First pick
Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area
Park or garden
133 ha24.2 km of path
5 h 20 minto walk all 24.2 km of path
9.7 km westfrom the centre
Blue PipesTrainspottingBush Pilot+5 paths
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Louis White · CC BY-SA 2.00.8%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Saskatoon · parks, protected land & trails
Saskatoon touches Sutherland Migratory Bird Sanctuary
10 km from town is Fred Heal Canoe Launch, the nearest provincial park. The McOrmond Road is the one mapped walking route close by. OpenStreetMap shows 3 unnamed beaches within 5 km.
Protected land
0.8%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
21
within 10 km, 3 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest provincial park
10 km
Fred Heal Canoe Launch
Walking routes
1
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Beaches
3
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Against other towns
Saskatoon 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. Outdoors isn’t one of Canada’s graded subjects, so there’s no letter here: each figure is set against other Canadian towns instead.
Protected within 10 km0.8%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town1%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas3Areas 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
Among 40 towns its size, Saskatoon is 6th from the bottom for protected land
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (106,752 to 318,067 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
Saskatoon0.8%
Towns its size3.1%
Towns in Saskatchewan1.7%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Saskatoon3
Towns its size15
Towns in Saskatchewan2
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Saskatoon1
Towns its size2
Towns in Saskatchewan0
Typical Canadian town0
Against towns its size, Saskatoon is weakest for public protected areas: 32 of 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coquitlam BC | 25% | 28% | 130 | 5 | 69 |
| 2 | Delta BC | 24% | 17% | 181 | 9 | 19 |
| 3 | Richmond BC | 21% | 3.2% | 73 | 2 | 31 |
| 4 | Kamloops BC | 14% | 13% | 16 | 0 | 11 |
| 5 | Kelowna BC | 13% | 3.8% | 36 | 0 | 42 |
| 6 | Saanich BC | 11% | 9.4% | 43 | 7 | 56 |
| 7 | Strathcona County AB | 9.4% | 1.4% | 38 | 7 | 6 |
| 8 | Trois-Rivières QC | 8.4% | 1.2% | 44 | 1 | 10 |
| 9 | Cape Breton NS | 8.2% | 8.6% | 176 | 1 | 74 |
| 10 | Pickering ON | 7.6% | 11% | 46 | 1 | 11 |
| 11 | Greater Sudbury / Grand Sudbury ON | 6.7% | 3.5% | 43 | 5 | 18 |
| 12 | Saguenay QC | 6% | 6.1% | 29 | 0 | 11 |
| 13 | Kingston ON | 5% | 6.2% | 54 | 2 | 5 |
| 14 | Ajax ON | 4.9% | 5.8% | 31 | 1 | 8 |
| 15 | Lévis QC | 4.1% | 0.6% | 62 | 1 | 8 |
| 16 | Sherbrooke QC | 4.1% | 0.8% | 23 | 2 | 3 |
| 17 | Whitby ON | 3.9% | 4.7% | 37 | 1 | 3 |
| 18 | Abbotsford BC | 3.9% | 0.5% | 37 | 2 | 10 |
| 19 | Terrebonne QC | 3.8% | 3.6% | 60 | 0 | 3 |
| 20 | Langley BC | 3.5% | 2.9% | 144 | 8 | 10 |
| 21 | Barrie ON | 2.6% | 0% | 9 | 0 | 8 |
| 22 | Burlington ON | 2.5% | 1.6% | 27 | 2 | 17 |
| 23 | Oshawa ON | 2.4% | 0.3% | 30 | 1 | 4 |
| 24 | St. John's NL | 2.2% | 1.2% | 6 | 1 | 41 |
| 25 | Richmond Hill ON | 1.9% | 8.4% | 51 | 1 | 0 |
| 26 | Nanaimo BC | 1.9% | 6.7% | 42 | 2 | 33 |
| 27 | Cambridge ON | 1.7% | 0.4% | 33 | 10 | 2 |
| 28 | Bowmanville ON | 1.6% | 3% | 25 | 2 | 9 |
| 29 | Milton ON | 1.3% | 0% | 38 | 15 | 3 |
| 30 | St. Catharines ON | 1.2% | 1.7% | 15 | 4 | 7 |
| 31 | Niagara Falls ON | 1.1% | 1.7% | 15 | 3 | 4 |
| 32 | Chatham ON | 1% | 1% | 21 | 0 | 8 |
| 33 | Guelph ON | 0.9% | 3.1% | 15 | 10 | 5 |
| 34 | Oakville ON | 0.9% | 4.1% | 8 | 1 | 9 |
| 35 | Saskatoon SK | 0.8% | 1% | 21 | 1 | 3 |
| 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 Saskatoon
Green space, woods, protected areas and footpaths in and around the city; 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
30 parks and woods to walk in, in or near Saskatoon
Largest first: Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area leads with 133 ha. Numbers match the map.
30 named parks and woods, 932 ha in all
Parks & gardens 865 haWoods 67 ha
The area is spread out: the biggest holds 15% of it.
Wanuskewin Heritage Park
Park or garden
140 ha9.9 km of path
2 h 10 minto walk all 9.9 km of path
12 km northfrom the centre
Path Through WaneskewinPath of the PeopleCircle of Harmony Trail+3 paths
Directionsto a point inside
Meewasin Park
Park or garden
52 ha13.4 km of path
3 hto walk all 13.4 km of path
3.4 km northfrom the centre
Meewasin TrailSlytherinRink Side+2 paths
Directionsto a point inside
George Genereux Urban Regional Park
Park or garden
60 ha8 km of path
1 h 45 minto walk all 8 km of path
11 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Hyde Park
Park or garden
53 ha5.9 km of path
1 h 20 minto walk all 5.9 km of path
6.2 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Forestry Farm Park and Zoo
Park or garden
55 ha4.4 km of path
1 hto walk all 4.4 km of path
5.2 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Donna Birkmaier Park
Park or garden
41 ha4.8 km of path
1 h 5 minto walk all 4.8 km of path
6.4 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Diefenbaker Park
Park or garden
37 ha4.3 km of path
55 minto walk all 4.3 km of path
4.6 km south-westfrom the centre
Meewasin TrailBeaver TipsBear Den
Directionsto a point inside
All 30 named parks and green spaces
Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation AreaPark or garden · 133 ha · 24.2 km of path
DirectionsWanuskewin Heritage ParkPark or garden · 140 ha · 9.9 km of path
DirectionsMeewasin ParkPark or garden · 52 ha · 13.4 km of path
DirectionsGeorge Genereux Urban Regional ParkPark or garden · 60 ha · 8 km of path
DirectionsHyde ParkPark or garden · 53 ha · 5.9 km of path
DirectionsForestry Farm Park and ZooPark or garden · 55 ha · 4.4 km of path
DirectionsDonna Birkmaier ParkPark or garden · 41 ha · 4.8 km of path
DirectionsDiefenbaker ParkPark or garden · 37 ha · 4.3 km of path
DirectionsLakewood ParkPark or garden · 27 ha · 4.6 km of path
DirectionsSutherland Dog ParkPark or garden · 24 ha · 5 km of path
DirectionsVictoria ParkPark or garden · 19 ha · 4.3 km of path
DirectionsW.J.L. Harvey North ParkPark or garden · 19 ha · 2.7 km of path
DirectionsPeter Zakreski Regional ParkPark or garden · 18 ha · 2.4 km of path
DirectionsForest ParkPark or garden · 15 ha · 2.6 km of path
DirectionsYorath IslandWood or forest · 67 ha · just outside town
DirectionsPCR Banting ParkPark or garden · 15 ha · 2.6 km of path
DirectionsParc CanadaPark or garden · 16 ha · 1.9 km of path
DirectionsCosmopolitan ParkPark or garden · 11 ha · 4.2 km of path
DirectionsW.A. Reid ParkPark or garden · 13 ha · 2.2 km of path
DirectionsUmeå ParkPark or garden · 15 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsLakeview ParkPark or garden · 12 ha · 2.4 km of path
DirectionsKinsmen ParkPark or garden · 11 ha · 2.6 km of path
DirectionsHenry Kelsey ParkPark or garden · 15 ha · 0.8 km of path
DirectionsKiwanis Memorial ParkPark or garden · 8.4 ha · 3.5 km of path
DirectionsSidney L. Buckwold ParkPark or garden · 11 ha · 2.2 km of path
DirectionsArbor Creek ParkPark or garden · 9.5 ha · 2.7 km of path
DirectionsKate Waygood ParkPark or garden · 12 ha · 1.4 km of path
DirectionsGabrial Dumont ParkPark or garden · 8.0 ha · 3.3 km of path
DirectionsLa plaas AyiwaypihkPark or garden · 10 ha · 1.8 km of path
DirectionsMcEown ParkPark or garden · 7.6 ha · 2.6 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
About 9 in 10 of Saskatoon’s residents are 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 (94%)Further (5.7%)
Saskatoon94%
Towns in Saskatchewan97%
Typical Canadian town83%
A typical Canadian town reaches only 83%. That leaves about 18,000 people more than a short walk away.
Protected areas
Sutherland Migratory Bird Sanctuary touches Saskatoon
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Saskatoon1%
Within 10 km0.8%
Towns in Saskatchewan1.7%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
3 of the 21 belong to a government or an Indigenous nation. At 130 ha, Sutherland Migratory Bird Sanctuary is the largest. 18 areas, privately held or of unrecorded ownership, are left unnamed.
Sutherland Migratory Bird SanctuaryWildlife area · 130 ha · reaches Saskatoon
Cosmopolitan ParkMunicipal park · 11 ha · reaches Saskatoon
1 area recorded only by its type (a provincial layer such as wildlife habitat areas) is counted, not listed.
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: Fred Heal Canoe Launch, 10 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
Fred Heal Canoe Launch
10 km south-west0.1 km²since 1988
There is no national park within 100 km; for big parks, Saskatoon has its province’s.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
Saskatoon has 621 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
621 km
in and around the town (323.4 km²)
Woodland
0.7%
about 2.3 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
SaskatoonTowns in SaskatchewanTypical Canadian town
Footpaths1.9
01.53 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
SaskatoonTowns in SaskatchewanTypical Canadian town
Woodland0.7%
0%50%100%
Woods cover less of it than in 84% of Canadian towns. Few places match it for paths: more than 55% of Canadian towns have fewer.
Source: OpenStreetMap, © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Mapping varies by place: a dense figure can mean keen local mappers as much as many paths.
Walking routes
1 walking route near Saskatoon
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
Local
McOrmond Road9.2 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 Saskatoon in May and July to September
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Saskatoon Diefenbaker (Airport) (7.2 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) | 8.2 | 9.8 | 11.7 | 13.8 | 15.7 | 16.7 | 16.3 | 14.6 | 12.6 | 10.5 | 8.7 | 7.7 |
| High (°C) | -10 | -8 | -1 | 11 | 18 | 22 | 25 | 25 | 19 | 10 | -1 | -8 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 14 | 9 | 14 | 23 | 42 | 75 | 59 | 43 | 32 | 21 | 14 | 12 |
Snow totals about 91 cm a year. For dry weather, February is best (9 mm); June gets 75 mm. Highs peak near 25 °C in July and fall to -10 °C in January. The climate in Saskatoon →
Beaches
3 unnamed beaches near Saskatoon
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
This page can’t show water quality: no open, Canada-wide record of beach testing exists. Check local advisories first.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
Near Saskatoon: 10 viewpoints on the map
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
10Viewpoints1Hills and peaks1Nature reserves3Picnic sites282Playgrounds8Dog parks1Campsites1Slipways
Playgrounds lead the count with 282. Diefenbaker Hill tops the hills nearby, 501 m.
Every named place, with directions
Hills and peaks 1
Diefenbaker Hill501 m · in town
DirectionsNature reserves 1
Chappell Marsh Conservation Area0.3 km from town
DirectionsPicnic sites 3
Plus 3 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 282
Ecole Victoria School playgroundin town
DirectionsElaine Hnatyshyn Park Playgroundin town
DirectionsHoly Family Playgroundin town
DirectionsNorth Park Paddling Pool playgroundin town
DirectionsPostlethwaite Parkin town
DirectionsSplashpadin town
DirectionsWillowgrove School Playgroundin town
DirectionsPlus 275 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 8
Avalon Dog Parkin town
DirectionsHyde Parkin town
DirectionsPaul Mostaway Parkin town
DirectionsPierre Radisson Dog Parkin town
DirectionsSilverwood Dog Parkin town
DirectionsSouthwest Dog Parkin town
DirectionsSutherland Dog Parkin town
DirectionsPlus 1 dog park without a name on the map.
Campsites 1
Gordon Howe Campgroundin town
DirectionsSlipways 1
Boat Rampin town
DirectionsSource: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Gardens to visit
Saskatoon has a historic garden or park
Gardens and arboretums within 15 km of the town’s edge, and the historic gardens, parks and estates in the town itself, nearest first.
Forestry Farm Park and ZooNational Historic Site · In Saskatoon
Its pageOne is a National Historic Site.
Sources: OpenStreetMap (leisure=garden), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL, and Wikidata (CC0), as gathered in TownRatings’ Canadian attractions set; historic places from Parks Canada’s Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, the Canadian Register of Historic Places and Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel.
Next door
Next to Saskatoon
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
Grosvenor ParkCentral Business DistrictCity ParkHaultainBuena VistaHollistonSaskatoon
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saskatoon | 0.8% | 21 | 1 | 3 |
| Grosvenor Park 0.4 km | 1.4% | 17 | 0 | 3 |
| Central Business District 1.1 km | 1.5% | 17 | 0 | 3 |
| City Park 1.4 km | 1.3% | 14 | 0 | 3 |
| Haultain 1.5 km | 1.7% | 17 | 0 | 3 |
| Buena Vista 2.2 km | 1.7% | 17 | 0 | 2 |
| Holliston 2.6 km | 1.8% | 17 | 0 | 2 |
Around Haultain, Buena Vista and Holliston the protected share is at least double.
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.
- Walking routes. Only named route relations count; a park’s own path network may not show unless it is mapped as a route.
- 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. The count includes unnamed stretches mapped as beach, which can make a lakeside town’s figure large.
- 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.
Questions about the outdoors in Saskatoon
When is the best time for walking in Saskatoon?
May and July to September: long days, mild highs and little rain.
How far is Saskatoon from a national park?
The nearest national park is more than 100 km from Saskatoon.
Is there a provincial park near Saskatoon?
The closest is Fred Heal Canoe Launch, at 10 km.
Are there protected areas near Saskatoon?
Yes: 0.8% of the land within 10 km is protected.
Where can you walk near Saskatoon?
The McOrmond Road, mapped within 2 km.
Where can you swim near Saskatoon?
The beaches mapped within 5 km have no names on the map.
What is the biggest park or reserve near Saskatoon?
Sutherland Migratory Bird Sanctuary, a wildlife area of 130 ha.
Sources
Where Saskatoon’s outdoors figures come from
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.
Gardens: OpenStreetMap (leisure=garden) and Wikidata gardens within 15 km, as gathered in TownRatings’ Canadian attractions set; historic gardens and parks from Canada’s heritage registers (Parks Canada DFHD, the Canadian Register of Historic Places, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel).
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).