First pick
Lakefront West Park
Park or garden
60 ha5 km of path
1 h 5 minto walk all 5 km of path
8.7 km south-eastfrom the centre
Waterfront Trail
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Joe Mabel (on Flickr as Joe Mabel from Seattle, US) · CC BY-SA 3.03.9%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Whitby · parks, protected land & trails
Rouge National Urban Park lies 9.0 km beyond Whitby’s edge
A provincial park, Uxbridge Urban Provincial Park, lies 6.0 km away. Within 10 km are 37 protected areas. The Oak Ridges Trail is the one mapped walking route close by.
Protected land
3.9%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
37
within 10 km, 15 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
9.0 km
Rouge National Urban Park
Nearest provincial park
6.0 km
Uxbridge Urban Provincial Park
Walking routes
1
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Beaches
3
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Against other towns
Whitby 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. Canada’s grades don’t include the outdoors, so this page compares the figures rather than grading them.
Protected within 10 km3.9%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town4.7%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas15Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes1Named 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
Whitby comes 18th of 40 towns its size for protected land around it
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (105,925 to 243,107 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
Whitby3.9%
Towns its size3.7%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Whitby15
Towns its size15
Towns in Ontario4
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Whitby1
Towns its size2
Towns in Ontario1
Typical Canadian town0
Against towns its size, Whitby is weakest for walking routes: 20 of 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maple Ridge BC | 26% | 21% | 101 | 1 | 41 |
| 2 | Coquitlam BC | 25% | 28% | 130 | 5 | 69 |
| 3 | Delta BC | 24% | 17% | 181 | 9 | 19 |
| 4 | Richmond BC | 21% | 3.2% | 73 | 2 | 31 |
| 5 | Kamloops BC | 14% | 13% | 16 | 0 | 11 |
| 6 | Kelowna BC | 13% | 3.8% | 36 | 0 | 42 |
| 7 | Saanich BC | 11% | 9.4% | 43 | 7 | 56 |
| 8 | Strathcona County AB | 9.4% | 1.4% | 38 | 7 | 6 |
| 9 | Trois-Rivières QC | 8.4% | 1.2% | 44 | 1 | 10 |
| 10 | Cape Breton NS | 8.2% | 8.6% | 176 | 1 | 74 |
| 11 | Pickering ON | 7.6% | 11% | 46 | 1 | 11 |
| 12 | Greater Sudbury / Grand Sudbury ON | 6.7% | 3.5% | 43 | 5 | 18 |
| 13 | Saguenay QC | 6% | 6.1% | 29 | 0 | 11 |
| 14 | Kingston ON | 5% | 6.2% | 54 | 2 | 5 |
| 15 | Ajax ON | 4.9% | 5.8% | 31 | 1 | 8 |
| 16 | Lévis QC | 4.1% | 0.6% | 62 | 1 | 8 |
| 17 | Sherbrooke QC | 4.1% | 0.8% | 23 | 2 | 3 |
| 18 | Whitby ON | 3.9% | 4.7% | 37 | 1 | 3 |
| 19 | Abbotsford BC | 3.9% | 0.5% | 37 | 2 | 10 |
| 20 | Terrebonne QC | 3.8% | 3.6% | 60 | 0 | 3 |
| 21 | Langley BC | 3.5% | 2.9% | 144 | 8 | 10 |
| 22 | Barrie ON | 2.6% | 0% | 9 | 0 | 8 |
| 23 | Burlington ON | 2.5% | 1.6% | 27 | 2 | 17 |
| 24 | Oshawa ON | 2.4% | 0.3% | 30 | 1 | 4 |
| 25 | St. John's NL | 2.2% | 1.2% | 6 | 1 | 41 |
| 26 | Richmond Hill ON | 1.9% | 8.4% | 51 | 1 | 0 |
| 27 | Nanaimo BC | 1.9% | 6.7% | 42 | 2 | 33 |
| 28 | Cambridge ON | 1.7% | 0.4% | 33 | 10 | 2 |
| 29 | Bowmanville ON | 1.6% | 3% | 25 | 2 | 9 |
| 30 | Milton ON | 1.3% | 0% | 38 | 15 | 3 |
| 31 | St. Catharines ON | 1.2% | 1.7% | 15 | 4 | 7 |
| 32 | Niagara Falls ON | 1.1% | 1.7% | 15 | 3 | 4 |
| 33 | Chatham ON | 1% | 1% | 21 | 0 | 8 |
| 34 | Guelph ON | 0.9% | 3.1% | 15 | 10 | 5 |
| 35 | Oakville ON | 0.9% | 4.1% | 8 | 1 | 9 |
| 36 | Red Deer AB | 0.7% | 1.2% | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| 37 | Waterloo ON | 0.6% | 0% | 17 | 12 | 1 |
| 38 | Lethbridge AB | 0.4% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Brantford ON | 0.3% | 0% | 15 | 3 | 0 |
| 40 | Thunder Bay ON | 0.1% | 0.4% | 3 | 0 | 4 |
The map
The green map of Whitby
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
Walk in Whitby: 30 named parks and woods
Largest first: Lakefront West Park leads with 60 ha. Numbers match the map.
30 named parks and woods, 289 ha in all
Parks & gardens 289 ha
Even the biggest has just 21% of the total.
D'Hillier Park
Park or garden
41 ha1.9 km of path
25 minto walk all 1.9 km of path
3.3 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Ronald C. Deeth Park
Park or garden
27 ha1.5 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.5 km of path
7.5 km south-eastfrom the centre
Waterfront Trail
Directionsto a point inside
Cullen Central Park
Park or garden
25 ha2.1 km of path
30 minto walk all 2.1 km of path
1.9 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Prince of Wales Park
Park or garden
19 ha1.5 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.5 km of path
3.4 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Brooklin Memorial Park
Park or garden
14 ha1.1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.1 km of path
5.0 km northfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Fallingbrook Open Space
Park or garden
12 ha0.5 km of path
5 minto walk all 0.5 km of path
1.0 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Kiwanis Heydenshore Park
Park or garden
6.9 ha1.2 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.2 km of path
6.7 km southfrom the centre
Waterfront Trail
Directionsto a point inside
All 30 named parks and green spaces
Lakefront West ParkPark or garden · 60 ha · 5 km of path
DirectionsD'Hillier ParkPark or garden · 41 ha · 1.9 km of path
DirectionsRonald C. Deeth ParkPark or garden · 27 ha · 1.5 km of path
DirectionsCullen Central ParkPark or garden · 25 ha · 2.1 km of path
DirectionsPrince of Wales ParkPark or garden · 19 ha · 1.5 km of path
DirectionsBrooklin Memorial ParkPark or garden · 14 ha · 1.1 km of path
DirectionsFallingbrook Open SpacePark or garden · 12 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsKiwanis Heydenshore ParkPark or garden · 6.9 ha · 1.2 km of path
DirectionsWyndfield ParkPark or garden · 6.9 ha · 1 km of path
DirectionsDarren ParkPark or garden · 5.1 ha · 1.6 km of path
DirectionsGordon Richards ParkPark or garden · 6.3 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsKelloryn ParkPark or garden · 5.6 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsPringle Creek ParkPark or garden · 5.7 ha · 0.8 km of path
DirectionsLynde Creek ParkPark or garden · 4.4 ha · 1.3 km of path
DirectionsRotary Sunrise Lake ParkPark or garden · 4.1 ha · 1.2 km of path
DirectionsAsh Creek Channel Open SpacePark or garden · 4.6 ha · 0.8 km of path
DirectionsDes Newman WhitBEE ParkPark or garden · 4.2 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsPortage ParkPark or garden · 4.9 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsJeffery ParkPark or garden · 4.0 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsBrooklin OptimistPark or garden · 3.7 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsBradley ParkPark or garden · 2.8 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsHannam ParkPark or garden · 2.8 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsForest Heights ParkPark or garden · 2.8 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsAsh ParkPark or garden · 2.4 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsWhitby Meadows ParkPark or garden · 2.3 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsCarson ParkPark or garden · 2.7 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsEric Clarke ParkPark or garden · 3.0 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsHuron ParkPark or garden · 2.6 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsKirby ParkPark or garden · 2.1 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsMcKinney ParkPark or garden · 2.0 ha · 0.6 km of path
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 9 in 10 in Whitby
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 (91%)Further (8.9%)
Whitby91%
Towns in Ontario90%
Typical Canadian town83%
That leaves about 14,000 people more than a short walk away. Against the typical Canadian town’s 83%, that is high.
Protected areas
Around Whitby, protected areas make up 3.9%
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Whitby4.7%
Within 10 km3.9%
Towns in Ontario2.3%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Governments hold 15 of the 37, and private owners the rest. Rouge National Urban Park leads for size with 4,551 ha. 22 more areas within 10 km are private land, held by landowners or conservation groups: counted here, not named.
D'Hillier Park & Open SpaceNature reserve · 27 ha · reaches Whitby
Pringle Creek Open SpaceNature reserve · 17 ha · reaches Whitby
Iroquois Beach ParkNature reserve · 15 ha · reaches Whitby
Longwood Open SpaceNature reserve · 11 ha · reaches Whitby
Garden Street Open SpaceNature reserve · 8.1 ha · reaches Whitby
Jeffery ParkNature reserve · 8.0 ha · reaches Whitby
Burns Street Open SpaceNature reserve · 6.3 ha · reaches Whitby
Wynfield Open SpaceNature reserve · 6.1 ha · reaches Whitby
Atkinson Open SpaceNature reserve · 5.0 ha · reaches Whitby
Windsor Bay Open SpaceNature reserve · 4.1 ha · reaches Whitby
5 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
The parks within reach of Whitby
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
Uxbridge Urban Provincial Park
6.0 km north-west5.3 km²since 2024
Provincial park
Darlington Provincial Park
7.2 km east2.1 km²since 1959
National urban park
Rouge National Urban Park
9.0 km north-west46 km²since 2015
A provincial park is closer: Uxbridge Urban Provincial Park, at 6.0 km. There are 2 provincial parks within 10 km.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
Whitby has 227 km of footpaths in and around it
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
227 km
in and around the town (216 km²)
Woodland
12%
about 26.8 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
WhitbyTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Footpaths1
01.53 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
WhitbyTowns in OntarioTypical Canadian town
Woodland12%
0%50%100%
Woods cover more of it than in 57% of Canadian towns. It has fewer paths per km² than 57% 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
Whitby 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
Oak Ridges Trail272.4 km
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 Whitby: May and August
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Oshawa (5.4 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) | 9.2 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.7 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 8.9 |
| High (°C) | -1 | 0 | 5 | 11 | 18 | 23 | 26 | 25 | 21 | 14 | 8 | 2 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 75 | 54 | 54 | 87 | 85 | 94 | 86 | 74 | 86 | 72 | 73 | 68 |
A typical year sees 102 cm of snow. In July the typical high is 26 °C; in January, -1 °C. June is the wettest month (94 mm) and February the driest (54 mm). The climate in Whitby →
Beaches
3 beaches within 5 km of Whitby
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Paradise Beach2.2 km from town
DirectionsLakeview Park Beachsand · 4.9 km from town
DirectionsAnother beach has no name on the map. Canada publishes no open register of beach water tests; the local public health unit posts swimming advisories.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
Whitby has 7 viewpoints within 2 km
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
232 playgrounds top the list.
Every named place, with directions
Nature reserves 4
Heber Down Conservation Areain town
DirectionsIntrepid Parkin town
DirectionsLynde Shores Conservation Areain town
DirectionsGold Point Wildlife Reserve1.1 km from town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 232
Bassett Parkin town
DirectionsDeverell Parkin town
DirectionsJack Wilson Parkin town
DirectionsSplash Padin town
DirectionsSummerglen Park1.0 km from town
DirectionsAshbury Playground1.0 km from town
DirectionsPlus 226 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
Plus 1 campsite without a name on the map.
Slipways 1
Plus 1 slipway without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Whitby
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
OshawaAjaxPickeringWhitby
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
Around Whitby, nobody nearby has double its protected land.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Private land. Private conservation land is in the totals, not the lists. Many such areas are easements on working farms or woodlots.
- National and provincial parks. Distances run from the town’s edge to the park’s, so 0 km means they touch.
- Protected land. Protected here means in CPCAD, Canada’s official list: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and other conserved land, measured within 10 km of the town’s edge.
- Walking routes. A route counts when 300 m or more of it lies within 2 km of the town. Coverage of trails on OpenStreetMap varies by region.
- Beaches. Beaches are OpenStreetMap’s, named or not; in the north many are unnamed shoreline imports.
Questions about the outdoors in Whitby
What is the best season to get outdoors in Whitby?
On the normals, May and August: that is when days are long, highs reach 15 °C and rain is light.
What is the nearest provincial park to Whitby?
The closest is Uxbridge Urban Provincial Park, at 6.0 km.
Is there protected land near Whitby?
Within 10 km, 3.9% of the land lies in protected areas.
Where can you swim near Whitby?
Try Paradise Beach, 2.2 km from town, first of several.
Are there hiking trails near Whitby?
Try the Oak Ridges Trail.
What is the biggest park or reserve near Whitby?
Rouge National Urban Park, a national urban park of 4,551 ha.
How far is Whitby from a national park?
The nearest is Rouge National Urban Park, 9.0 km away.
Sources
Sources for this page on Whitby
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).