First pick
Peace Park
Park or garden
19 ha1.8 km of path
25 minto walk all 1.8 km of path
0.8 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: maclean · Public domain1%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Dawson Creek · parks, protected land & trails
The nearest provincial park to Dawson Creek is Swan Lake Park, 23 km away
Count 16 protected areas within 10 km of town. National parks are all over 100 km off. Protected areas cover 1% of the land within 10 km; for the typical Canadian town it is 2.3%.
Protected land
1%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
16
within 10 km, 0 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest provincial park
23 km
Swan Lake Park
Against other towns
Dawson Creek beside other Canadian towns, figure by figure
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 km1%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 areas0Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes0Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Dawson Creek has the 12th least protected land nearby of 40 towns its size
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (13,331 to 13,943 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
Dawson Creek1%
Towns its size3.1%
Towns in British Columbia6.7%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Dawson Creek0
Towns its size4
Towns in British Columbia14
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Dawson Creek0
Towns its size0
Towns in British Columbia1
Typical Canadian town0
Where Dawson Creek trails its peers is public protected areas; 36 of 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Semiahmoo Town Centre BC | 21% | 0.8% | 103 | 2 | 4 |
| 2 | Bathurst NB | 20% | 2.6% | 13 | 1 | 17 |
| 3 | Hammonds Plains NS | 16% | 4.9% | 35 | 2 | 3 |
| 4 | West Point Grey BC | 14% | 0.5% | 11 | 1 | 65 |
| 5 | Sandy Hill ON | 13% | 1.7% | 40 | 4 | 3 |
| 6 | Glebe-Dows Lake ON | 12% | 11% | 36 | 5 | 5 |
| 7 | Ville-Émard QC | 10% | 0% | 21 | 0 | 2 |
| 8 | Beaurivage QC | 8.1% | 0% | 30 | 0 | 1 |
| 9 | Sidney BC | 7% | 0.6% | 22 | 0 | 7 |
| 10 | Terrace BC | 6.7% | 0% | 9 | 0 | 4 |
| 11 | Durand ON | 6.3% | 0% | 24 | 1 | 3 |
| 12 | Cloverdale BC | 6% | 0.4% | 160 | 5 | 0 |
| 13 | Dolbeau-Mistassini QC | 5.4% | 6.6% | 19 | 0 | 12 |
| 14 | E-F-K-Section (bramalea) ON | 5% | 0% | 7 | 0 | 1 |
| 15 | Montcalm QC | 4.7% | 0% | 17 | 1 | 3 |
| 16 | Vanier QC | 4.2% | 0% | 15 | 1 | 3 |
| 17 | L'Aéroport QC | 4% | 0% | 33 | 1 | 3 |
| 18 | Strathcona BC | 3.8% | 0% | 13 | 4 | 76 |
| 19 | Stittsville North ON | 3.7% | 0% | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Centennial Scarborough ON | 3.5% | 8.1% | 14 | 0 | 7 |
| 21 | Ionview ON | 2.6% | 0% | 16 | 0 | 5 |
| 22 | Oakridge ON | 2.5% | 11% | 12 | 1 | 13 |
| 23 | Fletchers Creek Village / Lundy Village ON | 2.5% | 7.1% | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| 24 | Douglasdale/Glen AB | 2.2% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 19 |
| 25 | West Queen West ON | 2.1% | 0% | 11 | 6 | 24 |
| 26 | Wychwood ON | 2.1% | 0% | 11 | 4 | 10 |
| 27 | Parkwoods-O'Connor Hills ON | 1.9% | 0% | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Avondale ON | 1.5% | 0% | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | Dawson Creek BC | 1% | 0% | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Beaverton ON | 0.8% | 1.1% | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | Streetsville ON | 0.7% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | Perth East ON | 0.5% | 1.7% | 6 | 2 | 1 |
| 33 | The Maples MB | 0.4% | 0% | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Mount Dennis ON | 0.2% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 35 | River West ON | 0.2% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 36 | Rossmere-A MB | 0.2% | 0% | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 37 | Wetaskiwin AB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | Walker AB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 39 | Sainte-Marie QC | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Lorette MB | 0% | 0% | 5 | 0 | 0 |
The map
Parks, woods and paths around Dawson Creek
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
16 named parks and woods to walk in near Dawson Creek
The biggest is Peace Park, 19 ha. Biggest first, numbered as on the map.
16 named parks and woods, 105 ha in all
Parks & gardens 73 haWoods 32 ha
Between them, Chamberlain Heritage Nature Park and Peace Park cover 48%.
Leoppky Park
Park or garden
13 ha2.8 km of path
40 minto walk all 2.8 km of path
1.7 km northfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Barbaree Park
Park or garden
9.7 ha1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1 km of path
Centralin the middle of Dawson Creek
Directionsto a point inside
Chamberlain Heritage Nature Park
Wood or forest
32 ha
1.2 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Chamberlain Park
Park or garden
4.4 ha0.4 km of path
0.6 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
All 16 named parks and green spaces
Peace ParkPark or garden · 19 ha · 1.8 km of path
DirectionsLeoppky ParkPark or garden · 13 ha · 2.8 km of path
DirectionsBarbaree ParkPark or garden · 9.7 ha · 1 km of path
DirectionsChamberlain Heritage Nature ParkWood or forest · 32 ha
DirectionsCrescent ParkPark or garden · 7.7 ha
DirectionsNewby ParkPark or garden · 7.2 ha
DirectionsChamberlain ParkPark or garden · 4.4 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsLoran ParkPark or garden · 3.1 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsRotary ParkPark or garden · 2.7 ha
DirectionsKitchen ParkPark or garden · 1.9 ha
DirectionsNorthern Alberta Railway ParkPark or garden · 1.4 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsCrescentview Park-APark or garden · 1.5 ha
DirectionsFred Flavelle Memorial Lion ParkPark or garden · 0.7 ha
DirectionsPark View ParkPark or garden · 0.2 ha
DirectionsCrescentview Park-BPark or garden · 0.2 ha
Directions99 Avenue 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
A park is within a short walk for 6 in 10 in Dawson Creek
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 (64%)Further (36%)
Dawson Creek64%
Towns in British Columbia72%
Typical Canadian town83%
That leaves about 4,900 people more than a short walk away. The typical Canadian town does better, at 83%.
Protected areas
Around Dawson Creek, protected areas make up 1%
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Dawson Creek0%
Within 10 km1%
Towns in British Columbia6.7%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
No public land among them: all are private conservation land, counted but unnamed.
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: Swan Lake Park, 23 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
Swan Lake Park
23 km south-east0.8 km²since 1918
There is no national park within 100 km; for big parks, Dawson Creek 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
Dawson Creek and its edge hold 13 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
13 km
in and around the town (60.4 km²)
Woodland
8.9%
about 5.4 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
Dawson CreekTowns in British ColumbiaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0.2
012 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
Dawson CreekTowns in British ColumbiaTypical Canadian town
Woodland8.9%
0%50%100%
It has fewer paths per km² than 77% of Canadian towns. Woods cover less of it than in 50% 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 Dawson Creek
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
There is no mapped walking route within 2 km of the town; a local trail club’s maps may show more.
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 Dawson Creek in May, June, August and September
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Dawson Creek, 4.2 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) | 7.6 | 9.5 | 11.6 | 14.1 | 16.2 | 17.5 | 17.0 | 15.0 | 12.6 | 10.3 | 8.2 | 7.0 |
| High (°C) | -8 | -4 | 0 | 10 | 17 | 20 | 23 | 22 | 17 | 9 | 0 | -5 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 28 | 19 | 22 | 19 | 32 | 57 | 80 | 49 | 38 | 27 | 29 | 22 |
The yearly snowfall is near 177 cm. Summer brings the most rain: 80 mm in July; April gets 19 mm. From -8 °C in January to 23 °C in July: that is the range of daytime highs. The climate in Dawson Creek →
Things to do
Near Dawson Creek: 14 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.
Most numerous: playgrounds (13).
Every named place, with directions
Picnic sites 1
Rotary Parkin town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 13
Plus 13 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Dawson Creek
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 8–69 km: that is how far the nearest places with figures are from Dawson Creek.
Electoral Area D, Peace RiverSaddle Hills CountyTaylorFort St. JohnElectoral Area C, Peace RiverDawson Creek
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dawson Creek | 1% | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| Electoral Area D, Peace River 8.0 km | 19% | 56 | 3 | 123 |
| Saddle Hills County 51 km | 2.8% | 36 | 0 | 33 |
| Taylor 53 km | 0.3% | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Fort St. John 66 km | 1.4% | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Electoral Area C, Peace River 69 km | 1.9% | 14 | 0 | 2 |
Around Electoral Area D, Peace River and Saddle Hills County the protected share is at least double. Electoral Area D, Peace River has the most mapped walking routes nearby: 3.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- 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.
- 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.
Questions about the outdoors in Dawson Creek
When is the best time for walking in Dawson Creek?
On the normals, May, June, August and September: that is when days are long, highs reach 15 °C and rain is light.
How far is Dawson Creek from a national park?
No national park lies within 100 km of Dawson Creek.
How much land around Dawson Creek is protected?
Yes: 1% of the land within 10 km is protected.
How far is the nearest provincial park from Dawson Creek?
It is Swan Lake Park, 23 km away.
Sources
Sources for this page on Dawson Creek
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).