First pick
Wood Islands Provincial Park
Park or garden
13 ha0.3 km of path
16 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Marty Aligata · CC BY-SA 4.012%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Belfast · parks, protected land & trails
Protected land around Belfast beats 9 in 10 Canadian towns
Walkers have 6 mapped routes close by, starting with the The Island Walk and International Appalachian Trail, PEI. A drive of 32 km reaches Prince Edward Island National Park, the nearest national park. The closest provincial park is Brudenell Provincial Park, 15 km from the edge of town.
Protected land
12%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
32
within 10 km, 13 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
32 km
Prince Edward Island National Park
Nearest provincial park
15 km
Brudenell Provincial Park
Walking routes
6
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Beaches
6
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
Where Belfast stands out outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
Protected land all round12% of the land within 10 km, more than 90% of Canadian townsWalking routes6 named routes within 2 kmOn a national routeThe The Island Walk passes within 2 kmBeaches6 beaches within 5 km
For someone who likes to get outside, Belfast’s draw is protected land around it, with its choice of walking routes close behind.
Against other towns
Belfast 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. 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 km12%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town6.3%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas13Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes6Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches6Beaches mapped on OpenStreetMap within 5 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Belfast comes 5th of 40 towns its size for protected land around it
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (2,110 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
Belfast12%
Towns its size1.6%
Towns in Prince Edward Island4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Belfast13
Towns its size4
Towns in Prince Edward Island7
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Belfast6
Towns its size0
Towns in Prince Edward Island11
Typical Canadian town0
Belfast beats most towns its size for protected land nearby; 4 of 39 do better.
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 | Belfast PE | 12% | 6.3% | 32 | 6 | 6 |
| 6 | Clearwater BC | 7.7% | 4.1% | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| 7 | Roberval QC | 6.1% | 1.2% | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague QC | 5.8% | 0% | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | North Frontenac ON | 5.7% | 5.2% | 13 | 6 | 4 |
| 10 | Cap-Chat QC | 5.3% | 0.4% | 13 | 0 | 10 |
| 11 | Killaloe, Hagarty and Richards ON | 4.4% | 1.5% | 9 | 0 | 4 |
| 12 | Saint-Polycarpe QC | 4.2% | 0% | 11 | 0 | 2 |
| 13 | Macassa ON | 4.1% | 0% | 18 | 1 | 0 |
| 14 | Saint-Damien QC | 4% | 3.2% | 22 | 1 | 9 |
| 15 | Unity SK | 3.4% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | Sherwood ON | 3.4% | 0% | 19 | 2 | 0 |
| 17 | McNab SK | 2.6% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 18 | Mandeville QC | 2.5% | 1.8% | 19 | 4 | 7 |
| 19 | Esterhazy SK | 1.8% | 0% | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | City Commercial Core ON | 1.8% | 0% | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | Caswell Hill SK | 1.4% | 0% | 16 | 0 | 3 |
| 22 | Fossambault-sur-le-Lac QC | 1.3% | 7.8% | 15 | 0 | 14 |
| 23 | Pembina MB | 1.1% | 1.8% | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Burrows-Keewatin MB | 1% | 0% | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | Elmwood AB | 0.8% | 0% | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 26 | Hatley QC | 0.7% | 0% | 9 | 0 | 5 |
| 27 | Munroe West MB | 0.4% | 0% | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Brooke-Alvinston ON | 0.3% | 0.2% | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 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
Where the green is in Belfast
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
One park or wood to walk in, in or near Belfast
Largest first: Wood Islands Provincial Park leads with 13 ha. Numbers match the map.
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
Most of Belfast is more than a short walk from 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%)
Belfast0%
Towns in Prince Edward Island0.2%
Typical Canadian town83%
Around 2,100 residents are further than 400 m from a park. A median Canadian town manages 83%.
Protected areas
The 32 protected areas near Belfast
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Belfast6.3%
Within 10 km12%
Towns in Prince Edward Island4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
On public land: 13 of the 32. The others are private conservation land. Scallop Buffer Zone (SFA 24) is the biggest, 209,496 ha. Not named: 19 areas held privately or with no public owner on record.
Scallop Buffer Zone (SFA 24)Nature reserve · 209,496 ha · reaches Belfast
ECO PEI Managed ForestsNature reserve · 814 ha · reaches Belfast
Ronald and Mary Mackay Woodland Natural AreaNature reserve · 158 ha · reaches Belfast
Wood Islands Bog Natural AreaNature reserve · 77 ha · reaches Belfast
Cameron Island Natural AreaNature reserve · 18 ha · reaches Belfast
Mt. Buchanan Coastal Cliff Natural AreaNature reserve · 10 ha · reaches Belfast
Orwell Island Natural AreaNature reserve · 2.5 ha · 0.3 km from the edge of town
Egmont Bay PEI Conservation AgreementNature reserve · 2,958 ha · 0.9 km from the edge of town
High Bank Bog Natural AreaNature reserve · 193 ha · 5.5 km from the edge of town
Murray River Pines Woodland Natural AreaNature reserve · 18 ha · 7.2 km from the edge of town
3 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 nearest big park: Prince Edward Island National Park, 32 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
Brudenell Provincial Park
15 km north-east3.1 km²
National park
Prince Edward Island National Park
32 km north27 km²since 1937
Nearer still is Brudenell Provincial Park, a provincial park 15 km away.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
35 km of paths in and around Belfast
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
35 km
in and around the town (335.5 km²)
Woodland
49%
about 163.2 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
BelfastTowns in Prince Edward IslandTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0.1
012 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
BelfastTowns in Prince Edward IslandTypical Canadian town
Woodland49%
0%50%100%
For woods, it beats 83% of Canadian towns. 85% of Canadian towns have more footpath per km².
Source: OpenStreetMap, © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Mapping varies by place: a dense figure can mean keen local mappers as much as many paths.
Walking routes
The The Island Walk runs past Belfast
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
NationalLocalOther waymarked
The Island Walk671.6 km
International Appalachian Trail, PEI154.0 km
Points East Coastal Walk312.7 km
Confederation Trail (all spurs)86.1 km
Selkirk Forest Walking Trail6.8 km
Gairloch Road Trail6.0 km
Of the The Island Walk’s 672 km, 27.9 km passes close to town. Among local routes, the Points East Coastal Walk is longest at 312.7 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 Belfast in June to August
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Alliston (21 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) | 9.0 | 10.3 | 11.8 | 13.5 | 14.9 | 15.7 | 15.4 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.4 | 8.6 |
| High (°C) | -2 | -2 | 2 | 8 | 15 | 20 | 24 | 24 | 20 | 13 | 7 | 2 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 94 | 98 | 86 | 92 | 89 | 99 | 93 | 94 | 131 | 134 | 124 | 131 |
The yearly snowfall is near 248 cm. For dry weather, March is best (86 mm); October gets 134 mm. From -2 °C in January to 24 °C in July: that is the range of daytime highs. The climate in Belfast →
Beaches
6 beaches within 5 km of Belfast, none named
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Within 5 km is 163 km of coastline. Beach water tests aren’t published as open data across Canada, so swimming advisories come from the local health unit.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
Near Belfast: 8 outdoor spots on the map
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
3 campsites top the list.
Every named place, with directions
Nature reserves 3
Pinette Provincial Parkin town
DirectionsSelkirk Road Public Forestin town
DirectionsPlus 1 nature reserve without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 2
Plus 2 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 3
Lord Selkirk Campgroundin town
DirectionsNorthumberland Provincial Parkin town
DirectionsPlus 1 campsite more.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Belfast
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page. Distances here run 17–24 km: that is how far the nearest places with figures are from Belfast.
Vernon RiverMurray River, Part 1CrossroadsStratfordThree RiversBelfast
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belfast | 12% | 32 | 6 | 6 |
| Vernon River 17 km | 5.1% | 48 | 11 | 3 |
| Murray River, Part 1 22 km | 32% | 31 | 5 | 32 |
| Crossroads 22 km | 3.7% | 29 | 7 | 11 |
| Stratford 24 km | 2.7% | 19 | 12 | 13 |
| Three Rivers 24 km | 31% | 64 | 14 | 42 |
Around Murray River, Part 1 and Three Rivers the protected share is at least double. For walking routes, Three Rivers leads the area with 14.
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.
- Private land. Land owned by individuals, companies or conservation groups counts toward the figures but is never named: a person’s land isn’t a place to visit.
- Walking routes. Routes are what OpenStreetMap’s volunteers have mapped as named walking or hiking routes; many good trails aren’t mapped that way.
- Protected land. The 10 km band starts at the town’s outline, not its centre, so a large municipality reaches further than a small town.
- Beaches. The count includes unnamed stretches mapped as beach, which can make a lakeside town’s figure large.
Questions about the outdoors in Belfast
Which is the biggest protected area near Belfast?
It is Scallop Buffer Zone (SFA 24), a nature reserve covering 209,496 ha.
What is the nearest national park to Belfast?
The nearest is Prince Edward Island National Park, 32 km away.
What is the best season to get outdoors in Belfast?
June to August: long days, mild highs and little rain.
Is there protected land near Belfast?
Yes: 12% of the land within 10 km is protected.
Is there a provincial park near Belfast?
The closest is Brudenell Provincial Park, at 15 km.
Is there a beach near Belfast?
There are beaches within 5 km, none of them named.
Where can you walk near Belfast?
The The Island Walk, International Appalachian Trail, PEI and Points East Coastal Walk, among the routes mapped within 2 km.
Sources
The sources behind Belfast’s outdoors figures
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).