6 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
75 km
Rouge National Urban Park
Nearest provincial park
At the edge
Short Hills Provincial Park
Walking routes
7
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Beaches
1
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
The outdoors in Thorold, in short
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
Walking routes7 named routes within 2 kmA provincial park at the edgeShort Hills Provincial Park reaches the town
Thorold is strongest on its choice of walking routes, with a provincial park at its edge close behind.
Against other towns
Each figure for Thorold, set against 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 km1.6%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town4.2%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas6Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes7Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches1Beaches 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, Thorold is 18th from the bottom for protected land
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (31,478 to 36,473 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
Thorold1.6%
Towns its size3.3%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Thorold6
Towns its size8
Towns in Ontario4
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Thorold7
Towns its size0
Towns in Ontario1
Typical Canadian town0
Against towns its size, Thorold is weakest for protected land nearby: 22 of 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Panorama Ridge BC | 23% | 13% | 181 | 2 | 1 |
| 2 | Bois-Francs QC | 14% | 1.4% | 39 | 0 | 3 |
| 3 | Cecil-P.-Newman QC | 14% | 0% | 25 | 0 | 5 |
| 4 | Clayton Park West NS | 13% | 0% | 18 | 13 | 7 |
| 5 | Centretown ON | 12% | 1.5% | 37 | 4 | 6 |
| 6 | Val-d'Or QC | 11% | 19% | 55 | 0 | 4 |
| 7 | Savane QC | 11% | 0% | 25 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | Fairview BC | 8.2% | 0% | 11 | 3 | 68 |
| 9 | Marc-Aurèle-Fortin QC | 7.1% | 0.5% | 30 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | Sainte-Marie QC | 6.3% | 0% | 24 | 0 | 4 |
| 11 | Edmonds BC | 6.2% | 0% | 40 | 4 | 8 |
| 12 | Saint-Constant QC | 5.8% | 0% | 25 | 0 | 1 |
| 13 | Grande-Prairie QC | 5% | 0% | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Hastings-Sunrise BC | 4.7% | 0% | 12 | 4 | 27 |
| 15 | Orangeville ON | 4.2% | 3.5% | 38 | 1 | 1 |
| 16 | Arcola East SK | 4.2% | 8.8% | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| 17 | Mount Olive-Silverstone-Jamestown ON | 4.1% | 0% | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| 18 | Killarney BC | 4% | 3.5% | 14 | 2 | 6 |
| 19 | North Cowichan BC | 3.9% | 2.3% | 72 | 7 | 10 |
| 20 | West Humber-Clairville ON | 3.4% | 0% | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| 21 | Langley BC | 3.2% | 0% | 95 | 3 | 0 |
| 22 | Chambly QC | 2.7% | 1.1% | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | Thorold ON | 1.6% | 4.2% | 16 | 7 | 1 |
| 24 | Parkland County AB | 1.6% | 1.3% | 69 | 15 | 5 |
| 25 | Stratford ON | 1.5% | 0% | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| 26 | Courtenay BC | 1.4% | 2.9% | 54 | 0 | 1 |
| 27 | Leamington ON | 1.3% | 5.5% | 2 | 0 | 16 |
| 28 | Whitehorse YT | 1.3% | 4.5% | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 29 | Dieppe NB | 1.2% | 0% | 15 | 0 | 1 |
| 30 | Grimsby ON | 0.7% | 1.5% | 26 | 7 | 8 |
| 31 | Lisgar ON | 0.7% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | Moose Jaw SK | 0.5% | 3.3% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | Chestermere AB | 0.5% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| 34 | Central Erin Mills ON | 0.5% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | Applewood ON | 0.3% | 0% | 6 | 1 | 3 |
| 36 | DT Core ON | 0.3% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 37 | Okotoks AB | 0.2% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 38 | Saint-Georges QC | 0.1% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| 39 | LaSalle ON | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Fergus ON | 0% | 0% | 4 | 8 | 2 |
The map
Thorold 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
13 parks and woods to walk in, in or near Thorold
Largest first: Lake Gibson Recreation Area leads with 18 ha. Numbers match the map.
13 named parks and woods, 47 ha in all
Parks & gardens 47 ha
Two places, Lake Gibson Recreation Area and Welland Sports Complex, make up 56% of the total.
Welland Sports Complex
Park or garden · 160 m outside town
8.7 ha0.2 km of path
9.5 km southfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Confederation South Park
Park or garden
3.5 ha1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1 km of path
0.7 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Battle of Beaverdams Park
Park or garden
2.7 ha0.7 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.7 km of path
2.2 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Quaker Road Park
Park or garden · 270 m outside town
2.3 ha0.3 km of path
9.5 km southfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Merritt Meadows Park
Park or garden
2.3 ha0.1 km of path
8.8 km southfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
All 13 named parks and green spaces
Lake Gibson Recreation AreaPark or garden · 18 ha · 1.6 km of path
DirectionsWelland Sports ComplexPark or garden · 8.7 ha · 0.2 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsConfederation South ParkPark or garden · 3.5 ha · 1 km of path
DirectionsBattle of Beaverdams ParkPark or garden · 2.7 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsQuaker Road ParkPark or garden · 2.3 ha · 0.3 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsHutt ParkPark or garden · 2.4 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsMerritt Meadows ParkPark or garden · 2.3 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsMcAdam ParkPark or garden · 2.4 ha
DirectionsRiver Estates ParkPark or garden · 1.7 ha · 0.3 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsHansler Heights ParkPark or garden · 1.0 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsBarbican Heights ParkPark or garden · 1.0 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsMaplecrest ParkPark or garden · 0.9 ha · 0.1 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsAllanburg Community ParkPark or garden · 0.3 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
7 in 10 people in Thorold 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 (65%)Further (35%)
Thorold65%
Towns in Ontario90%
Typical Canadian town83%
About 12,000 residents live further than 400 m from one. The typical Canadian town does better, at 83%.
Protected areas
Around Thorold, 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 Thorold4.2%
Within 10 km1.6%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Of those 16, 6 are public and the remainder private. Short Hills Provincial Park covers 720 ha, the most of any named area. 10 areas belong to private owners or land trusts and aren’t named here.
Short Hills Provincial ParkProvincial park · 720 ha · reaches Thorold
PennachettiProtected area · 2.5 ha · 0.9 km from the edge of town
SigfridProtected area · 2.1 ha · 1.4 km from the edge of town
River RealtyProtected area · 14 ha · 3.6 km from the edge of town
LoweryProtected area · 4.5 ha · 6.4 km from the edge of town
Settlement of St. DavidsProtected area · 0.4 ha · 6.4 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
The nearest big park: Rouge National Urban Park, 75 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
Short Hills Provincial Park
At the edge7.2 km²since 1985
National urban park
Rouge National Urban Park
75 km north46 km²since 2015
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: 158 km in and around Thorold
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
158 km
in and around the town (138.8 km²)
Woodland
20%
about 28.2 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
ThoroldTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Footpaths1.1
01.53 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
ThoroldTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Woodland20%
0%50%100%
For path density, 56% of Canadian towns do better. It is more wooded 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
Walks near Thorold
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
RegionalLocal
Bruce Trail - Niagara section81.8 km
Laura Secord Legacy Trail33.1 km
Laura Secord Trail1.1 km
St. John's Ridge Trail0.9 km
Sassafras Stroll Trail0.7 km
Tulip Tree Trail0.6 km
Pond Trail0.5 km
For a longer outing, the Bruce Trail - Niagara section runs 81.8 km. 5 are short walks under 3 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 Thorold in May to August
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Welland-Pelham, 13 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) | 9.3 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.4 | 15.1 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 9.0 |
| High (°C) | 0 | 1 | 5 | 13 | 20 | 25 | 27 | 26 | 22 | 15 | 9 | 3 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 82 | 53 | 70 | 83 | 81 | 86 | 84 | 79 | 96 | 89 | 84 | 82 |
Expect 96 mm in September, the wettest month, and 53 mm in February. From 0 °C in January to 27 °C in July: that is the range of daytime highs. The yearly snowfall is near 141 cm. The climate in Thorold →
Beaches
One unnamed beach near Thorold
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
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 Thorold: 6 viewpoints, 15 waterfalls
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
Count 51 playgrounds, the biggest group.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 6
Plus 6 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 1
Plus 1 peak without a name on the map.
Waterfalls 15
Lower Scout Fallsin town
DirectionsNorth Eller Fallsin town
DirectionsScout Fallsin town
DirectionsTerrace Fallsin town
DirectionsDecew Falls0.2 km from town
DirectionsLower Decew Falls0.3 km from town
DirectionsSwayze Falls1.3 km from town
DirectionsEffingham Falls1.4 km from town
DirectionsPlus 7 waterfalls without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 3
St. John's Conservation Areain town
DirectionsGlenridge Quarry Naturalization Site0.3 km from town
DirectionsWoodend Conservation Area1.6 km from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 2
Plus 2 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 51
Plus 51 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
Campark Resorts Camping1.9 km from town
DirectionsSource: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Thorold
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
St. CatharinesNiagara FallsPelhamWellandNiagara-on-the-LakeBeamsvilleThorold
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thorold | 1.6% | 16 | 7 | 1 |
| St. Catharines 7.3 km | 1.2% | 15 | 4 | 7 |
| Niagara Falls 9.5 km | 1.1% | 15 | 3 | 4 |
| Pelham 10 km | 2.7% | 18 | 7 | 1 |
| Welland 13 km | 3.2% | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| Niagara-on-the-Lake 15 km | 0.6% | 8 | 3 | 4 |
| Beamsville 18 km | 1.2% | 26 | 5 | 9 |
Around Welland the protected share is at least double.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- 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.
- Walking routes. Routes are what OpenStreetMap’s volunteers have mapped as named walking or hiking routes; many good trails aren’t mapped that way.
- 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. 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.
Questions about the outdoors in Thorold
What is the best season to get outdoors in Thorold?
May to August: long days, mild highs and little rain.
How far is the nearest provincial park from Thorold?
Short Hills Provincial Park begins at the town’s edge.
Is there a beach near Thorold?
There is an unnamed beach within 5 km.
What walking routes are near Thorold?
OpenStreetMap maps the Bruce Trail - Niagara section, Laura Secord Legacy Trail and Laura Secord Trail close by, with others.
How far is Thorold from a national park?
Rouge National Urban Park is closest, at 75 km.
Are there protected areas near Thorold?
Yes: 1.6% of the land within 10 km is protected.
Which is the biggest protected area near Thorold?
Short Hills Provincial Park, a provincial park of 720 ha.
Sources
Sources for this page on Thorold
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).