First pick
Veteran's Park
Park or garden
1.0 ha0.1 km of path
2.6 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Hameltion · CC BY-SA 4.07.2%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Bowen Island · parks, protected land & trails
52 public protected areas lie within 10 km of Bowen Island
Within 5 km are 173 beaches; Alder Cove Neighbourhood Beach is the nearest. Within 10 km of the town, 7.2% of the land is protected, against 2.3% around a typical Canadian town. 17% of the town lies within a protected area.
Protected land
7.2%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
60
within 10 km, 52 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
52 km
Gulf Islands National Park Reserve
Nearest provincial park
At the edge
Apodaca Park
Beaches
173
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
What Bowen Island has going for it outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
Beaches173 beaches within 5 kmMany protected areas52 public areas within 10 kmProtected land all round7.2% of the land within 10 km, more than 79% of Canadian townsA provincial park at the edgeApodaca Park reaches the town
Above all, Bowen Island offers its beaches, with the number of public protected areas close by close behind.
Against other towns
Each figure for Bowen Island, 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 km7.2%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town17%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas52Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes0Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches173Beaches mapped on OpenStreetMap within 5 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Bowen Island has the 10th most protected land nearby of 40 towns its size
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (4,422 to 4,585 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
Bowen Island7.2%
Towns its size2.7%
Towns in British Columbia6.7%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Bowen Island52
Towns its size4
Towns in British Columbia14
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Bowen Island0
Towns its size0
Towns in British Columbia1
Typical Canadian town0
Among its peers, Bowen Island’s strong point is public protected areas, where 2 of 39 top it.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electoral Area D (Oyster Bay - Buttle Lake), Strathcona BC | 49% | 64% | 34 | 11 | 8 |
| 2 | Shelburne NS | 27% | 28% | 194 | 0 | 80 |
| 3 | Sparwood BC | 23% | 3.4% | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Gaetz Brook NS | 15% | 4.2% | 55 | 2 | 19 |
| 5 | Douglas BC | 13% | 3.2% | 82 | 0 | 1 |
| 6 | Queenswood - Chatelaine ON | 12% | 0% | 40 | 0 | 1 |
| 7 | Electoral Area P (Rivers and the Peaks), Thompson-Nicola BC | 11% | 8.3% | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | Bells Corners West ON | 9% | 11% | 13 | 3 | 1 |
| 9 | Gurnett ON | 7.3% | 0% | 16 | 1 | 0 |
| 10 | Bowen Island BC | 7.2% | 17% | 60 | 0 | 173 |
| 11 | Neuville QC | 7.1% | 1.3% | 30 | 0 | 1 |
| 12 | Golden BC | 5.5% | 12% | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| 13 | Melville SK | 5.2% | 1% | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Eastmount ON | 4.3% | 0% | 22 | 1 | 3 |
| 15 | Queensland AB | 4% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 11 |
| 16 | Wainwright No. 61 AB | 3.7% | 3.1% | 41 | 0 | 5 |
| 17 | Deer Ridge AB | 3.7% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 10 |
| 18 | Crossroads ON | 3.5% | 0% | 26 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | Warner County No. 5 AB | 3.2% | 4.7% | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 20 | Electoral Area E, Cowichan Valley BC | 2.8% | 3.6% | 42 | 3 | 2 |
| 21 | Country Hills ON | 2.6% | 0% | 22 | 1 | 0 |
| 22 | Red Hill ON | 2.1% | 0% | 17 | 3 | 5 |
| 23 | Caraquet NB | 1.8% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 11 |
| 24 | New Maryland NB | 1.7% | 0% | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | Fairfield Park MB | 1.7% | 0% | 18 | 0 | 1 |
| 26 | Oxford AB | 1.7% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Highway Valley ON | 1.6% | 1.7% | 18 | 5 | 6 |
| 28 | Minnetonka MB | 1.6% | 1.7% | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | Felker ON | 1.5% | 0% | 14 | 1 | 0 |
| 30 | Centennial MB | 1.5% | 0% | 18 | 4 | 0 |
| 31 | Rockwood MB | 1.5% | 0% | 23 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | Casselman ON | 1.4% | 0% | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | Albion ON | 1.4% | 11% | 14 | 5 | 1 |
| 34 | Parkridge SK | 1.1% | 0% | 14 | 0 | 1 |
| 35 | Vulcan County AB | 0.3% | 0.4% | 33 | 0 | 0 |
| 36 | Montgomery AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 37 | Blue Quill AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | Vanderhoof BC | 0.2% | 3.8% | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| 39 | Saint-Anselme QC | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Howick ON | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The map
Parks, woods and paths around Bowen Island
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 parks and woods to walk in, in or near Bowen Island
Largest first: Veteran's Park leads with 1.0 ha. Numbers match the map.
6 named parks and woods, 4 ha in all
Parks & gardens 3.8 ha
Between them, Cates Hill Neighbourhood Park and Veteran's Park cover 53%.
Cates Hill Neighbourhood Park
Park or garden
1.1 ha
1.3 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Memorial Garden
Park or garden
0.4 ha0.3 km of path
2.1 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Aaron Sluggett Field Park
Park or garden
0.5 ha0.2 km of path
4.3 km westfrom the centre
Malkin Creek Trail
Directionsto a point inside
Westside Playscape Park
Park or garden
0.5 ha0.2 km of path
4.9 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Seymour Bay Park
Park or garden
0.4 ha0.2 km of path
2.9 km southfrom 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
Few people in Bowen Island 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 (0%)Further (100%)
Bowen Island0%
Towns in British Columbia72%
Typical Canadian town83%
Around 4,500 residents are further than 400 m from a park. That is below the typical Canadian town (83%).
Protected areas
Protected areas cover 7.2% of the land near Bowen Island
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Bowen Island17%
Within 10 km7.2%
Towns in British Columbia6.7%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
On public land: 52 of the 60. The others are private conservation land. Bowen Island Ecological Reserve leads for size with 399 ha. 4 areas belong to private owners or land trusts and aren’t named here.
Bowen Island Ecological ReserveNature reserve · 399 ha · reaches Bowen Island
Art Rennison Nature ParkMunicipal park · 67 ha · reaches Bowen Island
Dorman Point Glass Sponge Reef Marine RefugeNature reserve · 18 ha · reaches Bowen Island
Apodaca ParkProvincial park · 12 ha · reaches Bowen Island
Evergreen ParkMunicipal park · 12 ha · reaches Bowen Island
Cates Hill Nature ParkMunicipal park · 10 ha · reaches Bowen Island
Quarry ParkMunicipal park · 8.0 ha · reaches Bowen Island
Bowen Island Unnamed #15Nature reserve · 5.9 ha · reaches Bowen Island
Headwaters ParkMunicipal park · 5.6 ha · reaches Bowen Island
Malkin Creek ParkMunicipal park · 4.9 ha · reaches Bowen Island
25 more named areas within 10 km are in the figures.
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
Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, 52 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
Provincial park
Apodaca Park
At the edge0.1 km²since 1954
National park reserve
Gulf Islands National Park Reserve
52 km south67 km²since 2010
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
Bowen Island and its edge hold 133 km of footpath
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
133 km
in and around the town (88.3 km²)
Woodland
44%
about 39 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
Bowen IslandTowns in British ColumbiaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths1.5
012 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
Bowen IslandTowns in British ColumbiaTypical Canadian town
Woodland44%
0%50%100%
For woods, it beats 81% of Canadian towns. 51% 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
No mapped walking route near Bowen Island
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
Bowen Island is best on foot in May to September
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Vancouver (Harbour), 19 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) | 8.6 | 10.1 | 11.7 | 13.7 | 15.3 | 16.2 | 15.9 | 14.4 | 12.5 | 10.7 | 9.0 | 8.2 |
| High (°C) | 7 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 18 | 20 | 23 | 23 | 19 | 14 | 10 | 7 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 237 | 117 | 163 | 118 | 73 | 66 | 44 | 49 | 71 | 157 | 245 | 200 |
A typical year sees 37 cm of snow. Precipitation runs from 44 mm in July to 245 mm in November. In July the typical high is 23 °C; in December, 7 °C. The climate in Bowen Island →
Beaches
Bowen Island has 173 beaches close by
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Alder Cove Neighbourhood Beachsand · in town
DirectionsBaker Beachgravel · in town
DirectionsColumbine Beachgravel · in town
DirectionsDavid Road Beachgravel · in town
DirectionsEcclestone Beachgravel · in town
DirectionsLieben beachgravel · in town
DirectionsMiller's Landing Neighbourhood Beachgravel · in town
DirectionsSeptember Morn Beachgravel · in town
DirectionsClipper Place Neighbourhood Beachgravel · in town
DirectionsEagle Cliff Neighbourhood Beachgravel · in town
Directions133 more are mapped without a name. The coast is close: 136 km of shoreline within 5 km. Water quality isn’t shown: there’s no open national record of beach tests. Local health authorities post advisories.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
Bowen Island has 53 viewpoints and 6 waterfalls nearby
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
53Viewpoints8Hills and peaks6Waterfalls30Nature reserves1Picnic sites8Playgrounds1Dog parks2Campsites
Count 53 viewpoints, the biggest group. Look up to Mount Gardner: 725 m.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 53
Apodaca Bluffin town
DirectionsApodaca Covein town
DirectionsArbutus Ridgein town
DirectionsClimber Beachin town
DirectionsCollingwood Channel Viewpointin town
DirectionsDorman Point Lookoutin town
DirectionsEcclestone Coastal Viewpointin town
DirectionsForest Meditation Nodein town
DirectionsPlus 45 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 8
Apodaca Peak503 m · in town
DirectionsBob's Knob303 m · in town
DirectionsConical Hill (Duncan's Hat)266 m · in town
DirectionsDorman Point109 m · in town
DirectionsMount Collins413 m · in town
DirectionsMount Gardner725 m · in town
DirectionsNorth Gardner718 m · in town
DirectionsPlus 1 peak without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 30
Armstrong Landsin town
DirectionsBuchanan Neighborhood Parkin town
DirectionsBudjinski Parkin town
DirectionsCarter Parkin town
DirectionsCates Hill Nature Parkin town
DirectionsDavid Otter Nature Reservein town
DirectionsDavies Parkin town
DirectionsFairy Fen Nature Reservein town
DirectionsPlus 22 nature reserves without a name on the map.
Picnic sites 1
Snug Cove Picnic Areain town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 8
Plus 8 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Plus 1 dog park without a name on the map.
Campsites 2
Apodaca Marine Campsitein town
DirectionsLittle Flower Isletin town
DirectionsSource: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Gardens to visit
The garden near Bowen Island: Nitobe Memorial Garden, 11 km off
Gardens and arboretums within 15 km of the town’s edge, and the historic gardens, parks and estates in the town itself, nearest first.
Nitobe Memorial GardenGarden or park · 11 km from town
DirectionsSources: 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 Bowen Island
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
Electoral Area F, Sunshine CoastGibsonsWest VancouverLions BayElectoral Area E, Sunshine CoastElectoral Area A, Metro VancouverBowen Island
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowen Island | 7.2% | 60 | 0 | 173 |
| Electoral Area F, Sunshine Coast 12 km | 10% | 73 | 0 | 231 |
| Gibsons 12 km | 2.7% | 43 | 0 | 57 |
| West Vancouver 13 km | 8.6% | 56 | 10 | 132 |
| Lions Bay 14 km | 12% | 16 | 2 | 14 |
| Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast 14 km | 3.4% | 34 | 0 | 48 |
| Electoral Area A, Metro Vancouver 15 km | 26% | 203 | 11 | 269 |
Electoral Area A, Metro Vancouver has at least twice the protected share around it. More routes are mapped around Electoral Area A, Metro Vancouver (11).
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. Areas held by land trusts or private owners stay unnamed here, though they count in the shares.
- 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.
- 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 Bowen Island
Is Bowen Island near a national park?
Gulf Islands National Park Reserve is closest, at 52 km.
When should you visit Bowen Island for the outdoors?
On the normals, May to September: that is when days are long, highs reach 15 °C and rain is light.
Which is the biggest protected area near Bowen Island?
Bowen Island Ecological Reserve: 399 ha, a nature reserve.
Is there protected land near Bowen Island?
Protected areas cover 7.2% of the land within 10 km.
Where can you swim near Bowen Island?
Alder Cove Neighbourhood Beach, in town, is the nearest mapped beach.
What is the nearest provincial park to Bowen Island?
Apodaca Park, which reaches the edge of town.
Sources
Where Bowen Island’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).