First pick
Matheson Lake Regional Park
Park or garden
165 ha11.2 km of path
2 h 30 minto walk all 11.2 km of path
3.5 km westfrom the centre
Lake TrailGalloping Goose Regional TrailBob Mountain Trail+4 paths
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: P199 · CC BY-SA 4.018%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Metchosin · parks, protected land & trails
More of the land around Metchosin is protected than around 9 in 10 Canadian towns
Swimmers have 22 beaches within 5 km, Bilston Bar the nearest. The nearest provincial park, Sooke Mountain Park, is 0.4 km away. Gulf Islands National Park Reserve is the closest national park, 23 km from town.
Protected land
18%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
31
within 10 km, 22 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
23 km
Gulf Islands National Park Reserve
Nearest provincial park
0.4 km
Sooke Mountain Park
Walking routes
2
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Beaches
22
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
What Metchosin has going for it outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
Protected land all round18% of the land within 10 km, more than 94% of Canadian townsMany protected areas22 public areas within 10 kmBeaches22 beaches within 5 kmA national park nearbyGulf Islands National Park Reserve, 23 km away
What Metchosin has most to offer outdoors is protected land around it, with the number of public protected areas close by close behind.
Against other towns
Metchosin 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 km18%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town9.6%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas22Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes2Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches22Beaches mapped on OpenStreetMap within 5 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Metchosin has the 4th most protected land nearby of 40 towns its size
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (5,129 to 5,279 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
Metchosin18%
Towns its size1.9%
Towns in British Columbia6.7%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Metchosin22
Towns its size4
Towns in British Columbia14
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Metchosin2
Towns its size1
Towns in British Columbia1
Typical Canadian town0
For protected land nearby, Metchosin sits near the top of its size group: 3 of 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grand Bay-Westfield NB | 29% | 1% | 21 | 1 | 39 |
| 2 | Electoral Area A, Cowichan Valley BC | 23% | 0.9% | 58 | 4 | 24 |
| 3 | Oliver BC | 19% | 0.8% | 24 | 0 | 1 |
| 4 | Metchosin BC | 18% | 9.6% | 31 | 2 | 22 |
| 5 | Lake Echo NS | 16% | 33% | 25 | 2 | 5 |
| 6 | Montréal-Ouest QC | 16% | 0% | 24 | 0 | 2 |
| 7 | Inverness NS | 13% | 5.1% | 141 | 4 | 20 |
| 8 | Upper Tantallon NS | 13% | 19% | 157 | 3 | 12 |
| 9 | Témiscouata-sur-le-Lac QC | 11% | 1% | 3 | 6 | 3 |
| 10 | Saint-Denis-de-Brompton QC | 9.4% | 1.6% | 19 | 2 | 3 |
| 11 | Antigonish NS | 7.6% | 0% | 10 | 1 | 0 |
| 12 | Gourley ON | 6.5% | 0% | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | Uplands SK | 5.4% | 0% | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Trumpeter Area AB | 5.4% | 1.6% | 9 | 7 | 0 |
| 15 | Electoral Area B, Central Kootenay BC | 4.5% | 7.4% | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | Heritage SK | 4% | 0% | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| 17 | Rushdale ON | 3.9% | 0% | 18 | 1 | 0 |
| 18 | Crown Point East ON | 3.1% | 0% | 23 | 1 | 6 |
| 19 | Centre Hastings ON | 2.5% | 1.4% | 30 | 2 | 3 |
| 20 | Coverdale NB | 1.9% | 4.4% | 17 | 1 | 0 |
| 21 | Southdale ON | 1.9% | 0% | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | Waverley Heights MB | 1.7% | 0% | 22 | 0 | 1 |
| 23 | Mt. Hope Huron Park ON | 1.5% | 0% | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Earl Grey MB | 1.4% | 0% | 25 | 3 | 0 |
| 25 | West Alexander MB | 1.4% | 0% | 19 | 4 | 0 |
| 26 | Kneehill County AB | 1.3% | 1.1% | 26 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Shaughnessy Park MB | 1.1% | 0% | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Marystown NL | 0.6% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| 29 | St. Boniface Industrial Park MB | 0.6% | 0.1% | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Bannerman AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 31 | Bearspaw AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 32 | Ogilvie Ridge AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 33 | Kirkness AB | 0.2% | 0% | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 34 | Saint-Cyrille-de-Wendover QC | 0.1% | 0.5% | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 35 | Edmonton Energy And Technology Park AB | 0.1% | 0.8% | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 36 | Ritchie AB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 37 | Tweddle Place AB | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 38 | Carstairs AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Didsbury AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Rundle Heights AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 1 | 0 |
The map
Where the green is in Metchosin
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
26 parks and woods to walk in, in or near Metchosin
The biggest is Matheson Lake Regional Park, 165 ha. Biggest first, numbered as on the map.
26 named parks and woods, 628 ha in all
Parks & gardens 628 ha
Two places, Roche Cove Regional Park and Matheson Lake Regional Park, make up 53% of the total.
Roche Cove Regional Park
Park or garden
170 ha8.4 km of path
1 h 50 minto walk all 8.4 km of path
4.6 km westfrom the centre
Cedar Grove TrailGalloping Goose Regional TrailMount Matheson Trail+1 path
Directionsto a point inside
Galloping Goose Regional Trail
Park or garden
96 ha31.4 km of path
7 hto walk all 31.4 km of path
2.5 km south-westfrom the centre
Galloping Goose Regional TrailCharters TrestleTodd Creek Bypass Trail+1 path
Directionsto a point inside
Witty's Lagoon Regional Park
Park or garden
58 ha9.5 km of path
2 h 5 minto walk all 9.5 km of path
3.5 km north-eastfrom the centre
Lagoon TrailBeach Trail
Directionsto a point inside
Metchosin Wilderness Park (100 Acre Wood)
Park or garden
46 ha3.9 km of path
50 minto walk all 3.9 km of path
1.6 km westfrom the centre
Joe Lodge TrailLower Connector TrailUpper Connector Trail
Directionsto a point inside
Blinkhorn Nature Park
Park or garden
21 ha1.5 km of path
20 minto walk all 1.5 km of path
2.3 km north-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Eleanor Mann Park
Park or garden
17 ha2.5 km of path
35 minto walk all 2.5 km of path
1.7 km westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Devonian Regional Park
Park or garden
14 ha2 km of path
25 minto walk all 2 km of path
1.4 km south-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
All 26 named parks and green spaces
Matheson Lake Regional ParkPark or garden · 165 ha · 11.2 km of path
DirectionsRoche Cove Regional ParkPark or garden · 170 ha · 8.4 km of path
DirectionsGalloping Goose Regional TrailPark or garden · 96 ha · 31.4 km of path
DirectionsWitty's Lagoon Regional ParkPark or garden · 58 ha · 9.5 km of path
DirectionsMetchosin Wilderness Park (100 Acre Wood)Park or garden · 46 ha · 3.9 km of path
DirectionsBlinkhorn Nature ParkPark or garden · 21 ha · 1.5 km of path
DirectionsEleanor Mann ParkPark or garden · 17 ha · 2.5 km of path
DirectionsDevonian Regional ParkPark or garden · 14 ha · 2 km of path
DirectionsLatoria Creek ParkPark or garden · 13 ha · 1.8 km of path
DirectionsAlbert Head Lagoon Regional ParkPark or garden · 7.3 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsWilling ParkPark or garden · 5.6 ha · 1.1 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsLoma Linda ParkPark or garden · 4.9 ha · just outside town
DirectionsBuckbrush Swamp ParkPark or garden · 3.2 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsBob Mountain Trail ParkPark or garden · 1.6 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsWayne's Rock Trail ParkPark or garden · 1.0 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsA.T. (Tom) Gordon Memorial FieldPark or garden · 1.1 ha · 0.1 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsValley View PondsPark or garden · 0.9 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsHorse Trail ParkPark or garden · 0.8 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsPelican ParkPark or garden · 1.0 ha · just outside town
DirectionsLisandra Trail ParkPark or garden · 0.3 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsCarlton Cosh Nature ParkPark or garden · 0.8 ha
DirectionsPondside ParkPark or garden · 0.8 ha · just outside town
DirectionsLusse Way Trail ParkPark or garden · 0.4 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsLabonne Trail ParkPark or garden · 0.3 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsBranson Trail ParkPark or garden · 0.3 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsColeman ParkPark or garden · 0.5 ha · just outside town
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 8 in 10 of Metchosin’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 (77%)Further (23%)
Metchosin77%
Towns in British Columbia72%
Typical Canadian town83%
The typical Canadian town reaches 83%. About 1,200 residents live further than 400 m from one.
Protected areas
31 protected areas around Metchosin
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Metchosin9.6%
Within 10 km18%
Towns in British Columbia6.7%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Of those 31, 22 are public and the remainder private. The largest named one is Greater Victoria Water Supply Area, at 20,620 ha. 9 areas, privately held or of unrecorded ownership, are left unnamed.
Sooke Hills Wilderness Regional ParkMunicipal park · 4,120 ha · reaches Metchosin
Roche Cove Regional ParkMunicipal park · 160 ha · reaches Metchosin
Matheson Lake Regional ParkMunicipal park · 157 ha · reaches Metchosin
Witty's Lagoon Regional ParkMunicipal park · 56 ha · reaches Metchosin
Devonian Regional ParkMunicipal park · 14 ha · reaches Metchosin
Albert Head Lagoon Regional ParkMunicipal park · 7.0 ha · reaches Metchosin
Sea to Sea Regional ParkMunicipal park · 3,980 ha · reaches Metchosin
Sooke Mountain ParkProvincial park · 450 ha · 0.4 km from the edge of town
Race Rocks Ecological ReserveNature reserve · 240 ha · 0.8 km from the edge of town
Mount Wells Regional ParkMunicipal park · 121 ha · 1.2 km from the edge of town
12 more named areas within 10 km are in the figures.
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 is 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
Sooke Mountain Park
0.4 km north-west4.5 km²since 1928
Provincial park
Goldstream Park
3.9 km north4.8 km²since 1958
Provincial park
Sooke Potholes Park
4.8 km north-west0.1 km²since 1972
Provincial park
Gowlland Tod Park
8.5 km north13 km²since 1995
National park reserve
Gulf Islands National Park Reserve
23 km north-east67 km²since 2010
Closer to home, Sooke Mountain Park is 0.4 km away. 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
Metchosin and its edge hold 175 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
175 km
in and around the town (128.4 km²)
Woodland
61%
about 78.2 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
MetchosinTowns in British ColumbiaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths1.4
012 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
MetchosinTowns in British ColumbiaTypical Canadian town
Woodland61%
0%50%100%
For path density, 53% of Canadian towns do better. More of it is wooded than in 88% 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
Metchosin has 2 named walking routes
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
Local
Sooke Flowline38.8 km
Quimper Connector Trail1.5 km
The longest of the rest is the Sooke Flowline, 38.8 km.
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 Metchosin: May to September
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Victoria Gonzales (City) (17 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) | 8.7 | 10.1 | 11.7 | 13.6 | 15.2 | 16.1 | 15.7 | 14.3 | 12.5 | 10.7 | 9.1 | 8.3 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 14 | 10 | 8 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 111 | 61 | 62 | 36 | 28 | 19 | 13 | 16 | 28 | 85 | 129 | 87 |
The yearly snowfall is near 39 cm. November is the wettest month (129 mm) and July the driest (13 mm). From 8 °C in December to 21 °C in August: that is the range of daytime highs. The climate in Metchosin →
Beaches
Beaches near Metchosin: 22 within 5 km
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Bilston Barpebbles · in town
DirectionsWeir's Beachin town
DirectionsWitty's Beachin town
DirectionsGlen Lake South Beach3.2 km from town
DirectionsThe coast is close: 121 km of shoreline within 5 km. Add 18 unnamed beaches to the count. 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
Metchosin has 33 viewpoints and 4 waterfalls nearby
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: hills and peaks, 39 of them. Highest of the named peaks: Mount Manuel Quimper, 546 m.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 33
Windy Pointin town
DirectionsThunderbird Mountain0.9 km from town
DirectionsPlus 31 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 39
Alan's Alp252 m · in town
DirectionsBuck Hill342 m · in town
DirectionsCamas Hill288 m · in town
DirectionsChurch Hill112 m · in town
DirectionsCrow's Nest403 m · in town
DirectionsGaribaldi Hill176 m · in town
DirectionsMary Hill117 m · in town
DirectionsMetchosin Mountain183 m · in town
DirectionsPlus 31 hills and peaks more.
Nature reserves 1
Race Rocks Ecological Reserve1.8 km from town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 15
Plus 15 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Plus 1 dog park without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Metchosin
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
ColwoodLangfordView RoyalNew Songhees 1ASookeEsquimaltMetchosin
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metchosin | 18% | 31 | 2 | 22 |
| Colwood 7.2 km | 19% | 36 | 4 | 21 |
| Langford 8.7 km | 27% | 41 | 7 | 19 |
| View Royal 12 km | 21% | 35 | 3 | 20 |
| New Songhees 1A 13 km | 14% | 29 | 3 | 16 |
| Sooke 13 km | 23% | 23 | 3 | 12 |
| Esquimalt 13 km | 12% | 31 | 4 | 19 |
Metchosin holds its own on protected land: no neighbour has twice its share. For walking routes, Langford leads the area with 7.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Beaches. The count includes unnamed stretches mapped as beach, which can make a lakeside town’s figure large.
- Private land. Areas held by land trusts or private owners stay unnamed here, though they count in the shares.
- National and provincial parks. Distances run from the town’s edge to the park’s, so 0 km means they touch.
- Protected land. The share is of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s outline, from CPCAD’s mapped areas; marine areas count, so a coastal town can score high on water.
- 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 Metchosin
What is the nearest beach to Metchosin?
Bilston Bar, in town, is the nearest mapped beach.
Where can you walk near Metchosin?
Try the Sooke Flowline and Quimper Connector Trail; more are on the map.
Is there protected land near Metchosin?
Within 10 km, 18% of the land lies in protected areas.
What is the nearest provincial park to Metchosin?
It is Sooke Mountain Park, 0.4 km away.
Which is the biggest protected area near Metchosin?
It is Greater Victoria Water Supply Area, a protected area covering 20,620 ha.
What is the best season to get outdoors in Metchosin?
On the normals, May to September: that is when days are long, highs reach 15 °C and rain is light.
Is Metchosin near a national park?
It is Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, 23 km off.
Sources
The sources behind Metchosin’s 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).