First pick
Parc de la mairie de Shefford
Park or garden
3.2 ha0.8 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.8 km of path
4.1 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Pierre Bona · CC BY-SA 3.03.1%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Shefford · parks, protected land & trails
0.3 km from Shefford to Yamaska National Park (Québec)
Within 5 km are 7 beaches; Plage Darby is the nearest. There is no national park within 100 km of the town. The 10 km around town hold 34 protected areas.
Protected land
3.1%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
34
within 10 km, 2 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest provincial park
0.3 km
Yamaska National Park (Québec)
Beaches
7
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Against other towns
Each figure for Shefford, 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. This page carries no grade, because Canada’s grading doesn’t cover the outdoors; the comparisons are the point.
Protected within 10 km3.1%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town1.6%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas2Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes0Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches7Beaches mapped on OpenStreetMap within 5 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Shefford has the 15th most protected land nearby of 40 towns its size
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (7,570 to 7,846 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
Shefford3.1%
Towns its size2%
Towns in Quebec4.9%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Shefford2
Towns its size5
Towns in Quebec10
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Shefford0
Towns its size0
Towns in Quebec0
Typical Canadian town0
Among its peers, Shefford’s strong point is protected land nearby, where 14 of 39 top it. On public protected areas it is behind: 30 of 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blackburn Hamlet ON | 15% | 0% | 32 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Beacon Hill South - Cardinal Heights ON | 13% | 0% | 37 | 0 | 1 |
| 3 | Baie-Saint-Paul QC | 11% | 0.1% | 18 | 11 | 8 |
| 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 | Parry Sound ON | 7.1% | 0% | 7 | 0 | 2 |
| 8 | Mountview ON | 7% | 0% | 21 | 2 | 2 |
| 9 | Louiseville QC | 6.9% | 0.9% | 26 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | La Broquerie MB | 6.6% | 5.1% | 73 | 0 | 3 |
| 11 | Landsdale ON | 4.7% | 0% | 23 | 1 | 3 |
| 12 | Gibson ON | 4.6% | 0% | 24 | 1 | 3 |
| 13 | Coteau-du-Lac QC | 4.4% | 0.6% | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Saint-Calixte QC | 3.6% | 0.4% | 11 | 0 | 5 |
| 15 | Shefford QC | 3.1% | 1.6% | 34 | 0 | 7 |
| 16 | Lakeview SK | 2.8% | 0.1% | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 17 | Electoral Area A, Nanaimo BC | 2.4% | 3.8% | 39 | 2 | 7 |
| 18 | Playter Estates-Danforth ON | 2.3% | 1.5% | 11 | 5 | 18 |
| 19 | University ON | 2.2% | 0% | 12 | 9 | 20 |
| 20 | Altadore AB | 2% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 21 | Valley Ridge AB | 2% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 22 | Stoneybrook ON | 1.8% | 21% | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| 23 | Pulberry MB | 1.5% | 7.7% | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Electoral Area B (Lazo North), Comox Valley BC | 1.3% | 3.1% | 64 | 0 | 3 |
| 25 | Bostwick ON | 1.3% | 0.1% | 23 | 1 | 0 |
| 26 | Central St. Boniface MB | 1.3% | 2.9% | 22 | 4 | 0 |
| 27 | Kentville NS | 1.1% | 17% | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Brazeau County AB | 1% | 1.2% | 29 | 0 | 1 |
| 29 | Ambleside AB | 1% | 0% | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| 30 | Newell County AB | 0.9% | 1% | 11 | 0 | 14 |
| 31 | Fruitland ON | 0.9% | 4.9% | 25 | 5 | 9 |
| 32 | Augusta ON | 0.8% | 0% | 11 | 1 | 1 |
| 33 | Chatsworth ON | 0.6% | 0.7% | 45 | 1 | 1 |
| 34 | Callingwood South AB | 0.4% | 0% | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 35 | Chesley ON | 0.3% | 0.2% | 19 | 0 | 5 |
| 36 | Fort Frances ON | 0.3% | 0.3% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 37 | River East MB | 0.2% | 5.2% | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | Fairview ON | 0.1% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Port Credit ON | 0.1% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| 40 | Saint-Félix-de-Valois QC | 0% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
The map
Shefford 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
6 named parks and woods to walk in near Shefford
The biggest is Parc de la mairie de Shefford, 3.2 ha. Biggest first, numbered as on the map.
6 named parks and woods, 9 ha in all
Parks & gardens 8.8 ha
Most of it sits in Parc de la mairie de Shefford and Parc de la plage municipale: 62% together.
Parc de la plage municipale
Park or garden · 160 m outside town
2.3 ha0.3 km of path
9.2 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Relais des cheminots
Park or garden
0.9 ha0.2 km of path
3.5 km southfrom the centre
L'Estriade
Directionsto a point inside
Parc des Saules
Park or garden · 370 m outside town
1.2 ha
6.7 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
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
1 in 10 people in Shefford 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 (9.1%)Further (91%)
Shefford9.1%
Towns in Quebec52%
Typical Canadian town83%
About 7,000 residents live further than 400 m from one. That is below the typical Canadian town (83%).
Protected areas
3.1% of the land around Shefford 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 Shefford1.6%
Within 10 km3.1%
Towns in Quebec4.9%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Of those 34, 2 are public and the remainder private. The largest named one is Yamaska National Park (Québec), at 1,340 ha. 32 areas belong to private owners or land trusts and aren’t named here.
Yamaska National Park (Québec)Québec national park (provincial) · 1,340 ha · 0.3 km from the edge of town
réservoir Choinière Water Fowl Gathering AreaWildlife area · 163 ha · 1.9 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
Yamaska National Park (Québec), 0.3 km off
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
Québec national park (provincial)
Yamaska National Park (Québec)
0.3 km north13 km²since 1983
For a national park, people in Shefford travel more than 100 km. Sépaq runs Québec’s parcs nationaux, which are provincial parks under another name.
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: 79 km in and around Shefford
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
79 km
in and around the town (195.6 km²)
Woodland
64%
about 125.4 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
SheffordTowns in QuebecTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0.4
012 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
SheffordTowns in QuebecTypical Canadian town
Woodland64%
0%50%100%
For path density, 69% of Canadian towns do better. Woods cover more of it than in 89% 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
No mapped walking route near Shefford
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
OpenStreetMap lists no walking route near the town, though paths on the ground may well exist.
Source: OpenStreetMap (route relations hiking, foot and walking), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Trans Canada Trail sections as OSM maps them.
When to get out
Shefford is best on foot in May, August and September
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Granby, 8.0 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) | 9.1 | 10.3 | 11.8 | 13.5 | 14.9 | 15.6 | 15.3 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.4 | 8.7 |
| High (°C) | -5 | -3 | 2 | 11 | 19 | 23 | 26 | 25 | 20 | 13 | 6 | -1 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 95 | 74 | 88 | 101 | 100 | 121 | 122 | 113 | 113 | 109 | 92 | 98 |
About 262 cm of snow falls in a year. January brings highs of -5 °C, July highs of 26 °C. Rain peaks with the heat: 122 mm in July, against 74 mm in February. The climate in Shefford →
Beaches
7 beaches within 5 km of Shefford
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Plage Darbyin town
Directions6 further beaches go unnamed. 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
Viewpoints and waterfalls near Shefford: 4 and 1
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
Look up to Mont Shefford: 526 m. Count 25 playgrounds, the biggest group.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 4
Point de vuein town
DirectionsHalte avec table à pique-nique0.8 km from town
DirectionsPlus 2 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 4
Colline Methodist300 m · in town
DirectionsMont Shefford526 m · in town
DirectionsMont Shefford Est488 m · in town
DirectionsMont Shefford Sud494 m · in town
DirectionsWaterfalls 1
Plus 1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Picnic sites 24
Halte de la Pinèdein town
DirectionsHalte du Ruisseau Chevalierin town
DirectionsHalte du Vignoblein town
DirectionsSur le bord du ruisseauin town
DirectionsHalte Bromont0.0 km from town
DirectionsHalte du Cap0.0 km from town
DirectionsHalte du Grand Ruisseau0.0 km from town
DirectionsHalte du Grand Pin0.1 km from town
DirectionsPlus 16 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 25
Plus 25 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Parc Canin de Waterloo1.1 km from town
DirectionsCampsites 6
Camping Vélo 20000.1 km from town
DirectionsCamping Parc Bromont1.2 km from town
DirectionsCamping Bromont Vacances1.3 km from town
DirectionsCamping du parc de la Yamaska1.5 km from town
DirectionsCamping Granby1.7 km from town
DirectionsLes Roselins1.9 km from town
DirectionsSlipways 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 Shefford
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
BromontWaterlooGranbyRoxton PondSaint-Joachim-de-SheffordSaint-Alphonse-de-GranbyShefford
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shefford | 3.1% | 34 | 0 | 7 |
| Bromont 7.3 km | 2.2% | 25 | 0 | 2 |
| Waterloo 8.3 km | 3.4% | 23 | 0 | 2 |
| Granby 9.7 km | 2.5% | 18 | 0 | 6 |
| Roxton Pond 12 km | 2.6% | 9 | 0 | 5 |
| Saint-Joachim-de-Shefford 12 km | 2.5% | 15 | 0 | 6 |
| Saint-Alphonse-de-Granby 13 km | 1.2% | 7 | 0 | 0 |
For protected land, no neighbour of Shefford doubles its share.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- National and provincial parks. The nearest national park and the nearest provincial park are always shown when they are within 100 km.
- 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.
- 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.
- Beaches. Beaches are OpenStreetMap’s, named or not; in the north many are unnamed shoreline imports.
- 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 Shefford
When is the best time for walking in Shefford?
May, August and September, on the 1991–2020 normals and the daylight: long days, highs of 15 °C or more, light rain for the place.
How far is the nearest provincial park from Shefford?
Yamaska National Park (Québec), 0.3 km from the edge of town.
Which is the biggest protected area near Shefford?
Yamaska National Park (Québec), a québec national park (provincial) of 1,340 ha.
What is the nearest beach to Shefford?
Plage Darby, in town, is the nearest mapped beach.
How far is Shefford from a national park?
None within 100 km of Shefford.
Is there protected land near Shefford?
Protected areas cover 3.1% of the land within 10 km.
Sources
Sources for this page on Shefford
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).