First pick
Englishman River Regional Park
Park or garden · 170 m outside town
207 ha14.6 km of path
3 h 15 minto walk all 14.6 km of path
8.6 km westfrom the centre
Park Service RoadRiver TrailChannel Trail+5 paths
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: KenWalker · CC BY-SA 4.02.2%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Fairwinds · parks, protected land & trails
Step out of Fairwinds into Arbutus Grove Park
Within 5 km are 15 beaches; Wall Beach is the nearest. A drive of 61 km reaches Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, the nearest national park. The 10 km around town hold 23 protected areas.
Protected land
2.2%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
23
within 10 km, 8 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
61 km
Pacific Rim National Park Reserve
Nearest provincial park
At the edge
Arbutus Grove Park
Beaches
15
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
What Fairwinds has going for it outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
Above all, Fairwinds offers a provincial park at its edge, with its beaches close behind.
Against other towns
Each figure for Fairwinds, 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. There is no Outdoors grade for Canadian towns; the figures stand beside the country’s towns of 2,500+ without a letter.
Protected within 10 km2.2%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town4.7%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas8Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes0Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches15Beaches mapped on OpenStreetMap within 5 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Fairwinds has the 19th least protected land nearby of 40 towns its size
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (6,984 to 7,273 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
Fairwinds2.2%
Towns its size2.3%
Towns in British Columbia6.7%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Fairwinds8
Towns its size8
Towns in British Columbia14
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Fairwinds0
Towns its size0
Towns in British Columbia1
Typical Canadian town0
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fernie BC | 31% | 0.1% | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Hope BC | 15% | 4.1% | 11 | 0 | 3 |
| 3 | Vanier South ON | 12% | 1.1% | 39 | 2 | 2 |
| 4 | Springhill NS | 11% | 9% | 79 | 2 | 6 |
| 5 | Algoma, Unorganized, North Part ON | 11% | 10% | 91 | 4 | 228 |
| 6 | Lowertown East ON | 11% | 0% | 38 | 4 | 3 |
| 7 | Les Cèdres QC | 11% | 0.1% | 40 | 0 | 4 |
| 8 | Peace River AB | 8.4% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | Kent BC | 8.3% | 8.2% | 16 | 2 | 42 |
| 10 | Saint-Honoré QC | 5.5% | 0% | 14 | 0 | 5 |
| 11 | L'Ange-Gardien QC | 5.4% | 0% | 59 | 0 | 1 |
| 12 | Hope ON | 4.8% | 1.8% | 58 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | Carlisle ON | 4% | 0% | 30 | 1 | 0 |
| 14 | Raleigh ON | 4% | 0% | 20 | 1 | 3 |
| 15 | Edgeley ON | 3.9% | 0.4% | 31 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | Haysboro AB | 3.9% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 7 |
| 17 | Midnapore AB | 3.3% | 32% | 2 | 0 | 9 |
| 18 | Concord ON | 3.1% | 0% | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | Saint-Paul QC | 2.4% | 0% | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Electoral Area C, East Kootenay BC | 2.3% | 1.5% | 32 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | Colborne ON | 2.2% | 0.3% | 28 | 1 | 2 |
| 22 | Fairwinds BC | 2.2% | 4.7% | 23 | 0 | 15 |
| 23 | Brown's Corners ON | 1.8% | 0% | 32 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Lymburn AB | 1.7% | 0% | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| 25 | North River Heights MB | 1.5% | 0% | 26 | 2 | 0 |
| 26 | Sherbrooke AB | 1.5% | 0% | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 27 | King Edward MB | 1.3% | 0% | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Meadowood MB | 1.3% | 1.8% | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | Inglewood AB | 1.3% | 0% | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 30 | Shannon QC | 0.9% | 3.9% | 21 | 1 | 14 |
| 31 | Merritt BC | 0.9% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| 32 | Chibougamau QC | 0.8% | 0.1% | 8 | 0 | 7 |
| 33 | Cougar Ridge AB | 0.7% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 34 | Yarmouth NS | 0.6% | 0% | 10 | 0 | 5 |
| 35 | Erin Woods AB | 0.6% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 7 |
| 36 | La Sarre QC | 0.5% | 0.1% | 9 | 0 | 2 |
| 37 | Brighton SK | 0.5% | 0.1% | 10 | 1 | 2 |
| 38 | Rhatigan Ridge AB | 0.5% | 0% | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| 39 | Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh ON | 0.4% | 0.9% | 13 | 5 | 5 |
| 40 | Wainwright AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The map
Parks, woods and paths around Fairwinds
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
30 named parks and woods to walk in near Fairwinds
Largest first: Englishman River Regional Park leads with 207 ha. Numbers match the map.
30 named parks and woods, 537 ha in all
Parks & gardens 537 ha
Between them, Foothills Park and Englishman River Regional Park cover 81%.
Foothills Park
Park or garden
229 ha2.1 km of path
30 minto walk all 2.1 km of path
9.0 km south-eastfrom the centre
Heikkila Canyon
Directionsto a point inside
Moorecroft Regional Park
Park or garden
35 ha2.3 km of path
30 minto walk all 2.3 km of path
2.0 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Rivers Edge Community Park
Park or garden
35 ha0.4 km of path
7.9 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Claudet Road Community Park
Park or garden
3.7 ha0.6 km of path
5 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
1.8 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Dolphin Lake Community Park
Park or garden
2.5 ha0.2 km of path
1.7 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Beachcomber Regional Park
Park or garden
1.4 ha0.5 km of path
5 minto walk all 0.5 km of path
4.3 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Brickyard Community Park
Park or garden
1.6 ha0.3 km of path
3.8 km south-eastfrom the centre
Brickyard Beach Trail
Directionsto a point inside
All 30 named parks and green spaces
Englishman River Regional ParkPark or garden · 207 ha · 14.6 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsFoothills ParkPark or garden · 229 ha · 2.1 km of path
DirectionsMoorecroft Regional ParkPark or garden · 35 ha · 2.3 km of path
DirectionsRivers Edge Community ParkPark or garden · 35 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsClaudet Road Community ParkPark or garden · 3.7 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsDolphin Lake Community ParkPark or garden · 2.5 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsBeachcomber Regional ParkPark or garden · 1.4 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsBrickyard Community ParkPark or garden · 1.6 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsClaudet Creek Community ParkPark or garden · 2.2 ha
DirectionsDolphin Marsh Community ParkPark or garden · 1.8 ha
DirectionsEs-hw Sme~nts Community ParkPark or garden · 1.3 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsSchooner Ridge Community ParkPark or garden · 1.8 ha
DirectionsNanoose Road Community ParkPark or garden · 1.8 ha
DirectionsSea Ridge Drive Community ParkPark or garden · 0.6 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsJack Bagley Community ParkPark or garden · 1.5 ha
DirectionsEnos Creek Community ParkPark or garden · 1.3 ha
DirectionsLa Selva Place Community ParkPark or garden · 1.2 ha
DirectionsStone Lake Drive Community ParkPark or garden · 1.2 ha
DirectionsRowland Road Community ParkPark or garden · 0.9 ha
DirectionsDavenham Road Community ParkPark or garden · 0.9 ha
DirectionsAnchor Way Community ParkPark or garden · 0.8 ha
DirectionsCrows Nest Community ParkPark or garden · 0.8 ha
DirectionsArmstrong/Collins Community ParkPark or garden · 0.7 ha
DirectionsCraig Creek Estuary Community ParkPark or garden · 0.3 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsRedden Road Community ParkPark or garden · 0.6 ha
DirectionsSouthwind ParkPark or garden · 0.5 ha · just outside town
DirectionsWeston Place Community ParkPark or garden · 0.5 ha
DirectionsPark Place Community ParkPark or garden · 0.5 ha
DirectionsRichard Place Community ParkPark or garden · 0.4 ha
DirectionsHighland Road Community ParkPark or garden · 0.4 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 2 in 10 in Fairwinds
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 (24%)Further (76%)
Fairwinds24%
Towns in British Columbia72%
Typical Canadian town83%
The usual figure for a Canadian town is 83%, above this. About 5,400 residents live further than 400 m from one.
Protected areas
Protected areas cover 2.2% of the land near Fairwinds
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Fairwinds4.7%
Within 10 km2.2%
Towns in British Columbia6.7%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Of those 23, 8 are public and the remainder private. The largest named one is Parksville-Qualicum Beach Wildlife Management Area, at 1,250 ha. 15 areas belong to private owners or land trusts and aren’t named here.
Parksville-Qualicum Beach Wildlife Management AreaWildlife area · 1,250 ha · reaches Fairwinds
Arbutus Grove ParkProvincial park · 22 ha · reaches Fairwinds
Gerald Island ParkProvincial park · 12 ha · reaches Fairwinds
Rathtrevor Beach ParkProvincial park · 347 ha · 0.6 km from the edge of town
Parksville Glass Sponge Reef Marine RefugeNature reserve · 205 ha · 5.8 km from the edge of town
Englishman River Falls ParkProvincial park · 97 ha · 6.0 km from the edge of town
French CreekNature reserve · 8.4 ha · 9.5 km from the edge of town
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
Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, 61 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
Arbutus Grove Park
At the edge0.2 km²since 1966
Provincial park
Gerald Island Park
At the edge0.1 km²since 2013
Provincial park
Rathtrevor Beach Park
0.6 km north-west3.5 km²since 1967
Provincial park
Englishman River Falls Park
6.0 km west1.0 km²since 1940
National park
Pacific Rim National Park Reserve
61 km south-west510 km²since 1970
4 provincial parks lie within 10 km.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
Fairwinds and its edge hold 108 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
108 km
in and around the town (168.2 km²)
Woodland
28%
about 47.2 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
FairwindsTowns in British ColumbiaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0.6
012 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
FairwindsTowns in British ColumbiaTypical Canadian town
Woodland28%
0%50%100%
For path density, 63% of Canadian towns do better. It is more wooded than 73% 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 Fairwinds
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
The map shows no named route near the town. That says more about OpenStreetMap’s coverage than about the paths on the ground.
Source: OpenStreetMap (route relations hiking, foot and walking), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Trans Canada Trail sections as OSM maps them.
When to get out
Fairwinds is best on foot in May to September
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Comox, 71 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 | 15.8 | 14.4 | 12.5 | 10.7 | 9.0 | 8.2 |
| High (°C) | 6 | 7 | 10 | 13 | 17 | 20 | 23 | 23 | 19 | 13 | 9 | 6 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 177 | 112 | 108 | 64 | 40 | 42 | 24 | 31 | 47 | 125 | 189 | 194 |
July is the warmest month, with highs around 23 °C; December the coldest, at 6 °C. Rain and snow peak in December (194 mm) and ease in July (24 mm). The climate in Fairwinds →
Beaches
Beaches near Fairwinds: 15 within 5 km
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Wall Beachin town
DirectionsDolphin Beachin town
Directions\0.1 km from town
DirectionsRathtrevor Beachmixed · 1.6 km from town
DirectionsNorth Rathtrevor Beach2.6 km from town
DirectionsBlueback Beachmixed · 3.6 km from town
DirectionsInvermere Beachmixed · 4.0 km from town
DirectionsRock Beach4.4 km from town
DirectionsWithin 5 km is 93 km of coastline. There are also 7 beaches without a name. Whether the water is fit for a swim isn’t in any open national dataset; public health posts the local advisories.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
Viewpoints and waterfalls near Fairwinds: 4 and 4
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
For a climb, Notch Hill rises to 245 m. The most common are campsites: 4 on the map.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 4
Lantzville Lookoutin town
DirectionsSywash Ridge Lookoutin town
DirectionsPlus 2 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 1
Notch Hill245 m · in town
DirectionsWaterfalls 4
Bonnel Fallsin town
DirectionsKnarston Waterfall0.8 km from town
DirectionsPlus 2 waterfalls without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 1
Gerald Island Provincial Parkin town
DirectionsPicnic sites 2
Plus 2 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 4
Beach playground2.0 km from town
DirectionsPlus 3 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 4
Nanoose Creek Campgroundin town
DirectionsSnaw Naw As Campground0.3 km from town
DirectionsRathtrevor Beach Campsite1.9 km from town
DirectionsPlus 1 campsite without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Fairwinds
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
LantzvilleParksvilleElectoral Area G, NanaimoElectoral Area C, NanaimoNanaimoFairwinds
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairwinds | 2.2% | 23 | 0 | 15 |
| Lantzville 7.6 km | 1.5% | 19 | 0 | 8 |
| Parksville 12 km | 4.4% | 24 | 0 | 11 |
| Electoral Area G, Nanaimo 15 km | 3.2% | 32 | 0 | 13 |
| Electoral Area C, Nanaimo 15 km | 1.5% | 60 | 6 | 47 |
| Nanaimo 17 km | 1.9% | 42 | 2 | 33 |
More routes are mapped around Electoral Area C, Nanaimo (6). Around Parksville the protected share is at least double.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Protected land. CPCAD maps each protected area; the page counts how much of the 10 km around the town they cover, lakes and sea included.
- 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. The list is OpenStreetMap’s, so a missing trail may just be unmapped. The Trans Canada Trail appears where OSM maps it.
- National and provincial parks. The nearest national park and the nearest provincial park are always shown when they are within 100 km.
- Beaches. The count includes unnamed stretches mapped as beach, which can make a lakeside town’s figure large.
Questions about the outdoors in Fairwinds
How far is Fairwinds from a national park?
Pacific Rim National Park Reserve is closest, at 61 km.
Where can you swim near Fairwinds?
Wall Beach, in town, is the nearest mapped beach.
How much land around Fairwinds is protected?
Within 10 km, 2.2% of the land lies in protected areas.
When is the best time for walking in Fairwinds?
On the normals, May to September: that is when days are long, highs reach 15 °C and rain is light.
What is the nearest provincial park to Fairwinds?
Arbutus Grove Park begins at the town’s edge.
What is the largest protected area near Fairwinds?
It is Parksville-Qualicum Beach Wildlife Management Area, a wildlife area covering 1,250 ha.
Sources
The sources behind Fairwinds’ 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).