First pick
Cottonwood Park
Park or garden
2.5 ha
Centralin the middle of Fort St. James
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: railfan 44 · Public domain3.4%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Fort St. James · parks, protected land & trails
Mount Pope Park reaches the edge of Fort St. James
There is no national park within 100 km of the town. The protected share within 10 km is 3.4%, where a typical Canadian town has 2.3%. The 10 km around town hold 4 protected areas.
Protected land
3.4%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
4
within 10 km, 4 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest provincial park
At the edge
Mount Pope Park
Against other towns
Fort St. James 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. This page carries no grade, because Canada’s grading doesn’t cover the outdoors; the comparisons are the point.
Protected within 10 km3.4%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town0.2%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas4Areas 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
Among 40 towns its size, Fort St. James ranks 15th for protected land within 10 km
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (1,542 to 2,587 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
Fort St. James3.4%
Towns its size1.6%
Towns in British Columbia6.7%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Fort St. James4
Towns its size4
Towns in British Columbia14
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Fort St. James0
Towns its size0
Towns in British Columbia1
Typical Canadian town0
For protected land nearby, Fort St. James sits near the top of its size group: 13 of 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anmore BC | 22% | 47% | 16 | 5 | 98 |
| 2 | Saint-Alexandre-de-Kamouraska QC | 19% | 0% | 28 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Gracefield QC | 19% | 19% | 34 | 0 | 6 |
| 4 | East Preston NS | 16% | 6.3% | 20 | 1 | 5 |
| 5 | Clearwater BC | 7.7% | 4.1% | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| 6 | Roberval QC | 6.1% | 1.2% | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague QC | 5.8% | 0% | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | North Frontenac ON | 5.7% | 5.2% | 13 | 6 | 4 |
| 9 | Cap-Chat QC | 5.3% | 0.4% | 13 | 0 | 10 |
| 10 | Killaloe, Hagarty and Richards ON | 4.4% | 1.5% | 9 | 0 | 4 |
| 11 | Saint-Polycarpe QC | 4.2% | 0% | 11 | 0 | 2 |
| 12 | Macassa ON | 4.1% | 0% | 18 | 1 | 0 |
| 13 | Saint-Damien QC | 4% | 3.2% | 22 | 1 | 9 |
| 14 | Unity SK | 3.4% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | Fort St. James BC | 3.4% | 0.2% | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | Sherwood ON | 3.4% | 0% | 19 | 2 | 0 |
| 17 | McNab SK | 2.6% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 18 | Mandeville QC | 2.5% | 1.8% | 19 | 4 | 7 |
| 19 | Esterhazy SK | 1.8% | 0% | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | City Commercial Core ON | 1.8% | 0% | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | Caswell Hill SK | 1.4% | 0% | 16 | 0 | 3 |
| 22 | Fossambault-sur-le-Lac QC | 1.3% | 7.8% | 15 | 0 | 14 |
| 23 | Pembina MB | 1.1% | 1.8% | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Burrows-Keewatin MB | 1% | 0% | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | Elmwood AB | 0.8% | 0% | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 26 | Hatley QC | 0.7% | 0% | 9 | 0 | 5 |
| 27 | Munroe West MB | 0.4% | 0% | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Brooke-Alvinston ON | 0.3% | 0.2% | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | Rosedale AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 30 | Minchau AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 31 | Lunenburg NS | 0.1% | 0% | 19 | 0 | 5 |
| 32 | Salisbury NB | 0.1% | 2.1% | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | Dufferin MB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Ekota AB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 35 | Satoo AB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 36 | Saint-Éphrem-de-Beauce QC | 0% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 37 | Magrath AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | Nanton AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Rimbey AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Sexsmith AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The map
Fort St. James on the map: green space, protected land and paths
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
2 named parks and woods to walk in near Fort St. James
The biggest is Cottonwood Park, 2.5 ha. Biggest first, numbered as on the map.
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
5 in 10 people in Fort St. James 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 (46%)Further (55%)
Fort St. James46%
Towns in British Columbia72%
Typical Canadian town83%
Around 800 residents are further than 400 m from a park. Most towns do better: the typical Canadian town is at 83%.
Protected areas
3.4% of the land around Fort St. James 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 Fort St. James0.2%
Within 10 km3.4%
Towns in British Columbia6.7%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
The 4 are all publicly owned. The largest named one is Stuart River Park, at 20,948 ha.
Mount Pope ParkProvincial park · 2,037 ha · reaches Fort St. James
Paarens Beach ParkProvincial park · 50 ha · 5.8 km from the edge of town
Stuart River ParkProvincial park · 20,948 ha · 9.5 km from the edge of town
Sowchea Bay ParkProvincial park · 13 ha · 9.8 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
Mount Pope Park meets Fort St. James
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
Mount Pope Park
At the edge20 km²since 2001
Provincial park
Paarens Beach Park
5.8 km south-west0.5 km²since 1972
Provincial park
Stuart River Park
9.5 km south-east209 km²since 1999
Provincial park
Sowchea Bay Park
9.8 km west0.1 km²since 1989
Canada’s national parks are all more than 100 km from Fort St. James, so the parks here are provincial. Within 10 km are 4 provincial parks.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
Fort St. James and its edge hold 33 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
33 km
in and around the town (61 km²)
Woodland
77%
about 46.8 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
Fort St. JamesTowns in British ColumbiaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0.5
012 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
Fort St. JamesTowns in British ColumbiaTypical Canadian town
Woodland77%
0%50%100%
Woods cover more of it than in 94% of Canadian towns. 65% 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 named walking route passes Fort St. James on the map
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
No walking route is mapped within 2 km of the town. Mapping of trails as routes varies a great deal across Canada.
Source: OpenStreetMap (route relations hiking, foot and walking), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Trans Canada Trail sections as OSM maps them.
When to get out
The best months for walking in Fort St. James: May to September
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Mackenzie, 120 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) | 7.8 | 9.6 | 11.7 | 14.0 | 16.0 | 17.2 | 16.7 | 14.9 | 12.6 | 10.4 | 8.4 | 7.3 |
| High (°C) | -4 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 16 | 19 | 22 | 21 | 17 | 9 | 1 | -4 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 63 | 34 | 37 | 29 | 32 | 59 | 54 | 52 | 50 | 65 | 70 | 64 |
April is the driest month at 29 mm; November the wettest at 70 mm. Daytime highs run from -4 °C in January up to 22 °C in July. The climate in Fort St. James →
Things to do
5 things to do outdoors near Fort St. James
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
Top of the list: playgrounds, 5 of them.
Every named place, with directions
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Fort St. James
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page. No closer places have figures: these lie 5–63 km from Fort St. James.
Electoral Area C, Bulkley-NechakoVanderhoofElectoral Area F, Bulkley-NechakoElectoral Area D, Bulkley-NechakoFort St. James
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort St. James | 3.4% | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Electoral Area C, Bulkley-Nechako 5.4 km | 11% | 33 | 1 | 79 |
| Vanderhoof 50 km | 0.2% | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| Electoral Area F, Bulkley-Nechako 60 km | 4.8% | 15 | 0 | 9 |
| Electoral Area D, Bulkley-Nechako 63 km | 3.7% | 16 | 0 | 1 |
Electoral Area C, Bulkley-Nechako has at least twice the protected share around it.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- 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.
- 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. Only named route relations count; a park’s own path network may not show unless it is mapped as a route.
- National and provincial parks. Distances run from the town’s edge to the park’s, so 0 km means they touch.
Questions about the outdoors in Fort St. James
What is the best season to get outdoors in Fort St. James?
On the normals, May to September: that is when days are long, highs reach 15 °C and rain is light.
How far is Fort St. James from a national park?
None within 100 km of Fort St. James.
What is the biggest park or reserve near Fort St. James?
It is Stuart River Park, a provincial park covering 20,948 ha.
How far is the nearest provincial park from Fort St. James?
Mount Pope Park, which reaches the edge of town.
How much land around Fort St. James is protected?
Within 10 km, 3.4% of the land lies in protected areas.
Sources
The sources behind Fort St. James’ 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).