First pick
Terry Fox Sports Complex
Park or garden
14 ha2.1 km of path
30 minto walk all 2.1 km of path
2.7 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.01.7%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Cornwall · parks, protected land & trails
Within 17 km of Cornwall: Prince Edward Island National Park
Named trails close by number 10, the The Island Walk and Central PEI Coastal Walk among them. Within 5 km are 10 beaches; Brighton Shore is the nearest. Biggest among them: Miltonvale Wellfield Site, 265 ha, 4.7 km off.
Protected land
1.7%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
14
within 10 km, 5 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
17 km
Prince Edward Island National Park
Nearest provincial park
41 km
Brudenell Provincial Park
Walking routes
10
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Beaches
10
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
Where Cornwall stands out outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
A national park nearbyPrince Edward Island National Park, 17 km awayWalking routes10 named routes within 2 kmOn a national routeThe The Island Walk passes within 2 kmBeaches10 beaches within 5 km
Out of doors, Cornwall leads with Prince Edward Island National Park within easy reach, with its choice of walking routes close behind.
Against other towns
Cornwall 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. This page carries no grade, because Canada’s grading doesn’t cover the outdoors; the comparisons are the point.
Protected within 10 km1.7%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 areas5Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes10Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches10Beaches mapped on OpenStreetMap within 5 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Cornwall has the 19th least protected land nearby of 40 towns its size
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (7,774 to 8,047 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
Cornwall1.7%
Towns its size2.2%
Towns in Prince Edward Island4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Cornwall5
Towns its size4
Towns in Prince Edward Island7
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Cornwall10
Towns its size0
Towns in Prince Edward Island11
Typical Canadian town0
Cornwall beats most towns its size for public protected areas; 14 of 39 do better. On protected land nearby it is behind: 21 of 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shaughnessy BC | 13% | 0% | 12 | 1 | 55 |
| 2 | Kenora, Unorganized ON | 12% | 12% | 98 | 5 | 38 |
| 3 | Clare NS | 11% | 5.8% | 43 | 0 | 19 |
| 4 | Dryden ON | 11% | 0.7% | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| 5 | Donnacona QC | 9.6% | 0.1% | 23 | 0 | 2 |
| 6 | Minden Hills ON | 8.1% | 5.9% | 7 | 3 | 2 |
| 7 | Cypress County AB | 7.9% | 5.9% | 46 | 1 | 3 |
| 8 | La Broquerie MB | 6.6% | 5.1% | 73 | 0 | 3 |
| 9 | Holdom BC | 4.9% | 0% | 19 | 2 | 48 |
| 10 | Coteau-du-Lac QC | 4.4% | 0.6% | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | Dufferin Hill ON | 4.4% | 1.6% | 29 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | La Perle AB | 4.4% | 0% | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | Bienville QC | 4.1% | 0% | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Drayton Valley AB | 3.3% | 0% | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | Legacy AB | 3.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| 16 | Windsor Park AB | 2.8% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 5 |
| 17 | Broadview BC | 2.6% | 0% | 14 | 4 | 25 |
| 18 | Whitewater Region ON | 2.5% | 1.3% | 44 | 0 | 12 |
| 19 | Woodbine-Lumsden ON | 2.5% | 5.1% | 13 | 1 | 18 |
| 20 | Electoral Area A, Nanaimo BC | 2.4% | 3.8% | 39 | 2 | 7 |
| 21 | Valley Ridge AB | 2% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 22 | Cornwall PE | 1.7% | 0% | 14 | 10 | 10 |
| 23 | Scenic Acres AB | 1.6% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 24 | Electoral Area B (Lazo North), Comox Valley BC | 1.3% | 3.1% | 64 | 0 | 3 |
| 25 | Labrador City NL | 1.2% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 26 | North Stormont ON | 1.2% | 1.8% | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Silver Heights MB | 1.2% | 0.3% | 17 | 1 | 37 |
| 28 | Newell County AB | 0.9% | 1% | 11 | 0 | 14 |
| 29 | Cardinal ON | 0.8% | 0.9% | 13 | 1 | 1 |
| 30 | Killarney/Glengarry AB | 0.6% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | Bayham ON | 0.5% | 0.6% | 9 | 0 | 3 |
| 32 | Callingwood South AB | 0.4% | 0% | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 33 | Lambton Baby Point ON | 0.3% | 7.1% | 6 | 3 | 13 |
| 34 | River East MB | 0.2% | 5.2% | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | Queen Mary Park AB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 36 | Acton Vale QC | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| 37 | Taber AB | 0% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 38 | Harvest Hills AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Sage Hill AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Ottewell AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 1 | 1 |
The map
Where the green is in Cornwall
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
13 named parks and woods to walk in near Cornwall
Largest first: Terry Fox Sports Complex leads with 14 ha. Numbers match the map.
13 named parks and woods, 37 ha in all
Parks & gardens 37 ha
59% of the area is in just two places: Terry Fox Sports Complex and Lowther Drive Park.
Lowther Drive Park
Park or garden
7.8 ha0.5 km of path
5 minto walk all 0.5 km of path
0.8 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Hyde Park
Park or garden
6.5 ha0.8 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.8 km of path
2.3 km south-westfrom the centre
Hyde Pond Trail
Directionsto a point inside
Lowther Park
Park or garden
2.0 ha0.3 km of path
1.1 km westfrom the centre
Cornwall Trail
Directionsto a point inside
Community Gardens
Park or garden
0.8 ha0.4 km of path
1.4 km south-westfrom the centre
Community Gradens PathCommuity Gradens Path
Directionsto a point inside
All 13 named parks and green spaces
Terry Fox Sports ComplexPark or garden · 14 ha · 2.1 km of path
DirectionsLowther Drive ParkPark or garden · 7.8 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsHyde ParkPark or garden · 6.5 ha · 0.8 km of path
DirectionsLowther ParkPark or garden · 2.0 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsCommunity GardensPark or garden · 0.8 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsMacKinley ParkPark or garden · 1.4 ha
DirectionsTown & Country ParkPark or garden · 1.1 ha
DirectionsPrimrose ParkPark or garden · 0.9 ha
DirectionsFerry Road ParkPark or garden · 0.6 ha
DirectionsPoolside ParkPark or garden · 0.8 ha
DirectionsMacPhail ParkPark or garden · 0.7 ha
DirectionsHillside Meadows ParkPark or garden · 0.4 ha
DirectionsCrystal 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
3 in 10 people in Cornwall 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 (30%)Further (70%)
Cornwall30%
Towns in Prince Edward Island0.2%
Typical Canadian town83%
Around 5,500 residents are further than 400 m from a park. The usual figure for a Canadian town is 83%, above this.
Protected areas
1.7% of the country within 10 km of Cornwall is protected
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Cornwall0%
Within 10 km1.7%
Towns in Prince Edward Island4%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
5 of the 14 are on public land. Miltonvale Wellfield Site leads for size with 265 ha. 9 more areas within 10 km are private land, held by landowners or conservation groups: counted here, not named.
Ellens Creek Estuary Natural Area and Wildlife Management AreaWildlife area · 158 ha · 0.4 km from the edge of town
Beach Grove Hardwoods Natural AreaNature reserve · 6.4 ha · 0.5 km from the edge of town
Miltonvale Wellfield SiteNature reserve · 265 ha · 4.7 km from the edge of town
Royalty Oaks Woodland Natural AreaNature reserve · 4.1 ha · 5.2 km from the edge of town
Strathgartney Woodlands Natural AreaNature reserve · 66 ha · 6.8 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
Big parks near Cornwall
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
National park
Prince Edward Island National Park
17 km north27 km²since 1937
Provincial park
Brudenell Provincial Park
41 km east3.1 km²
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
34 km of paths in and around Cornwall
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
34 km
in and around the town (61.4 km²)
Woodland
13%
about 8.1 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
CornwallTowns in Prince Edward IslandTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0.6
012 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
CornwallTowns in Prince Edward IslandTypical Canadian town
Woodland13%
0%50%100%
65% of Canadian towns have more footpath per km². It is more wooded than 58% 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
Cornwall is on the The Island Walk
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
NationalLocal
The Island Walk671.6 km
Central PEI Coastal Walk188.1 km
Victoria Park Trail6.0 km
Upton Farmlands Trail2.6 km
Beach Grove Trails2.3 km
Hyde Pond Trail2.1 km
Hermitage Creek Trail2.0 km
Ellens Creek Sidewalk Connector1.3 km
Queen Elizabeth Park Trail0.9 km
Beach Grove AT Trail0.3 km
The The Island Walk (672 km) keeps within 2 km of town for 10.5 km. For a longer outing, the Central PEI Coastal Walk runs 188.1 km. For a short stroll, 7 are 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
Cornwall is best on foot in June to September
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Charlottetown (Airport) (7.9 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 | 15.0 | 15.8 | 15.4 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.3 | 8.6 |
| High (°C) | -3 | -3 | 1 | 7 | 14 | 20 | 24 | 23 | 19 | 13 | 7 | 1 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 101 | 85 | 84 | 75 | 78 | 91 | 82 | 96 | 95 | 122 | 110 | 115 |
Winter brings about 285 cm of snow. Rain and snow peak in October (122 mm) and ease in April (75 mm). The warmest days come in July (24 °C highs), the coldest in January (-3 °C). The climate in Cornwall →
Beaches
Beaches near Cornwall: 10 within 5 km
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Brighton Shore0.6 km from town
DirectionsLangley Beach3.1 km from town
DirectionsKeppoch Beach4.7 km from town
DirectionsWithin 5 km is 76 km of coastline. OpenStreetMap shows 7 more, nameless. 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
A viewpoint near Cornwall
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
Playgrounds lead the count with 42.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 1
Plus 1 viewpoint without a name on the map.
Slipways 2
Plus 2 slipways without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Cornwall
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
CharlottetownStratfordKingstonMiltonvale ParkWest RiverCrossroadsCornwall
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cornwall | 1.7% | 14 | 10 | 10 |
| Charlottetown 5.4 km | 2% | 15 | 25 | 13 |
| Stratford 8.3 km | 2.7% | 19 | 12 | 13 |
| Kingston 8.8 km | 1.8% | 17 | 7 | 3 |
| Miltonvale Park 9.3 km | 2.2% | 13 | 5 | 1 |
| West River 9.9 km | 2.2% | 18 | 8 | 15 |
| Crossroads 13 km | 3.7% | 29 | 7 | 11 |
For walking routes, Charlottetown leads the area with 25. Around Crossroads the protected share is at least double.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- 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.
- Beaches. A beach counts when its centre point lies within 5 km of the town’s outline. Names come from the map.
- 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. The nearest national park and the nearest provincial park are always shown when they are within 100 km.
- 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.
Questions about the outdoors in Cornwall
What is the nearest provincial park to Cornwall?
The closest is Brudenell Provincial Park, at 41 km.
Which is the biggest protected area near Cornwall?
Miltonvale Wellfield Site: 265 ha, a nature reserve.
When is the best time for walking in Cornwall?
On the normals, June to September: that is when days are long, highs reach 15 °C and rain is light.
Is Cornwall near a national park?
The nearest is Prince Edward Island National Park, 17 km away.
Where can you walk near Cornwall?
Try the The Island Walk, Central PEI Coastal Walk and Victoria Park Trail; more are on the map.
Where can you swim near Cornwall?
Try Brighton Shore, 0.6 km from town, first of several.
Are there protected areas near Cornwall?
Protected areas cover 1.7% of the land within 10 km.
Sources
The sources behind Cornwall’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).