First pick
Dakota Ridge Recreation Site
Park or garden
932 ha7.3 km of path
1 h 35 minto walk all 7.3 km of path
14 km north-westfrom the centre
Ridge WalkerBalsam LoopEagle Lookout
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center · Public domain10%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Electoral Area F, Sunshine Coast · parks, protected land & trails
Few places match Electoral Area F, Sunshine Coast for protected land nearby: more than nearly 9 in 10 Canadian towns
Within 10 km are 73 protected areas. Within 5 km are 231 beaches; Andy's Beach is the nearest. For a national park, Gulf Islands National Park Reserve is 54 km away.
Protected land
10%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
73
within 10 km, 64 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest national park
54 km
Gulf Islands National Park Reserve
Nearest provincial park
At the edge
Plumper Cove Marine Park
Beaches
231
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
The outdoors in Electoral Area F, Sunshine Coast, in short
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
Protected land all round10% of the land within 10 km, more than 86% of Canadian townsBeaches231 beaches within 5 kmMany protected areas64 public areas within 10 kmA provincial park at the edgePlumper Cove Marine Park reaches the town
Electoral Area F, Sunshine Coast’s best card is protected land around it, with its beaches close behind.
Against other towns
Each figure for Electoral Area F, Sunshine Coast, 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. Canada’s grades don’t include the outdoors, so this page compares the figures rather than grading them.
Protected within 10 km10%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town15%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas64Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes0Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches231Beaches mapped on OpenStreetMap within 5 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Electoral Area F, Sunshine Coast comes 10th of 40 towns its size for protected land around it
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (2,652 to 2,726 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
Electoral Area F, Sunshine Coast10%
Towns its size1.7%
Towns in British Columbia6.7%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Electoral Area F, Sunshine Coast64
Towns its size2
Towns in British Columbia14
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Electoral Area F, Sunshine Coast0
Towns its size0
Towns in British Columbia1
Typical Canadian town0
For public protected areas, Electoral Area F, Sunshine Coast tops all 39 other towns its size.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | La Ronge SK | 49% | 0.2% | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2 | Bouctouche NB | 27% | 1.6% | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 3 | Electoral Area A, Central Kootenay BC | 26% | 38% | 20 | 0 | 5 |
| 4 | Waskaganish QC | 24% | 0% | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Musquodoboit Harbour NS | 16% | 28% | 50 | 1 | 17 |
| 6 | Meadow Lake No. 588 SK | 13% | 15% | 25 | 3 | 4 |
| 7 | Tumbler Ridge BC | 12% | 5.1% | 5 | 0 | 51 |
| 8 | Eastman QC | 11% | 7.4% | 49 | 5 | 7 |
| 9 | Swan Valley West MB | 11% | 1% | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | Electoral Area F, Sunshine Coast BC | 10% | 15% | 73 | 0 | 231 |
| 11 | Saint George NB | 7.2% | 14% | 28 | 0 | 23 |
| 12 | Freelton ON | 5.6% | 1.6% | 30 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | Russell MB | 4.9% | 0% | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | East River, Part 1 PE | 4.3% | 9.1% | 38 | 14 | 20 |
| 15 | Bonaventure QC | 3.7% | 1.5% | 7 | 0 | 11 |
| 16 | Emerson-Franklin MB | 3.7% | 0.1% | 123 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | Trinity ON | 2.6% | 2.8% | 27 | 3 | 0 |
| 18 | Division No. 8, Subdivision L NL | 1.9% | 0.2% | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 19 | La Présentation QC | 1.7% | 0% | 13 | 0 | 1 |
| 20 | Adelaide/Churchill SK | 1.7% | 0% | 18 | 0 | 1 |
| 21 | Eastdale ON | 1.6% | 0% | 15 | 3 | 8 |
| 22 | Meadowlark Park AB | 1.6% | 0% | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 23 | Tuxedo Industrial MB | 1.4% | 0% | 25 | 0 | 36 |
| 24 | Westview SK | 1.4% | 0% | 14 | 0 | 2 |
| 25 | North Point Douglas MB | 1.2% | 0% | 17 | 4 | 0 |
| 26 | Hanna AB | 0.8% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Saint-Alexandre QC | 0.6% | 0.6% | 23 | 1 | 0 |
| 28 | Grey MB | 0.6% | 0.7% | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | Sundre AB | 0.4% | 0% | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Macamic QC | 0.3% | 0% | 11 | 2 | 3 |
| 31 | Cy Becker AB | 0.2% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | Lee Ridge AB | 0.1% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 33 | Spaniard's Bay NL | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 18 |
| 34 | Saint-Bernard QC | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | Saint-Martin QC | 0% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 36 | Plessisville QC | 0% | 0% | 6 | 0 | 2 |
| 37 | Saint-Léonard-d'Aston QC | 0% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | Delton AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 39 | Gold Bar AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 40 | Highlands AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 1 | 1 |
The map
Electoral Area F, Sunshine Coast on the map: green space, protected land and paths
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
Walk in Electoral Area F, Sunshine Coast: 7 named parks and woods
Dakota Ridge Recreation Site is the largest, at 932 ha; the rest follow by size, numbered as on the map.
7 named parks and woods, 1,084 ha in all
Parks & gardens 1,017 haWoods 67 ha
Dakota Ridge Recreation Site plus Woolridge Island account for 92% of the green.
Sprockids Park
Park or garden
48 ha7.6 km of path
1 h 40 minto walk all 7.6 km of path
2.9 km westfrom the centre
StingerSprockids ClimbAnkle Biter+5 paths
Directionsto a point inside
1st Camp Recreation Site
Park or garden · 190 m outside town
31 ha2.3 km of path
30 minto walk all 2.3 km of path
4.2 km westfrom the centre
Hwy 102Tramway TrailRed Trail+4 paths
Directionsto a point inside
Shirley Macey Park
Park or garden
2.8 ha0.1 km of path
2.5 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Shirley Macey Off-Leash Dog Area
Park or garden
1.5 ha0.1 km of path
2.4 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Visitor Information Park
Park or garden
1.8 ha
2.4 km south-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
About 3 in 10 of Electoral Area F, Sunshine Coast’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 (32%)Further (68%)
Electoral Area F, Sunshine Coast32%
Towns in British Columbia72%
Typical Canadian town83%
For about 1,800 people, the nearest park is over 400 m away. That is below the typical Canadian town (83%).
Protected areas
73 protected areas around Electoral Area F, Sunshine Coast
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Electoral Area F, Sunshine Coast15%
Within 10 km10%
Towns in British Columbia6.7%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public bodies own 64 of the 73; land trusts and private owners hold the others. The largest named one is Tetrahedron Park, at 6,000 ha. 6 areas belong to private owners or land trusts and aren’t named here.
Tetrahedron ParkProvincial park · 6,000 ha · reaches Electoral Area F, Sunshine Coast
Halkett Bay Marine ParkProvincial park · 448 ha · reaches Electoral Area F, Sunshine Coast
Plumper Cove Marine ParkProvincial park · 66 ha · reaches Electoral Area F, Sunshine Coast
Gibson Creek Ravine ParkMunicipal park · 2.7 ha · reaches Electoral Area F, Sunshine Coast
Lost Reef Glass Sponge Reef Marine RefugeNature reserve · 32 ha · 0.1 km from the edge of town
Anvil Island Glass Sponge Reef Marine RefugeNature reserve · 48 ha · 0.1 km from the edge of town
Halkett Point Glass Sponge Reef Marine RefugeNature reserve · 25 ha · 0.1 km from the edge of town
East Defence Islands Glass Sponge Reef Marine RefugeNature reserve · 27 ha · 0.4 km from the edge of town
Georgia Beach ParkMunicipal park · 0.7 ha · 0.7 km from the edge of town
Defence Islands Glass Sponge Reef Marine RefugeNature reserve · 68 ha · 1.0 km from the edge of town
22 more named areas within 10 km are in the figures.
2 areas recorded only by their type (provincial layers such as wildlife habitat areas) are 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
Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, 54 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
Tetrahedron Park
At the edge60 km²since 1995
Provincial park
Halkett Bay Marine Park
At the edge4.5 km²since 1988
Provincial park
Plumper Cove Marine Park
At the edge0.7 km²since 1960
Provincial park
Mount Elphinstone Park
2.4 km west1.4 km²since 2000
Provincial park
Cypress Park
3.3 km north-east30 km²since 1975
Provincial park
Porteau Cove Park
3.5 km north-east0.6 km²since 1981
7 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
Paths to walk: 243 km in and around Electoral Area F, Sunshine Coast
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
243 km
in and around the town (595.8 km²)
Woodland
66%
about 395.5 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
Electoral Area F, Sunshine CoastTowns in British ColumbiaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0.4
012 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
Electoral Area F, Sunshine CoastTowns in British ColumbiaTypical Canadian town
Woodland66%
0%50%100%
For woods, it beats 90% of Canadian towns. Paths are thinner on the ground than in 69% 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
OpenStreetMap shows no walking route near Electoral Area F, Sunshine Coast
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
Electoral Area F, Sunshine Coast is best on foot in May to September
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Vancouver (Harbour), 30 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 | 10.0 | 11.7 | 13.7 | 15.3 | 16.2 | 15.9 | 14.4 | 12.5 | 10.7 | 9.0 | 8.2 |
| High (°C) | 7 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 18 | 20 | 23 | 23 | 19 | 14 | 10 | 7 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 237 | 117 | 163 | 118 | 73 | 66 | 44 | 49 | 71 | 157 | 245 | 200 |
The warmest days come in July (23 °C highs), the coldest in December (7 °C). Precipitation runs from 44 mm in July to 245 mm in November. Winter brings about 37 cm of snow. The climate in Electoral Area F, Sunshine Coast →
Beaches
Electoral Area F, Sunshine Coast has 231 beaches close by
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Andy's Beachin town
DirectionsCampers' Covein town
DirectionsEast Beachin town
DirectionsHard-to-come-by Covegravel · in town
DirectionsLaurel Beachin town
DirectionsMaple Beachin town
DirectionsWest Beachin town
DirectionsWreck Beachin town
DirectionsGambier Harbour Beachgravel · in town
DirectionsSandy Beachsand · in town
DirectionsUnnamed on the map: 192 more. The shoreline runs 267 km within 5 km of town. 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
Near Electoral Area F, Sunshine Coast: 30 viewpoints, 9 waterfalls
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
30Viewpoints39Hills and peaks9Waterfalls28Nature reserves3Picnic sites10Playgrounds1Dog parks17Campsites1Slipways
For a climb, Tetrahedron Peak rises to 1,739 m. The most common are hills and peaks: 39 on the map.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 30
Admiral's Bluffin town
DirectionsBridgeman's Bluffin town
DirectionsBurt's Bluffin town
DirectionsHighest Peakin town
DirectionsKillam Bluffin town
DirectionsMount Elphinstonein town
DirectionsPoppel Pointin town
DirectionsWhite Spot Viewpointin town
DirectionsPlus 22 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 39
Amigos Peak820 m · in town
DirectionsBox Canyon Peak1,379 m · in town
DirectionsBurt's Peak527 m · in town
DirectionsCarmichael Peak219 m · in town
DirectionsDakota Peak1,299 m · in town
DirectionsEast McNab Lion1,416 m · in town
DirectionsEuclid Peak1,326 m · in town
DirectionsFoulger Peak1,449 m · in town
DirectionsPlus 31 hills and peaks without a name on the map.
Waterfalls 9
Gibsons creek fallsin town
DirectionsLangdale Fallsin town
DirectionsPotlatch Fallsin town
DirectionsChaster Falls0.6 km from town
DirectionsPlus 5 waterfalls without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 28
Brigade Bay Bluffs Nature Reservein town
DirectionsDouglas Bay Community Parkin town
DirectionsGambier Lake Recreation Sitein town
DirectionsGambier-center Bay Recreation Sitein town
DirectionsGambier-Ekins Pt Recreation Sitein town
DirectionsGambier-west Bay Recreation Reservein town
DirectionsHome Island Recreation Reservein town
DirectionsMount Artaban Nature Reservein town
DirectionsPlus 20 nature reserves without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 10
Plus 10 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Shirley Macey Off-Leash Dog Areain town
DirectionsCampsites 17
Anvils Footin town
DirectionsCamp Potlatch (Reserve)in town
DirectionsDouglas Bayin town
DirectionsGambier Lakein town
DirectionsGambier Lake Overflow Sitein town
DirectionsNighthawkin town
DirectionsProud Outlookin town
DirectionsRamillies Channelin town
DirectionsPlus 9 campsites without a name on the map.
Slipways 1
Keats Landing Boat Launchin town
DirectionsSource: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Electoral Area F, Sunshine Coast
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
GibsonsElectoral Area E, Sunshine CoastRoberts CreekBowen IslandLions BayElectoral Area F, Sunshine Coast
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electoral Area F, Sunshine Coast | 10% | 73 | 0 | 231 |
| Gibsons 4.0 km | 2.7% | 43 | 0 | 57 |
| Electoral Area E, Sunshine Coast 6.0 km | 3.4% | 34 | 0 | 48 |
| Roberts Creek 11 km | 11% | 20 | 0 | 26 |
| Bowen Island 12 km | 7.2% | 60 | 0 | 173 |
| Lions Bay 18 km | 12% | 16 | 2 | 14 |
More routes are mapped around Lions Bay (2). Electoral Area F, Sunshine Coast holds its own on protected land: no neighbour has twice its share.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Private land. Private conservation land is in the totals, not the lists. Many such areas are easements on working farms or woodlots.
- Walking routes. Routes are what OpenStreetMap’s volunteers have mapped as named walking or hiking routes; many good trails aren’t mapped that way.
- Beaches. Beaches are OpenStreetMap’s, named or not; in the north many are unnamed shoreline imports.
- 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. The nearest national park and the nearest provincial park are always shown when they are within 100 km.
Questions about the outdoors in Electoral Area F, Sunshine Coast
How far is the nearest provincial park from Electoral Area F, Sunshine Coast?
Plumper Cove Marine Park touches the town.
When should you visit Electoral Area F, Sunshine Coast for the outdoors?
May to September, on the 1991–2020 normals and the daylight: long days, highs of 15 °C or more, light rain for the place.
Are there protected areas near Electoral Area F, Sunshine Coast?
Within 10 km, 10% of the land lies in protected areas.
What is the nearest national park to Electoral Area F, Sunshine Coast?
Gulf Islands National Park Reserve is closest, at 54 km.
What is the biggest park or reserve near Electoral Area F, Sunshine Coast?
Tetrahedron Park, a provincial park of 6,000 ha.
Is there a beach near Electoral Area F, Sunshine Coast?
Try Andy's Beach, in town, first of several.
Sources
Sources for this page on Electoral Area F, Sunshine Coast
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).