First pick
Lakeside Park
Park or garden
12 ha1.7 km of path
25 minto walk all 1.7 km of path
1.3 km northfrom the centre
Lakeside Shared Pathway
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Quinn Desilets · CC BY-SA 4.014%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Nelson · parks, protected land & trails
Protected land around Nelson beats 9 in 10 Canadian towns
Swimmers have 8 beaches within 5 km, Lakeside Beach the nearest. For walks, 2 named routes run within 2 km, such as the Slocan Valley Rail Trail and Great Northern Trail. Within 100 km there is no national park.
Protected land
14%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
10
within 10 km, 4 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest provincial park
At the edge
West Arm Park
Walking routes
2
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Beaches
8
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
The outdoors in Nelson, in short
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
Protected land all round14% of the land within 10 km, more than 91% of Canadian townsA provincial park at the edgeWest Arm Park reaches the townBeaches8 beaches within 5 km
What Nelson has most to offer outdoors is protected land around it, with a provincial park at its edge close behind.
Against other towns
Each figure for Nelson, 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. Outdoors isn’t graded in Canada. The page compares each figure with other towns and leaves it there.
Protected within 10 km14%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town0.1%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 routes2Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches8Beaches mapped on OpenStreetMap within 5 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Nelson comes 5th of 40 towns its size for protected land around it
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (11,870 to 12,384 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
Nelson14%
Towns its size2.3%
Towns in British Columbia6.7%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Nelson4
Towns its size5
Towns in British Columbia14
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Nelson2
Towns its size0
Towns in British Columbia1
Typical Canadian town0
Among its peers, Nelson’s strong point is protected land nearby, where 4 of 39 top it. On public protected areas it is behind: 21 of 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | L'Île-Perrot QC | 42% | 0.5% | 44 | 0 | 4 |
| 2 | Mont-Tremblant QC | 27% | 29% | 20 | 0 | 18 |
| 3 | Cantley QC | 21% | 1.2% | 32 | 0 | 3 |
| 4 | Elliot Lake ON | 18% | 7.2% | 10 | 0 | 4 |
| 5 | Nelson BC | 14% | 0.1% | 10 | 2 | 8 |
| 6 | Summerland BC | 11% | 7.5% | 25 | 0 | 45 |
| 7 | Rideau Lakes ON | 10% | 14% | 77 | 6 | 12 |
| 8 | Valley Creek ON | 6.3% | 29% | 10 | 0 | 1 |
| 9 | Chapman Mills ON | 6% | 1.9% | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | Saint-Rodrigue QC | 4.8% | 0% | 15 | 1 | 4 |
| 11 | Adjala-Tosorontio ON | 4.7% | 1.1% | 68 | 3 | 4 |
| 12 | Humber Summit ON | 3.6% | 0% | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | Moncton NB | 3.4% | 1.4% | 27 | 0 | 1 |
| 14 | Milliken ON | 3.4% | 0% | 15 | 0 | 1 |
| 15 | McKenzie Lake AB | 3.3% | 1.1% | 2 | 0 | 17 |
| 16 | Fletchers Meadow North ON | 3% | 4.9% | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | Marieville QC | 2.9% | 0.7% | 37 | 0 | 5 |
| 18 | Morrisburg ON | 2.6% | 4.2% | 17 | 0 | 5 |
| 19 | Saint-Sauveur QC | 2.3% | 0% | 21 | 0 | 7 |
| 20 | St. Andrews MB | 2.3% | 1.1% | 9 | 2 | 2 |
| 21 | Woodbine Corridor ON | 2.3% | 0% | 13 | 3 | 34 |
| 22 | St. Clements MB | 2.2% | 3% | 9 | 8 | 10 |
| 23 | Dovercourt Village ON | 2.1% | 0% | 11 | 3 | 13 |
| 24 | Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts QC | 1.8% | 1.6% | 15 | 1 | 8 |
| 25 | German Mills ON | 1.6% | 0% | 28 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | Royal Oak AB | 1.4% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 27 | Grey Highlands ON | 1.3% | 0.7% | 77 | 4 | 0 |
| 28 | Saint-Raymond QC | 1.2% | 1.2% | 27 | 8 | 5 |
| 29 | The Hamptons AB | 1.2% | 0% | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Georgian Bluffs ON | 1.1% | 1.9% | 67 | 4 | 17 |
| 31 | River Park South MB | 1.1% | 2.1% | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | Wetaskiwin County No. 10 AB | 0.7% | 1% | 52 | 0 | 3 |
| 33 | Blackfalds AB | 0.6% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Chalmers MB | 0.6% | 0% | 15 | 1 | 0 |
| 35 | Tay ON | 0.5% | 0.6% | 17 | 3 | 5 |
| 36 | Uptown ON | 0.3% | 0% | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 37 | Norwich ON | 0.2% | 0% | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| 38 | Weyburn SK | 0.2% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Etobicoke West Mall ON | 0.2% | 0% | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 40 | DT Hospital ON | 0.1% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 4 |
The map
The green map of Nelson
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
8 named parks and woods to walk in near Nelson
Largest first: Lakeside Park leads with 12 ha. Numbers match the map.
8 named parks and woods, 28 ha in all
Parks & gardens 22 haWoods 5.6 ha
The bulk, 61%, is Lakeside Park and Art Gibbon's Park.
Gyro Park
Park or garden
2.5 ha0.3 km of path
Centralin the middle of Nelson
Directionsto a point inside
Cottonwood Falls Park
Park or garden
0.9 ha0.3 km of path
0.9 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Narrows Island
Wood or forest · 320 m outside town
2.6 ha
4.3 km westfrom 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
9 in 10 people in Nelson 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 (88%)Further (12%)
Nelson88%
Towns in British Columbia72%
Typical Canadian town83%
For about 1,400 people, the nearest park is over 400 m away. Against the typical Canadian town’s 83%, that is high.
Protected areas
10 protected areas around Nelson
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Nelson0.1%
Within 10 km14%
Towns in British Columbia6.7%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public ownership covers 4 of the 10. Biggest of the named areas: West Arm Park, 26,197 ha. 6 areas belong to private owners or land trusts and aren’t named here.
West Arm ParkProvincial park · 26,197 ha · reaches Nelson
Slocan PoolsNature reserve · 18 ha · reaches Nelson
Grohman Narrows ParkProvincial park · 10 ha · 0.1 km from the edge of town
Glade North BeachNature reserve · 12 ha · 3.0 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
From the edge of Nelson, West Arm Park begins
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
West Arm Park
At the edge262 km²since 1995
Provincial park
Grohman Narrows Park
0.1 km west0.1 km²since 1981
No national park lies within 100 km of Nelson; the provincial parks are the big protected land within reach. Within 10 km are 2 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
Paths to walk: 92 km in and around Nelson
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
92 km
in and around the town (58 km²)
Woodland
61%
about 35.6 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
NelsonTowns in British ColumbiaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths1.6
012 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
NelsonTowns in British ColumbiaTypical Canadian town
Woodland61%
0%50%100%
Woods cover more of it than in 88% of Canadian towns. Paths are thinner on the ground 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
2 walking routes near Nelson
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
RegionalOther waymarked
Great Northern Trail53.5 km
Slocan Valley Rail Trail50.1 km
For a longer outing, the Great Northern Trail runs 53.5 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 Nelson: June to September
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Warfield (55 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) | 8.6 | 10.0 | 11.7 | 13.7 | 15.3 | 16.3 | 15.9 | 14.4 | 12.5 | 10.7 | 9.0 | 8.2 |
| High (°C) | 1 | 4 | 9 | 15 | 20 | 23 | 29 | 28 | 22 | 13 | 6 | 1 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 93 | 62 | 61 | 54 | 72 | 68 | 47 | 25 | 32 | 62 | 86 | 98 |
December is the wettest month (98 mm) and August the driest (25 mm). The warmest days come in July (29 °C highs), the coldest in December (1 °C). The climate in Nelson →
Beaches
8 beaches within 5 km of Nelson
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Lakeside Beachsand · in town
DirectionsRed Sands Nude Beachin town
DirectionsShoreacres Beachsand · 2.4 km from town
DirectionsShoreacres Beachsand · 2.4 km from town
DirectionsCrescent Valley Beach2.6 km from town
DirectionsTaghum Beachsand · 3.0 km from town
DirectionsTroup Beachsand · 3.9 km from town
DirectionsThe map adds one unnamed beach. Sandy ones: 5. For water quality, look to the local health unit: no open beach-testing data covers Canada.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
Nelson has 13 viewpoints and 1 waterfalls nearby
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
The most common are viewpoints: 13 on the map.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 13
South Slocan Dam & Kootenay Canal Generation Station viewpointin town
DirectionsPulpit Rock0.8 km from town
DirectionsLyon's Bluff1.4 km from town
DirectionsFlagpole1.4 km from town
DirectionsPlus 9 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Waterfalls 1
Cottonwood Fallsin town
DirectionsNature reserves 1
Pulpit Rock Access Regional Trail0.4 km from town
DirectionsPlaygrounds 7
Plus 7 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Lakeside Parkin town
DirectionsSource: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Nelson
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
Electoral Area E, Central KootenayElectoral Area F, Central KootenayNelson
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nelson | 14% | 10 | 2 | 8 |
| Electoral Area E, Central Kootenay 3.2 km | 26% | 24 | 2 | 14 |
| Electoral Area F, Central Kootenay 4.8 km | 22% | 13 | 2 | 12 |
Next door, protected shares stay within twice Nelson’s.
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.
- Beaches. A beach counts when its centre point lies within 5 km of the town’s outline. Names come from the map.
- Walking routes. Routes are what OpenStreetMap’s volunteers have mapped as named walking or hiking routes; many good trails aren’t mapped that way.
- National and provincial parks. Distances run from the town’s edge to the park’s, so 0 km means they touch.
- 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.
Questions about the outdoors in Nelson
What is the largest protected area near Nelson?
West Arm Park, a provincial park of 26,197 ha.
When is the best time for walking in Nelson?
June to September: long days, mild highs and little rain.
What is the nearest provincial park to Nelson?
West Arm Park, which reaches the edge of town.
What is the nearest national park to Nelson?
None within 100 km of Nelson.
Is there protected land near Nelson?
Yes: 14% of the land within 10 km is protected.
What is the nearest beach to Nelson?
Lakeside Beach, in town, is the nearest mapped beach.
Are there hiking trails near Nelson?
OpenStreetMap maps the Slocan Valley Rail Trail and Great Northern Trail close by, with others.
Sources
The sources behind Nelson’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).